As the MLB regular season comes to an end, postseason teams are now preparing for more October baseball to crown themselves with a World Series win. Let’s take a look at some of the teams who dominated rankings and others who frantically chased wild card tickets by giving one final playoff push.

For the most part, the American League playoff picture had much less drama. The Houston Astros(No. 1 seed) and the New York Yankees(No. 2 seed) both clinched their respective division and the AL bye into the Division Series as the top 2 AL teams. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians(3), Toronto Blue Jays(4), Seattle Mariners(5), and Tampa Bay Rays(6) all clinched playoff berths and will play in the Wild Card Series.

Compared to the AL picture, the National League exhibited much more deviation in the playoff rankings and unpredictability in the wild card race. For starters, while the Los Angeles Dodgers(1) and the Atlanta Braves(2) clinched the division series bye, followed by the St Louis Cardinals(3), New York Mets(4), and San Diego Padres(5), the Philadelphia Phillies(6). Entering the final series of the regular season, the Brewers had one last opportunity at earning a wild card ticket by winning their last three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks while hoping for the Phillies to be swept by the Houston Astros in the final series. But the Brewers’ dreams for another postseason run were crushed as the Phillies won against the Astros 8-1 in the first game of their series, ending all hope for the Brewers.

Important Note: As a result of the bargaining agreement with the Players Association, the MLB postseason has now expanded from 10 to 12 teams, with best-of-three Wild Card Series for AL and NL taking place first. Winners of this series will then move on to face the NL and AL top two seeds who received first-round byes in the Division Series; the winners of this best-of-five series will face each other in the AL and NL Championship Series, followed by the World Series. 

As the season winds down, make sure to watch some postseason action and witness another historical chapter in MLB history. Of course, don’t forget about the World Series either!