The MLB playoffs are here, with all four Wild Card series matchups set. There will be one day without baseball before the postseason games begin. On the American League side, the New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox while the Cleveland Guardians host the Detroit Tigers. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs host the San Diego Padres.
ClutchPoints' MLB Power Rankings recap the final regular season games and get you set for October.
#1: Philadelphia Phillies (-)
The Philadelphia Phillies entered the week with the NL East clinched and a bye into the Division Series. Even with nothing to play for, they secured series victories over the Minnesota Twins and the Miami Marlins. Trea Turner held off a late charge from Nico Hoerner to win the NL batting title despite playing only one game since September 7. Turner returned for the final game, going 0-2, but ended the season with a .304 average. Everyone knows it will be loud at Citizens Bank Park, but can this core finally get over the hump? The Phillies will host the winner of the Dodgers-Reds series
#2: Milwaukee Brewers (-)
The Milwaukee Brewers nearly played spoiler for their division rival Cincinnati Reds, winning on Sunday to salvage the series. But Milwaukee lost two of three to both the San Diego Padres and the Reds to finish the season 97-65. That is the greatest record in franchise history, surpassing the 2018 club that went to the NLCS. With just one World Series appearance and no titles, the Brewers are looking to finish off a historic season in epic fashion. The Brewers will host the winner of the Padres-Cubs series
#3: Los Angeles Dodgers (+1)
The Dodgers have won the National League West in 12 of the last 13 seasons, securing the division with a series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. They did not stop there, sweeping the Mariners to land at 93-69. Shohei Ohtani hit his 55th homer on Sunday, setting a single-season franchise record. He broke the record he set last year, and is the only player in Dodgers history with even one 50-homer season. Ohtani will be back on the mound for the defending champions in the postseason, which provides another level to their rotation. He is slated to start Game 3, or Game 1 in the DS, if they win in two games. The Dodgers host Game 1 against the Reds on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. EST.
#4: Toronto Blue Jays (-1)
The Toronto Blue Jays nearly gave away the American League East after losing a series to the Red Sox. But, tied with the surging Yankees, they swept the Tampa Bay Rays to secure the division crown. It is their first division title since 2015 and their first time in the Division Series since 2016. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract started this season on the right foot, and he ended with 23 homers and 84 RBI. The Blue Jays will host the Division Series against the winner of the Red Sox-Yankees series.
#5: Chicago Cubs (+1)
The Cubs finished the season by losing a three-game set to the New York Mets and sweeping the St Louis Cardinals. At 92-70, they are the top NL Wild Card team and will host the Padres starting on Tuesday. Kyle Tucker was back in the lineup for the final series, ending with just one hit across 11 at-bats against St Louis. The Cubs have brought October baseball back to Wrigley Field, but will it bring the end of Tucker's run in the Windy City?
#6: Seattle Mariners (-1)
The Mariners won their first American League West title since 2001 by sweeping the Colorado Rockies at the beginning of the week. They were swept by the Dodgers to end the season at 90-72. They have the number two seed in the AL, awaiting the winner of the Guardians-Tigers series in the ALDS. Cal Raleigh ended the season with 60 homers and 125 RBI, but will that be enough to snag the AL MVP from Aaron Judge?
#7: San Diego Padres (+1)
The Padres snagged two of three from the Brewers and swept the Diamondbacks to finish the season 90-72. Manny Machado finished a solid season with a homer on Sunday, ending with 27 homers and 95 RBI. He will be the key to any San Diego success in the postseason. The Padres hit the road for a Wild Card matchup with the Cubs, where the winner would face the Brewers. But San Diego will be without trade-deadline star Ramon Laureano due to a broken finger. How much will that absence impact them?
#8: New York Yankees (+1)
The Yankees have hit a hot streak to end the season, sweeping both the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles to finish 94-68. That is the identical record to what they had last year, but they did not win the AL East this time. Aaron Judge ended the season with a .331 batting average, the highest in all of baseball, and 53 homers. He could clinch his third MVP, but his October performance will be more important, especially after last year. The Yankees host the Red Sox in the three-game Wild Card set.
#9: Cleveland Guardians (+4)
The Guardians won the American League Central after facing a 15.5-game deficit in July. They had a 0.2% chance of catching the Tigers to start September, but took five of six against Detroit to help vault into the top spot. Now, they face the Tigers again in a three-game set, all in Cleveland. Their pitching has been fantastic, allowing a league-low 75 runs in September. This core has playoff experience from last season, which could make it dangerous in the dance.
