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 – Cincinnati Reds | No. 6 – Los Angeles Dodgers |
| No. 4 – San Francisco Giants | No. 5 – Miami Marlins |
It’s incredible what an 11-game winning streak will do to your position in the standings, particularly in the lowly NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds came out of nowhere, usurping the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the division. Granted, they remain 5.0 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks and 8.0 behind the NL-leading Atlanta Braves, but the Reds’ ascent is remarkable.
Their climb up the standings means the Reds could host a wild card round series at the Great American Ballpark. If the season ended today, Cincinnati would match up against the sputtering Los Angeles Dodgers. An offseason of change didn’t spur the improvement as hoped, and Dave Roberts is in the hot seat. The Dodgers have been surpassed by the D-Backs and San Francisco Giants in the NL West, facing increased pressure from the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild card race.
Another team in the National League is making waves this week, albeit overshadowed by the scorching Reds. The Giants have won ten in a row to move within 2.5 games of the Diamondbacks for a potential opening-round bye. San Fran has a dangerous combination of hitting and pitching. However, its defense is worth keeping an eye on. The Giants rank dead last in the MLB in fielding percentage, a factor that could hurt them against the Miami Marlins in a playoff series. Miami has been one of the best-hitting teams in the bigs, accumulating the ninth-most hits per game and eighth-best batting average.
American League
| No. 1 – Tampa Bay Rays | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Texas Rangers | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Minnesota Twins | No. 6 – Houston Astros |
| No. 4 – Baltimore Orioles | No. 5 – New York Yankees |
The Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers have matched tepid streaks over their recent samples. Both squads are 5-5 over their last ten but are holding steady as the top two teams in the American League. The Rays floundered on a West Coast road trip, going 3-4 against two non-playoff teams. Texas has been better over the past few games, winning four of their previous five. Still, they’ll have to fend off the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels, who are within striking distance of the frontrunners.
As it stands, the Astros are locked into a wild-card spot. But since last week, the reigning World Series Champions have fallen a place, moving into the sixth seed and setting up a potential clash with the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins. Whichever team claims the final playoff berth has the added advantage of taking on the worst team in the league. The Twins are below .500 and have the worst record of any playoff team across the majors. Houston would have a much easier path to the ALDS by staying in the sixth seed.
The other two teams left to battle it out in the wild-card round are the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. Injuries to several key players haven’t slowed the Yankees down. They moved up one spot in the standings, currently occupying the fifth seed. If they tread water long enough with their sub-optimal roster, New York will have plenty of runway left to catch the O’s. Baltimore has alternated hot and cold stretches but has maintained its position in the ultra-tough AL East. Depending on seeding, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see three teams from the division in the divisional round.
