American League Central
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians | 81 | 75 | .519 | — | 7-3 | W5 | 41-40 | 40-35 | 6 |
| Chicago White Sox | 80 | 76 | .513 | 1 | 5-5 | W2 | 46-32 | 34-44 | 8 |
| Minnesota Twins e | 73 | 83 | .468 | 8 | 4-6 | W1 | 40-38 | 33-45 | 15 |
| Detroit Tigers e | 73 | 83 | .468 | 8 | 6-4 | L2 | 39-36 | 34-47 | 15 |
| Kansas City Royals e | 67 | 89 | .429 | 14 | 3-7 | L4 | 39-36 | 28-53 | 21 |
American League East
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays z | 95 | 60 | .613 | — | 8-2 | W2 | 55-26 | 40-34 | 2 |
| New York Yankees z | 89 | 66 | .574 | 6 | 6-4 | L2 | 42-32 | 47-34 | 14 |
| Boston Red Sox z | 84 | 72 | .538 | 11.5 | 4-6 | L2 | 38-37 | 46-35 | 19 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 77 | 79 | .494 | 18.5 | 4-6 | W1 | 40-38 | 37-41 | 26 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 75 | 81 | .481 | 20.5 | 5-5 | L3 | 36-42 | 39-39 | 28 |
American League West
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Rangers | 78 | 78 | .500 | — | 6-4 | L1 | 44-34 | 34-44 | 6 |
| Houston Astros | 77 | 79 | .494 | 1 | 3-7 | L3 | 39-42 | 38-37 | 8 |
| Seattle Mariners | 73 | 83 | .468 | 5 | 5-5 | W1 | 40-35 | 33-48 | 12 |
| Athletics e | 61 | 95 | .391 | 17 | 3-7 | L6 | 29-46 | 32-49 | 24 |
| Los Angeles Angels e | 60 | 96 | .385 | 18 | 4-6 | L1 | 34-47 | 26-49 | 25 |
National League Central
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers x | 98 | 58 | .628 | — | 8-2 | W3 | 52-26 | 46-32 | -4 |
| Chicago Cubs | 87 | 69 | .558 | 11 | 6-4 | W2 | 45-33 | 42-36 | 18 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates e | 79 | 77 | .506 | 19 | 6-4 | W4 | 42-36 | 37-41 | 26 |
| St. Louis Cardinals e | 76 | 80 | .487 | 22 | 4-6 | W1 | 38-43 | 38-37 | 29 |
| Cincinnati Reds e | 72 | 84 | .462 | 26 | 3-7 | L2 | 38-43 | 34-41 | 33 |
National League East
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves x | 92 | 64 | .590 | — | 7-3 | W3 | 51-27 | 41-37 | 1 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 86 | 70 | .551 | 6 | 4-6 | W1 | 41-34 | 45-36 | 13 |
| Miami Marlins e | 76 | 80 | .487 | 16 | 4-6 | L3 | 45-33 | 31-47 | 23 |
| Washington Nationals e | 73 | 83 | .468 | 19 | 6-4 | L1 | 37-41 | 36-42 | 26 |
| New York Mets e | 71 | 85 | .455 | 21 | 3-7 | L1 | 36-45 | 35-40 | 28 |
National League West
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Strk | Home | Road | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers x | 96 | 60 | .615 | — | 7-3 | W4 | 50-28 | 46-32 | -2 |
| San Diego Padres | 87 | 69 | .558 | 9 | 9-1 | W5 | 49-29 | 38-40 | 16 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 82 | 74 | .526 | 14 | 4-6 | W2 | 45-36 | 37-38 | 21 |
| San Francisco Giants e | 64 | 92 | .410 | 32 | 3-7 | L3 | 36-39 | 28-53 | 39 |
| Colorado Rockies e | 57 | 99 | .365 | 39 | 2-8 | L1 | 32-46 | 25-53 | 46 |
Standings from BALLDONTLIE. Updated September 21, 7:56 pm ET.
What a Magic Number Actually Means
A magic number is the combined total of wins by the leader and losses by the closest chaser needed to clinch. If Milwaukee’s number is 10, any combination of ten Brewers wins and Cubs losses ends the NL Central.
The formula is simple: 163 minus the leader’s wins minus the chaser’s losses. It shrinks by one every time the leader wins or the chaser loses, which is why a single day can move it by two. When it reads Clinched, the division is over.
Where the Races Stand
The American League owns the two tightest races on the board. Chicago and Cleveland have been separated by a game or less in the Central all month, and Houston and Texas have traded the West lead, with both leads small enough that a bad weekend flips either division. Cleveland is the most exposed team in baseball, chasing the White Sox in its division while also defending the last wild card spot from Texas and Toronto. The Yankees have clinched a postseason berth and hold the top wild card, with Boston behind them. Every current record and magic number is in the tables above.
The National League is closer to settled at the top. Milwaukee has the best record in baseball and has clinched a playoff spot, and the Cubs sit well back in the Central. The Cubs and Philadelphia have been trading the top two wild cards. The one live spot is the third, where San Diego and Arizona have swapped places for much of the month, San Diego in front, the tightest margin anywhere.
Who Is Already Eliminated
The Angels, Athletics, Giants and Rockies are out of postseason contention. Colorado and the Athletics have been the worst teams in their leagues all season, and the Angels were the first American League club mathematically eliminated.
Related
Wild card standings · Playoff seeding and byes · Full MLB standings · Today's games · How the wild card format works
The Bottom Line
Two division races and two wild card spots are still genuinely live with under three weeks to play. The regular season ends Sunday September 27 and all four Wild Card Series open Tuesday September 29. The tables above refresh on their own and the Magic column tells you exactly how close each race is to over.