#10: Boston Red Sox (+2)
The Red Sox flirted with disaster in mid-September, but finished through the line to clinch the second Wild Card spot. They took two of three from both Toronto and Detroit to finish 89-73. Garrett Crochet finished strong, with eight scoreless innings against the Blue Jays in his last start. In his 31 starts this season, the Red Sox went a remarkable 23-9. They hope that keeps up in Game 1 vs the Yankees, which their ace will start at Yankee Stadium.
#11: Detroit Tigers (-4)
The Tigers are in the postseason, but the magic is gone from the Motor City. It began in August 2024, when they started a 31-13 run to sneak into the dance. In the same 44-game sample this year, they ended 20-24, which was not enough to clinch the AL Central title. Tarik Skubal may win his second consecutive AL Cy Young thanks to a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts. But the offense is the bigger question heading into the dance. Detroit heads to Cleveland for the Wild Card series.
#12: Cincinnati Reds (+2)
For the first time since 2020, the Reds are in the postseason. They dropped two of three to the Pirates, but taking two of three from the Brewers was enough to survive the collapsing Mets. At 83-79, they tied the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot, but got into the dance on the strength of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Sal Stewart has been incredible since his call-up, continuing that with two RBI in the key Saturday win. Can Cincy's sleepy offense get to Blake Snell on Tuesday?
#13: Houston Astros (-3)
The Houston Astros have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, finishing with an 87-75 record. That is identical to Detroit's record, but they lost the tiebreaker thanks to a 2-4 record against the Tigers. They were swept by the Mariners to end their AL West chances, and followed it up by dropping two of three to the Athletics. Even taking two of three from the Los Angeles Angels was not enough to get into the dance.
There will be a lot of questions in Houston this offseason, especially with Framber Valdez hitting free agency. But how many questions can be answered by a healthy Yordan Alvarez? He played only 48 games this year due to a variety of injuries.
#14: New York Mets (-3)
The Mets had a 94.5% chance to make the postseason on September 1, according to FanGraphs. What happened in the final four weeks, a 10-16 record, will go down on the wrong side of Mets history. A team that had all of the pieces to join 1969, 1986, 2000, and 2015 in the history books found a way to join 2007 and 2008. In 2008, the Mets lost the final game at Shea Stadium to the lowly Florida Marlins to miss the postseason. Sunday's loss against the Marlins was deja vu, all over again. And, it may be the final game fan favorite Pete Alonso plays for the Mets.
#15: Texas Rangers (-)
The Texas Rangers finished the season by dropping two of three to the Twins and the Guardians, ending 81-81. It has been a disappointing two seasons since winning the 2023 World Series, but the ace of the rotation shone this year. Jacob deGrom cracked the 100-inning mark for the first time since 2019, posting a 2.97 ERA in 172.2 innings. Even at 37 years old, that is something to lean on for next year.
#16: San Francisco Giants (-)
You could not say that the San Francisco Giants were boring this year. With 42-year-old Justin Verlander making 29 starts and Rafael Devers making his way across the country, there were plenty of Hall of Famers on the squad. But they finished 81-81, bringing their total record over the past four years to 321-327. They have been the definition of mediocrity since their remarkable 107-win 2021 season. Can Devers, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames lead them to the postseason in 2026?
#17: Kansas City Royals (+2)
The Royals ended their season on a high note, taking two of three from the Angels and the Athletics to finish 82-80. They got a great season from Vinnie Pasquantino with 32 homers and 113 RBI. Salvador Perez joined him with exactly 30 homers and 100 RBI, and Bobby Witt Jr led baseball with 47 doubles. There is a core in Kansas City, but pitching injuries cost them a lot of games this year.
#18: Arizona Diamondbacks (-1)
The Diamondbacks entered the final week with an outside chance at the final NL Wild Card spot. But they dropped two of three to the Dodgers and were swept by the Padres, losing the final five games of the season to finish 80-82. Had they won four of those five games, they would have made the postseason. Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Geraldo Perdomo all had fantastic seasons, but the Snakes started slow and tripped during their sprint to the finish. Corbin Burnes' elbow injury will be the biggest question of the offseason. When can the ace return?
#19: Tampa Bay Rays (-1)
The Rays have ended their outdoor endeavor at Steinbrenner Field with no rainouts, which is an accomplishment in its own right. But on the field, the Rays struggled to get any momentum in a wide-open American League race. They finished 77-85 after a sweep by the Blue Jays and dropping two of three to the Orioles. Junior Caminero finished his incredible season with 45 homers and 110 RBI, which is something to build on for the future.
