With one week remaining in the regular season, one of the six wild-card slots in Major League Baseball’s playoffs has been claimed.
The Atlanta Braves or New York Mets will occupy the National League’s secured first wild-card position. The two clubs will play a three-game series beginning on Friday. The top wild card will be the NL East’s second-place finisher.
As the extended playoffs approaches, it is the only known element of the wild-card race.
The Toronto Blue Jays are the next team in line to make the playoffs. They lead the Baltimore Orioles by 6.5 games heading into Thursday.
Toronto is still competing for a playoff slot with the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners, but with one more victory, it can at least confirm it.
The National League wild-card battle has been reduced to three clubs, but it may be the most tangled postseason race ever.
In the previous week, the San Diego Padres have surpassed the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are now just a half-game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers after going 3-7 in their previous ten games.
On paper, Milwaukee has a superior schedule than Philadelphia, and it seems like the lone team outside of the playoff places entering Thursday might win a berth in the playoffs field.
Current Playoff Situation
| American League |
| No. 1 Houston (bye) |
| No. 2 New York Yankees (bye) |
| No. 6 Seattle vs. No. 3 Cleveland |
| No. 5 Tampa Bay vs. No. 4 Toronto |
| National League |
| No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers |
| No. 2 New York Mets |
| No. 6 Philadelphia vs No. 3 St. Louis |
| No. 5 San Diego vs. No. 4 Atlanta |
Race for the AL Wild Card
| Standings |
| Toronto (87-69) |
| Tampa Bay (85-70) |
| Seattle (84-70) |
| Baltimore (80-75) |
The three American League wild-card clubs should be Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Seattle.
The Blue Jays’ magic number has been reduced to one, and they can secure a playoff spot with a victory against the Boston Red Sox on Friday or a defeat to the Baltimore Orioles in Boston on Thursday.
Baltimore is fighting for a postseason spot. The Orioles must win out and hope that the Rays or Mariners fall on a lengthy losing run in the last week of the season.
When the Orioles are eliminated, they may still play a part in the wild-card chase. They finish the regular season with three games against the Blue Jays. These outcomes may influence whether the Blue Jays, as the No. 4 seed, get home-field advantage in the wild-card round.
Tampa Bay has seven away games remaining. On Thursday, the Rays wrap off a series in Cleveland before traveling to Houston and then Boston.
The Rays were 10-9 versus the Blue Jays this season, thus if their records are tied, the Rays will get the better seed.
Seattle lost 2-5 against the Rays in two series, thus the Mariners must finish one game ahead of the Rays to earn the fifth spot.
The Mariners have eight games remaining, including a home game against the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The Mariners’ last seven games are against the Oakland A’s and the Detroit Tigers.
Seattle may leapfrog Tampa Bay and possibly Toronto on its final homestand, which includes a crucial doubleheader against Detroit on Tuesday.
Race for the NL Wild Card
| Standings |
| Atlanta (97-59) |
| San Diego (86-69) |
| Philadelphia (83-71) |
| Milwaukee (83-72) |
The National League’s last two postseason places are being contested by San Diego, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.
Depending on how the NL East race unfolds, Atlanta or the New York Mets will be the No. 4 seed. New York has a one-game lead heading into a three-game weekend at Atlanta.
San Diego’s 7-3 run over the past ten games has placed them in the driver’s seat for the No. 5 slot, which comes with a matchup against the NL East’s second-place club.
The Padres play one more game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday before playing three games against the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, both of whom have been eliminated from postseason contention.
Milwaukee also closes the season at home. The Brewers play four games against the Miami Marlins and three against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Philadelphia is the only team in the trio that will finish the season on the road. The Phillies face the Chicago Cubs on Thursday before traveling to Washington, D.C. and Houston
The Phillies hold the tiebreaker over the Brewers, but they must first correct their recent form. They are 3-7 in their previous ten games and have scored more than three runs in two of their last six.
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