The magic number is the combined total of wins by the leader and losses by the chaser that guarantees the leader finishes ahead. Every win by the leader knocks one off. So does every loss by the team chasing.
The tables below carry each team’s division magic number in the final column, updating as games go final.
Every Division
American League Central
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | 77 | 73 | .513 | — | 4-6 | W1 | 43-31 | 34-42 | 11 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 76 | 75 | .503 | 1.5 | 5-5 | L1 | 36-40 | 40-35 | 14 |
| Detroit Tigers | 71 | 79 | .473 | 6 | 7-3 | W5 | 39-36 | 32-43 | 19 |
| Minnesota Twins | 70 | 80 | .467 | 7 | 3-7 | L2 | 39-37 | 31-43 | 20 |
| Kansas City Royals | 66 | 84 | .440 | 11 | 4-6 | L2 | 39-36 | 27-48 | 24 |
American League East
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays z | 90 | 59 | .604 | — | 7-3 | W3 | 50-25 | 40-34 | 10 |
| New York Yankees z | 87 | 63 | .580 | 3.5 | 7-3 | W2 | 42-32 | 45-31 | 17 |
| Boston Red Sox | 82 | 68 | .547 | 8.5 | 7-3 | W2 | 38-37 | 44-31 | 22 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 75 | 76 | .497 | 16 | 5-5 | L1 | 39-37 | 36-39 | 29 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 73 | 78 | .483 | 18 | 4-6 | W1 | 36-39 | 37-39 | 31 |
American League West
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | 75 | 75 | .500 | — | 4-6 | L3 | 37-38 | 38-37 | 12 |
| Texas Rangers | 74 | 76 | .493 | 1 | 5-5 | W2 | 40-32 | 34-44 | 14 |
| Seattle Mariners | 70 | 81 | .464 | 5.5 | 4-6 | L2 | 40-35 | 30-46 | 18 |
| Athletics e | 61 | 89 | .407 | 14 | 7-3 | W1 | 29-46 | 32-43 | 27 |
| Los Angeles Angels e | 57 | 93 | .380 | 18 | 4-6 | W1 | 31-44 | 26-49 | 31 |
National League Central
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers z | 93 | 57 | .620 | — | 6-4 | L1 | 52-26 | 41-31 | 3 |
| Chicago Cubs | 84 | 67 | .556 | 9.5 | 5-5 | W1 | 44-32 | 40-35 | 22 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 75 | 75 | .500 | 18 | 7-3 | W1 | 38-34 | 37-41 | 31 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 75 | 76 | .497 | 18.5 | 5-5 | W2 | 37-39 | 38-37 | 31 |
| Cincinnati Reds e | 70 | 80 | .467 | 23 | 3-7 | L1 | 36-39 | 34-41 | 36 |
National League East
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 88 | 63 | .583 | — | 4-6 | L2 | 51-27 | 37-36 | 8 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 83 | 67 | .553 | 4.5 | 4-6 | W1 | 41-34 | 42-33 | 17 |
| Miami Marlins | 74 | 77 | .490 | 14 | 3-7 | L1 | 45-33 | 29-44 | 26 |
| Washington Nationals e | 70 | 81 | .464 | 18 | 3-7 | W3 | 36-40 | 34-41 | 30 |
| New York Mets e | 69 | 81 | .460 | 18.5 | 6-4 | L2 | 34-41 | 35-40 | 31 |
National League West
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers z | 91 | 59 | .607 | — | 8-2 | W1 | 47-28 | 44-31 | 4 |
| San Diego Padres | 82 | 68 | .547 | 9 | 9-1 | W8 | 46-29 | 36-39 | 22 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 80 | 71 | .530 | 11.5 | 6-4 | W1 | 43-33 | 37-38 | 24 |
| San Francisco Giants e | 62 | 89 | .411 | 29.5 | 4-6 | L4 | 36-39 | 26-50 | 42 |
| Colorado Rockies e | 55 | 95 | .367 | 36 | 1-9 | L8 | 30-42 | 25-53 | 49 |
Standings from BALLDONTLIE. Updated September 15, 1:26 pm ET.
How to Read It
A magic number of 1 means the leader clinches with a single win, or a single loss by the second-place team. When it reaches zero the division is decided.
A dash means the team is not in position for a magic number, either because it does not lead its division or because it has already clinched.
The Ones That Matter
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay have already secured playoff berths, so their remaining magic numbers concern seeding and division titles rather than qualification.
The numbers to watch are in the AL Central and AL West. Chicago leads Cleveland by half a game with three head to head meetings in Cleveland starting Monday, and Houston leads Texas by one. Both magic numbers are large enough that the races will run into the final week. In the National League, Milwaukee and Los Angeles are down to single digits and Atlanta is close behind.
Related
Full standings · Playoff picture · Wild card standings · Playoff race tracker
The Bottom Line
Magic numbers combine leader wins and chaser losses. Zero means clinched. The tables above update on their own as results come in.