#20: Atlanta Braves (-)
The Braves opened this season as the No. 3 team in ClutchPoints' MLB Power Rankings. They almost immediately fell into the bottom half of the rankings, thanks to a 0-7 start, and never recovered. Jurickson Profar's suspension, Ozzie Albies' injury, Chris Sale's injury, Ronald Acuña Jr.'s multiple injuries, and Michael Harris II's offensive struggles all contributed to the poor season. They took two of three from the Pirates and dropped two of three to the Nationals to finish 76-86.
#21: Miami Marlins (+1)
The Marlins dropped two of three to the Phillies, but took two of three from the Mets to knock New York out of the playoffs. Miami finished 79-83, a 17-win improvement over last year. They have a solid young core, led by Kyle Stowers and Xavier Edwards, and can build something sustainable in the National League. But that would require spending money, something they have not historically done.
#22: St Louis Cardinals (-1)
The Cardinals are entering a new era, with John Mozeliak retiring and Chaim Bloom taking over as President of Baseball Operations. They took two of three from the Giants and were swept by the Cubs to finish 78-84. Nolan Arenado could be traded this offseason, but that no-trade clause could come into play once again. How many young players will be in the Opening Day lineup next year? And how long will this rebuild take?
#23: Athletics (-)
The Athletics have an electric offense, with Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Brent Rooker all smashing 30 homers. Kurtz should win American League Rookie of the Year thanks to 36 homers, 86 RBI, and a 1.006 OPS in 117 games. The pitching needs to improve for the A's to make an American League playoff run next year. But that will be difficult to do in a hitter's park like Sutter Health Park. Can Luis Severino bounce back in 2026 and lead the A's back to the dance?
#24: Los Angeles Angels (-)
The Angels finished the season by dropping two of three to the Royals and the Astros, finishing 72-90. They have not made the postseason since 2014, continuing an 11-year drought. Mike Trout's offensive decline is something to monitor for the future, especially considering his monstrous contract. Zach Neto's 5.1 bWAR season was a highlight for the Halos and could provide something to build around.
#25: Baltimore Orioles (-)
The most disappointing season in the American League belongs to the Orioles, who started the season 13th in the MLB Power Rankings. They have been in the basement for most of the season, ending with a 75-87 record. Trevor Rogers finished his spectacular season with a poor start against the Yankees, allowing six runs in three innings. He should end top five in the AL Cy Young race, thanks to a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts. This offseason will be interesting for Baltimore, with a young core to lock up and a new owner looking to prove himself.
#26: Pittsburgh Pirates (-)
The Pirates ended with series wins over the Reds and the Braves to finish the season 71-91. Paul Skenes capped off an NL Cy Young-caliber season with a dominant start against the Reds, going six scoreless innings. In 32 starts, he posted a ridiculous 1.97 ERA and went 10-10. In his 55-start career, he has a 1.96 ERA. He has lived up to the first-overall pick billing, but the Pirates have to build something around him to make it worth it.
#27: Minnesota Twins (-)
The Twins took two of three from the Rangers and dropped two of three to the Phillies to end the season 70-92. They went 19-35 after their historic sell-off at the trade deadline. Can they replace any of that talent in the offseason? There will be a lot of questions about spending now that ownership won't be changing hands. The Twins should try and extend Joe Ryan this offseason before he hits free agency in 2028.
#28: Washington Nationals (-)
The Nationals ended their disappointing season with series losses to the White Sox and the Braves, securing a 66-96 record. James Wood's rookie season took a gnarly turn at the end, with a .242 batting average, 82 strikeouts, and seven homers in his final two months. The Nationals have already hired Paul Toboni to lead baseball operations, and he will be tabbed with finding a new manager for the club this winter.
#29: Chicago White Sox (-)
The White Sox were swept by the Yankees and took two of three from the Nationals to end the season 60-102. While that is a dreadful record, it is an 18-win improvement over their historically bad 2024 campaign. They have something to build around in Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery, but will the front office actually spend the money to build something? The biggest question of the offseason will be about Luis Robert Jr. Will they decline his $20 million player option, or keep him on the squad?
#30: Colorado Rockies (-)
The Rockies won 43 games, avoiding the worst record in MLB history. They did, however, end the campaign with a -404 run differential, the worst in MLB history. Warren Schaefer went 36-86 as the interim manager, which likely won't be enough to keep the permanent job. Will they have a slight glow-up like the White Sox did this year? Or will they continue to struggle in 2026?
