September has arrived, marking the final month of MLB’s regular-season calendar. The baseball stretch drive is in full swing, with playoff races heating up across the league. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Houston Astros are all vying for a spot in the postseason.
Currently, MLB offers 12 playoff berths, with six going to division winners and three wild-card berths in each league. The top two division winners in each league earn first-round byes, skipping the best-of-three Wild Card Series.
There are plenty of exciting races happening, with the Yankees and Orioles battling for the AL East title, while the Dodgers, Phillies, and Astros have comfortable leads in their divisions. The Milwaukee Brewers have already secured the NL Central title. In the wild-card race, teams like the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks are fighting for postseason spots.
Here’s a snapshot of the current standings:
2024 MLB Playoff Picture
If the season ended today…
American League:
Byes: No. 1 Yankees, No. 2 Guardians
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Astros vs. No. 6 Twins, No. 4 Orioles vs. No. 5 Royals
National League:
Byes: No. 1 Dodgers, No. 2 Phillies
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Brewers vs. No. 6 Mets, No. 4 Padres vs. No. 5 D-backs
American League Standings
National League Standings
MLB Wild Card Standings
2024 World Series Odds
(As of Sept. 9)
- Dodgers: +340
- Phillies: +475
- Yankees: +600
- Orioles: +600
- Astros: +700
- Guardians: +1400
- Brewers: +1400
- Padres: +1500
- Braves: +1800
- Diamondbacks: +2000
- Mets: +2200
- Royals: +2200
- Twins: +2200
given sentence.
Original: The cat sat lazily in the sun, purring contentedly.
Rewritten: Purring contentedly, the cat lazily sat in the sun.