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The regular season is winding down which means the MLB playoffs are right around the corner. The standings are changing by the day, especially in the AL and NL Wild Card races. Although many division races are already decided, there is still a lot at play heading into the final weekend of the season. Without further ado, let's take a look at how the playoff races look as of Friday, September 29.
Division standings
AL East
The Baltimore Orioles clinched the AL East Thursday. The Tampa Bay Rays kept things interesting throughout the year, but Baltimore ultimately earned a division title.
Baltimore also earned their 100th victory in the division-clinching win. By winning the AL East, the O's guaranteed themselves home field advantage through the AL playoffs.
The Toronto Blue Jays are also still in the MLB playoffs race despite sitting in third place in the AL East. They are looking to clinch an AL Wild Card berth.
AL Central
The Minnesota Twins previously clinched the AL Central. Minnesota will be the only AL Central team heading to the postseason. Notably, the Detroit Tigers recently passed the Cleveland Guardians for second place in the division. Although that doesn't mean much in 2023, it signifies that Detroit may be in line for a big 2024 campaign.
AL West
The AL West remains baseball's most competitive division. As a result, it's the only division that has not been decided.
As of September 29, the Texas Rangers lead the AL West by two games. The Houston Astros (two games back) and Seattle Mariners (three games back) are still in the division race as well. Texas is close to locking up the division, but Houston and Seattle won't go down without a fight.
NL East
The NL East was decided long ago. The Atlanta Braves clinched the division and hold the best record in the league heading into the MLB playoffs. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies are in second place but lead the NL Wild Card.
The Miami Marlins are still in the NL Wild Card race as well.
NL Central
For most of the season, the NL Central was a competitive division. But the Milwaukee Brewers finally pulled away and are now division champions.
That said, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are still fighting for an NL Wild Card spot.
NL West
Once again, the NL West belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Arizona Diamondbacks remain in the NL Wild Card conversation though.
AL, NL Wild Card
AL Wild Card
The AL Wild Card still has four teams fighting for two spots. The Rangers, Astros, and Mariners are all fighting for the division and the wild card. The Toronto Blue Jays are also in the mix.
It needs to be noted that the Rays already clinched the top AL Wild Card spot. Toronto currently sits in second while Houston holds the third and final wild card position. Seattle is just one game back though.
Texas is technically in the wild card conversation too. They hold the AL West division lead and would prefer to book their ticket to October via the division. At the very least, clinching a wild card spot remains on the table.
NL Wild Card
In similar fashion to Tampa Bay, the Phillies hold the best record of all the wild card teams in the NL.
Arizona, Miami, Chicago, and Cincinnati are all fighting for the final two spots. The Diamondbacks are currently second and should be able to clinch a postseason berth barring a complete collapse.
The Marlins recently overtook the Cubs and hold the third and final NL Wild Card position. Chicago and Cincinnati are still alive though.
Meanwhile, the Padres sit 3.5 games back of a wild card spot.
MLB playoffs: Seedings, tiebreakers (as of 9/29)
Teams' head-to-head records will determine tiebreakers. Records within the division will ultimately decide the tiebreaker if overall head-to-head records are the exact same, per Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
AL seedings
1. Baltimore Orioles
2. Texas Rangers
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Toronto Blue Jays
6. Houston Astros
NL seedings
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
6. Miami Marlins
