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 – Miami Marlins | No. 5 – San Francisco Giants |
The top six teams in the National League remain unchanged. The Atlanta Braves remain the class of the league and are making up ground for the best record in baseball. Heading into Thursday’s action, the NL East leaders have won five in a row and all but one of its past 14 games. Further, their torrid stretch has also afforded them some breathing room over all of the teams chasing them in the standings. The Arizona Diamondbacks are fending off challengers in the NL West but remain the second seed in the league. As it stands, they would have a free pass to the NLDS.
One of the teams stalking the D-Backs is the San Francisco Giants. San Fran has come down from its ten-game winning streak, alternating wins and losses this week. Consequently, they’ve been usurped by the Miami Marlins in the standings, giving the Fish home-field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. Miami has won four straight and five of its last six to sit 1.5 games up on the Giants. Two of the Marlins’ next three series come against divisional opponents, meaning it’s sink or swim time for Miami.
All good things come to an end. As exciting as the Cincinnati Reds’ 12-game winning streak was, inevitably, they would be knocked from their perch. Still, the Reds built a big enough lead in the NL Central to remain locked into the third seed, albeit with a modest 0.5-game lead over the charging Milwaukee Brewers. Whoever emerges from that division will likely take on the last wild card team. If the playoffs started today, that matchup would feature the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Dodgers have lost ground to the surging Philadelphia Phillies lately and could miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
American League
| No. 1 – Tampa Bay Rays | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Texas Rangers | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Cleveland Guardians | No. 6 – Toronto Blue Jays |
| No. 4 – Baltimore Orioles | No. 5 – New York Yankees |
Two teams fell out of the American League playoff picture this week, although the top two teams remain firmly entrenched in their respective positions. The Texas Rangers went 4-3 over the past seven days, which was enough to increase their lead in the NL West and reinforce their position as the second-best team in the league. They continue to chase the Tampa Bay Rays, who faltered somewhat this week. Trouble could be brewing for the Rays, who had to bench their superstar, Wander Franco, for two games. Details are impossible to tease out, but the bridge appears to be mended, at least for now. Dissolving their current roster would negatively impact the Rays’ chances of hanging onto the top spot.
Three of the remaining four spots are filled by AL East teams, meaning every wild card team comes from the same division. The Toronto Blue Jays are back in a postseason berth for the first time since early this season. The Jays dethroned the defending World Series Champions, stealing the last wild card spot. That could be an added advantage as the sixth seed takes on the AL Central leader. That spot is occupied by the Cleveland Guardians, who are one game below .500.
Finally, the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees are tidally locked into their positions. If standings remain unaffected, the O’s will host New York in a wild-card matchup. Baltimore has a 4.0 game lead over the Yankees, who still aren’t at full health. Moreover, Aaron Judge’s return to the lineup won’t be as easy as initially thought, as the reigning AL MVP is dealing with a torn ligament in his toe. Judge’s return could elevate the Yankees, but the rest of the team needs to continue treading water until he returns.
