The 2024 postseason is approaching, and it’s important to stay updated on the standings and how the playoff field is shaping up. Here’s a breakdown of the current situation:
AL playoff teams: Yankees (AL East), Guardians (AL Central), Astros (AL West), Orioles (Wild Card), Royals (Wild Card), Twins (Wild Card)
NL playoff teams: Phillies (NL East), Dodgers (NL West), Brewers (NL Central), Padres (Wild Card), D-backs (Wild Card), Mets (Wild Card)
The Wild Card Series will begin on October 1st, with each series being a best-of-three. The Division Series will start on October 5th and will be best-of-five.
As of now, no team has clinched a postseason berth. However, several teams are in good shape with high postseason odds according to FanGraphs. These include the Yankees, Orioles, Guardians, Royals, Astros, Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers, and Padres.
Other teams like the D-backs, Twins Braves Mets are still in the mix with moderate postseason odds. The Tigers and Mariners have lower odds but are still in contention.
The Red Sox are hanging on by a thread with minimal chances of making it to the playoffs.
In terms of specific tiebreaker scenarios:
– In the AL East division race between the Yankees and Orioles, if they end up tied at season’s end, their head-to-head record will determine who comes out on top.
– The Guardians hold important tiebreakers over some teams but would lose out against others like the Royals and Yankees.
– The Astros have a four-game lead over the Mariners but would need to sweep their final series for a tiebreaker advantage.
– The Royals have an edge over other contenders due to winning their season series against key rivals.
– The Twins hold an important tiebreaker advantage over division rivals like the Royals.
– The Tigers have favorable tiebreakers against Wild Card competitors but lost their season series against current third-place Wild Card holders -the Twins.
– For NL contenders like Phillies,Brewers,Dodgers,Mets,and Braves,the outcome of upcoming games could determine crucial tiebreakers that may impact their playoff chances.
It’s worth noting that since 2022 all playoff tiebreakers have been determined mathematically based on regular-season performance rather than through additional games.
