The MLB season is a marathon. Teams compete over a 162-game schedule, needing to rank among the top six squads in their respective leagues to make the playoffs. Wins are just as valuable in April, May, and June as they are in the latter part of the season, and franchises can’t afford to lose ground to the teams ahead of them.
Here’s what the playoff brackets would look like if the postseason started today.
National League
| No. 1 – Atlanta Braves | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Arizona Diamondbacks | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Milwaukee Brewers | No. 6 – Miami Marlins |
| No. 4 – Los Angeles Dodgers | No. 5 – Pittsburgh Pirates |
An 8-2 run has propelled the Arizona Diamondbacks up the National League standings. The D-Backs have been relentless over their recent sample, dropping two games against the top-seeded Atlanta Braves and beating the rest. Consequently, they’ve usurped the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West lead and moved into a potential opening-round bye with the second seed. Surprisingly, they are just 0.5 games back of the Braves and have a relatively easy schedule for the foreseeable future. Arizona might not be done with its ascent up the ranks.
The Dodgers can’t get out of their own way this week. LA has dropped four straight and five of their last six to fall into the first wild card spot. Their offense continues to produce, but the same can’t be said for their pitching. Collectively, LA’s ERA has ballooned to 6.02 over the past week, the third-worst in the majors. That gives the Pittsburgh Pirates a sliver of hope against the perennial powerhouse. The Pirates have been steady offensive producers ranking in the top half of the MLB in OPS, relying on their young nucleus to deliver results.
Of all the teams in the NL East, the Miami Marlins were probably the least likely to secure a playoff berth. Yet here we are, over two months into the season, and the Fish continue to swim. Miami has gone on an impressive 6-1 stretch, getting the most out of its staff. They’ll have to beat the Milwaukee Brewers at their own game if they hope to secure just their second playoff win since 2003. The NL Central leaders remain one of the worst-hitting teams in the league, instead relying on pitching to keep them competitive. The first team to three could be onto the next round.
American League
| No. 1 – Tampa Bay Rays | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Texas Rangers | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Minnesota Twins | No. 6 – New York Yankees |
| No. 4 – Baltimore Orioles | No. 5 – Houston Astros |
There is an apparent power struggle in the American League, and AL East teams are running the show. Chief among them is the Tampa Bay Rays, who continue to set the standard across the MLB. The Rays have won five in a row to re-assert themselves over the upstart Texas Rangers. Offensively, the Rays and Rangers are ahead of the rest, ranking first and second in on-base percentage, OPS, and runs scored. As good as some of the other teams have been, they might not be able to hold a candle to the top two squads.
The Minnesota Twins’ claim to the AL Central lead becomes less impressive by the week. Minnesota has dropped four straight and six of its past ten to fall to .500 on the season but still holds a 2.5-game lead over the second-place Cleveland Guardians. Inevitably, they will have to get past one of the World Series favorites, and it looks like that could happen in the first round. Whichever team triumphs in the Central could be wild card fodder for the sixth seed. As it stands now, that would be the New York Yankees.
Wins have been harder to come by for the Baltimore Orioles lately. The O’s had another losing week, making it two straight weeks with sub-optimal results. Still, they’ve built themselves enough of a cushion that they’ve been able to fend off challenges from other premier teams within the division. Baltimore could be easily overpowered by the defending World Series Champion Houston Astros, who appears destined for a wild card berth.
