As the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season enters its final stretch, the playoff picture is starting to come into focus. Several exciting postseason races are still up for grabs, with teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cleveland Guardians vying for a spot in the playoffs.
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, avoiding the best-of-three Wild Card Series.
In the American League, the Yankees and Orioles are locked in a tight race for the AL East crown, while the Guardians lead the AL Central. The Astros are closing in on another AL West division title. In the National League, the Phillies and Dodgers are battling for the top seed, and the Brewers have a comfortable lead in the NL Central. The NL wild-card race is shaping up to be highly competitive.
Here’s a summary of the current playoff picture and standings as the regular season winds down:
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 Phillies, No. 2 Dodgers
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Brewers vs. No. 6 Mets, No. 4 Padres vs. No. 5 D-backs
MLB Magic Numbers
(Entering Tuesday, Sept. 17)
- Brewers to clinch the NL Central: 2
- Yankees to clinch a playoff spot: 3
- Phillies to clinch a playoff spot: 3
- Guardians to clinch a playoff spot: 3
- Dodgers to clinch a playoff spot: 4
- Orioles to clinch a playoff spot: 6
Notable Tiebreakers
(Note: Two-team MLB tiebreakers are determined by head-to-head record. If teams have the same head-to-head record, intradivision record is used.)
- The Orioles currently hold the tiebreaker against the Yankees
- The Yankees have clinched the tiebreaker against the Guardians
- The Guardians have clinched the tiebreaker against the Orioles
- The Phillies have clinched the tiebreaker against the Dodgers
- The D-backs currently hold the tiebreaker against the Padres
- The Mets currently hold the tiebreaker against the Braves
American League Standings
National League Standings
MLB Wild Card Standings
2024 World Series Odds
- Dodgers: +350
- Phillies: +440
- Yankees: +500
- Astros: +800
- Orioles: +850
- Guardians: +1100
- Padres: +1300
- Brewers: +1600
- Diamondbacks: +2000
- Mets: +2200
- Royals: +2200
- Braves: +2200
- Twins: +2500
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