Here’s a quick rundown of teams with a playoff spot, playoff contenders, and interesting races for a ticket to the postseason.
As of September 25, 6 teams have clinched a playoff berth in the 2023 season: the Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, and Minnesota Twins. The Braves clinched the NL East for a first-round bye, as well as the Dodgers who clinched the NL West. The Brewers (88-68) can become NL Central champions if they secure a win on September 26 or the Cubs lose out. Meanwhile, the Twins clinched the AL Central while the Orioles and Rays in the AL East both clinched a postseason berth.
Currently, the two divisions that remain undecided are the AL East, AL West, in which both Wild Card races are too close to predict a winner. The Texas Rangers (87-68) won all five of their latest games, sweeping the Mariners last weekend. Facing Seattle up to four more times this regular season, the Rangers hold a 2 1⁄2 games lead over the Houston Astros and a 3 games lead over the Mariners. While it’s difficult to predict how the AL West will turn out by October, both the Mariners and Astros were swept last week and need to recover quickly before it’s too late.
Interestingly, tie-breakers may also decide the fate of many teams. The Orioles currently hold a tiebreaker advantage over the Rays after winning the season series against them in the AL East. If both were to finish with the same record, the Orioles would clinch the No. 1 seed. While the Chicago Cubs fight for the NL Wild Card berth, if they were to finish with the same record as the D-backs, Reds, Marlins, or Phillies, Chicago would get the short end of the stick due to a tiebreaker advantage and lose any postseason chances.
As of now, the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Texas Rangers are very likely to make it to the playoffs, whereas the D-backs, Astros, Cubs, and Marlins must maintain a good shape throughout the last few weeks to keep playoff hopes alive.