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There isn’t anything better than postseason baseball. And that means we are starting to see the MLB playoff picture become clearer as teams hone in on their postseason spots.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers have clinched their fourth straight NL Central crown while the Los Angeles Dodgers have their 13th NL West title in 14 seasons. The Atlanta Braves remain in the driver’s seat for the NL East, while the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres are battling for the wild card spots.
The races are tighter in the American League. The Cleveland Guardians have overtaken the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central chase while the Astros hold a slim lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West. The Tampa Bay Rays currently top the AL East with the New York Yankees behind them.
Here is where the major postseason races stand as we inch closer to the postseason standings. Standings are as of Sept. 17.
JUMP TO:
AL: East | Central | West | Wild Card
NL: East | Central | West | Wild Card
Two AL East teams – the Rays and Yankees – are playoff bound with Tampa Bay holding pace ahead of New York in the division. The two teams still have a four-game series to play later this month which could decide who wins the division crown. Aaron Judge’s fitness will be a key point for the Yankees, with the superstar slugger now dealing with leg tightness.
Boston is behind both the Rays and Yankees in the division standings, but is in prime position to clinch a wild card spot. The Blue Jays and Orioles are clinging to slim hopes for the postseason.
Cleveland took two of three against Chicago to put them on top of the AL Central standings. After leading the division for 74 straight days, the White Sox dropped 12 out of their last 17 games.
Minnesota and Detroit are on the verge of elimination, with Kansas City already out.
The AL West remains the closest division race in the league.
The Astros hold a tiebreaker over the Rangers with the teams neck and neck in the standings. The Mariners, who came within a game of reaching the World Series last year, are on the verge of elimination. The Angels and Athletics are done.
New York and Boston hold the top two AL wild card spots. The White Sox hold the final wild card spot after dropping the AL Central lead to the Guardians. Toronto, Baltimore and Texas are within 2.5 games of that final spot.
Seattle, Detroit, and Minnesota cannot be ruled out just yet. The Royals, Angels and Athletics have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The first-place Atlanta Braves have punched their ticket to the postseason for the eighth time in nine years. They secured at least a National League wild card and reduced their magic number to three for winning the NL East.
Atlanta is trying to hold off the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East title and could wrap up the division crown as soon as Sunday.
The Brewers have the best record in baseball and have clinched a fourth straight NL Central crown.
Milwaukee has rotation depth, led by NL Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski—who became the second-fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 200 strikeouts in a season last month.
The Cubs hold one of the top NL wild card spots. Pete Crow-Armstrong has established himself as an MVP candidate after completing a 40-homer, 30-stolen base season. The Pirates and Cardinals are set to join the Reds as the division’s eliminated teams.
The Dodgers have taken another step toward a third straight World Series title. They have wrapped up a 13th NL West title in the past 14 seasons. L.A. has now made the postseason in 14 straight seasons, tying Atlanta’s all-time record set from 1991-2005.
The Dodgers will aim to finish in one of the top two spots in the NL, which would provide a much-needed bye with star first baseman Freddie Freeman and MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list because of right biceps inflammation.
Arizona and San Diego remain locked in a battle for the final wild card spot at the moment. The Rockies and Giants are out.
Philadelphia and Chicago lead the NL wild card standings. San Diego holds the final spot by 3 games over Arizona.
Other teams that have yet to be eliminated include Miami, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh. Teams that have been eliminated are the Rockies, Giants, Reds, Mets and Nationals.
In the AL, two teams – the Rays and Yankees – are the only teams that have clinched postseason spots.
The Brewers (winners of the NL Central) and Dodgers (NL West winners) are the two NL teams that have clinched postseason spots. The Braves still have a magic number of one game to clinch its playoff spot, and are on track to win the NL East.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.