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.
MLB Post-Trade Deadline Losers and Winners
National League
| No. 1 – Atlanta Braves | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Los Angeles Dodgers | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Milwaukee Brewers | No. 6 – Miami Marlins |
| No. 4 – Philadelphia Phillies | No. 5 – San Francisco Giants |
It was a relatively quiet week in the MLB. There were no newcomers to the National League playoff bracket, but a team has fallen out. The Cincinnati Reds lost two in a row and eight of their past ten to relinquish the NL Central lead. Otherwise, it was a ho-hum seven days since our last check-in.
The Atlanta Braves continue to build their championship resume. Even, Hot-lanta went a modest 3-3; they still managed to increase their league-leading run differential to +165. The Braves feel a little more pressure from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who enter Thursday’s action on a four-game winning streak. Nevertheless, Atlanta remains 5.5 clear of the Dodgers for the first seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Milwaukee Brewers usurped the Reds in the Central Division standings this week; however, it did not impact their potential playoff matchup. Instead of taking on the Miami Marlins in a tiebreaker game, they would host the Fish for three games at American Family Field. Miami had one of the more successful trade deadlines, gearing up for a playoff push. Still, both teams rely heavily on pitching, and the first team to three runs could punch their tickets to the second round.
Lastly, there was no change in the other wild card matchup, although there was a change in who would host the series. The San Francisco Giants couldn’t surpass their in-state rivals, dropping two of three to the Los Angeles Angels. In doing so, they left the door open for the Philadelphia Phillies to surpass them in the standings. Now, the Phillies have a slim 1.0-game lead over their NL West counterparts. These teams meet in a couple of weeks, and it could go a long way in determining which squad hosts this wild card series.
American League
| No. 1 – Baltimore Orioles | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Texas Rangers | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Minnesota Twins | No. 6 – Toronto Blue Jays |
| No. 4 – Tampa Bay Rays | No. 5 – Houston Astros |
It was the status quo for the American League again this week. No teams changed position, and the gaps between contenders were mostly the same. The Baltimore Orioles‘ two-game losing streak didn’t impact their perch atop the standings. The O’s remain the class of the AL, albeit by the slimmest of margins. They are just 2.0 games up on their intra-divisional rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays, and 2.5 on the surging Texas Rangers. Texas is 8-2 over their previous ten but has a daunting schedule ahead. Their next five series come against teams with playoff aspirations, with three coming on the road.
That leaves the door open for the Houston Astros to catch their division rivals over the coming weeks. The defending World Series Champions are just 2.0 games behind the Rangers, and the Astros have a more favorable upcoming schedule. At best, the Astros could wiggle free from their wild-card matchup against the Rays, getting a first-round bye. At worst, they remain tidally locked with Tampa Bay for an impending opening-round series.
Finally, the Minnesota Twins have more breathing room in the AL Central. However, it’s more a matter of the teams behind them giving up than the Twins actually winning. Minnesota has already dropped two of four against the lowly Detroit Tigers, leaving them four games above .500. That’s more than enough breathing room, as the Cleveland Guardians and the rest of the division have all but given up on the season. Whichever team lands in the final wild-card spot has the easiest path to the ALDS. As it stands, the Toronto Blue Jays would be gifted a wild card round meeting against the Twinkies.
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