Nobody clinched on Wednesday. Cleveland, Chicago, Houston and Texas all lost, the Cubs and Phillies lost while San Diego and Arizona won, and Atlanta’s win plus a Dodgers loss kept the No. 2 seed open. That leaves five teams able to clinch a playoff berth on Thursday, September 24, with four games left for most clubs. Six of the 12 spots are already taken: the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox in the American League and the Brewers, Dodgers and Braves in the National League. Here is exactly what each contender needs today; this page is rewritten every morning through Sunday.
American League
Cleveland Guardians (82-76)
Clinch a playoff berth with a win at Boston, or with a loss by either Texas or Houston. Either result guarantees Cleveland finishes ahead of the AL West runner up and Baltimore for the last wild card. The AL Central is not decided today: Cleveland leads Chicago by one game, but the White Sox own the tiebreaker, so the Guardians’ division magic number is 4.
Chicago White Sox (81-77)
Clinch a playoff berth with a win at Kansas City plus a loss by either Texas or Houston. Chicago trails Cleveland by one in the Central with the tiebreaker in hand, so the division stays alive for both teams through the weekend.
Houston Astros and Texas Rangers (78-80 each)
Still tied for the AL West with four games left, and Houston owns the tiebreaker, so the Astros’ magic number is 5. Neither can clinch today. The loser of the West race is chasing the last wild card, and every Guardians or White Sox win shrinks that path.
Baltimore Orioles (78-81)
Off Thursday and hanging on at 0.4 percent. The Orioles are eliminated with any White Sox win.
Already decided
Tampa Bay has the AL East and the No. 1 seed. The Yankees have the top wild card and No. 4 seed and host a Wild Card Series starting Tuesday. Boston is in. The Rays and Yankees meet at Yankee Stadium tonight with nothing at stake but pride.
National League
Milwaukee Brewers (99-59)
Clinch the No. 1 seed with a win at Philadelphia plus a Dodgers loss. Milwaukee leads Los Angeles by two games and owns the tiebreaker, so its magic number for the top seed is 2.
Los Angeles Dodgers (97-61)
Clinch the No. 2 seed and a first round bye with a win over San Diego or an Atlanta loss. The Braves own the tiebreaker, so a Dodgers collapse and an Atlanta sweep would flip the seeds.
San Diego Padres (88-70)
Clinch a playoff berth with a win at Los Angeles or an Arizona loss. Wednesday’s win moved San Diego a game clear of the Cubs and Phillies and into the No. 4 seed.
Chicago Cubs (87-71)
Clinch a playoff berth with a win over Miami plus an Arizona loss.
Philadelphia Phillies (87-71)
Clinch a playoff berth with a win over Milwaukee plus an Arizona loss.
Arizona Diamondbacks (84-74)
Three games behind the Cubs and Phillies with four to play. Arizona is eliminated today with a loss at Colorado plus wins by both Chicago and Philadelphia.
Today’s Games That Decide It
White Sox at Royals, 2:10 p.m. · Marlins at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. · Mets at Rangers, 2:35 p.m. · Diamondbacks at Rockies, 3:10 p.m. · Brewers at Phillies, 6:05 p.m. · Guardians at Red Sox, 6:45 p.m. · Reds at Braves, 7:15 p.m. · Astros at Athletics, 9:40 p.m. · Padres at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.
All times Eastern. Each link is a live score page with the final.
Team by Team
Guardians · White Sox · Astros · Rangers · Brewers · Dodgers · Padres · Cubs · Phillies · Diamondbacks
Where Everyone Stands
American League
| Seed | Team | Record | GB | Magic number | Status | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Rays | 96-62 | Clinched division | 7-3 | ||
| 2 | Cleveland Guardians | 82-76 | Clinched playoff berth | 7-3 | ||
| 3 | Houston Astros | 78-80 | Division 5, Wild card 8 | 72.4% to make it | 3-7 | |
| 4 | New York Yankees | 91-67 | 5.0 | Clinched wild card | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Boston Red Sox | 85-73 | 11.0 | Clinched wild card | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Chicago White Sox | 81-77 | 1.0 | Division 6, Wild card 9 | 99.4% to make it | 5-5 |
| 7 | Texas Rangers | 78-80 | Division 5, Wild card 12 | 27.8% to make it | 6-4 | |
| 8 | Baltimore Orioles | 78-81 | 18.5 | Division 23, Wild card 12 | 0.4% to make it | 6-4 |
National League
| Seed | Team | Record | GB | Magic number | Status | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Brewers | 99-59 | Clinched division | 7-3 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 97-61 | Clinched division | 7-3 | ||
| 3 | Atlanta Braves | 93-65 | Clinched division | 6-4 | ||
| 4 | San Diego Padres | 88-70 | 9.0 | Division 14, Wild card 4 | 95.6% to make it | 8-2 |
| 5 | Chicago Cubs | 87-71 | 12.0 | Division 17, Wild card 5 | 99.6% to make it | 5-5 |
| 6 | Philadelphia Phillies | 87-71 | 6.0 | Division 11, Wild card 5 | 96.8% to make it | 5-5 |
| 7 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 84-74 | 13.0 | Division 18, Wild card 8 | 8.0% to make it | 5-5 |
A magic number is the combined total of that team's wins and the chasing team's losses needed to clinch.
Standings, magic numbers and playoff odds from BALLDONTLIE, refreshed every 15 minutes.
Related
Clinched teams · Magic numbers · AL wild card standings · NL wild card standings · Tiebreaker rules · Playoff schedule · World Series schedule