Major League Baseball Playoffs: Who’s In and Who’s Out?

With the MLB regular season wrapping up, we take a look at which teams have clinched a spot in the playoffs and which teams are on the outside looking in.

American League

As the Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season comes to an end, 10 teams in the American League (AL) have qualified to compete in the 2019 AL playoffs. The AL playoff field is set and the journey to the World Series begins. Who will come out on top?

AL East

The Boston Red Sox have clinched the AL East title and are headed to the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The Sox will be the top seed in the AL and will host the AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park on October 5th. The New York Yankees, who have also clinched a playoff spot, will be the second seed in the AL and will host the AL Division Series at Yankee Stadium.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics are battling it out for the top spot in the Wild Card race. Both teams are currently tied for the lead with 97 wins apiece. The A’s hold the tiebreaker over the Rays, so they will host the AL Wild Card Game if they finish ahead of Tampa Bay in the standings.

The Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins are both currently outside of the playoff picture, but they are still mathematically alive in the race for a Wild Card spot. The Indians would need to win their final four games and have either Tampa Bay or Oakland lose all four of their remaining games in order to earn a spot in the playoffs. The Twins would need to win their final five games and have both Oakland and Tampa Bay lose all four of their remaining games in order to clinch a playoff berth.

AL Central

As the MLB regular season comes to a close, the battle for the American League Central division title is heating up. The Cleveland Indians currently hold a slim lead over the Minnesota Twins, with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers trailing close behind. Here’s a look at each team’s playoff chances heading into the final week of the season:

Cleveland Indians (91-71)
The Indians have clinched a spot in the playoffs and are currently leading the AL Central division. They have a chance to win the division title, but will need to hold off a late charge from the Twins.

Minnesota Twins (89-73)
The Twins are currently in second place in the AL Central, but they have already clinched a spot in the playoffs. They could still win the division title, but will need to catch up to the Indians.

Chicago White Sox (87-75)
The White Sox are in third place in the AL Central, but they are still within striking distance of the division title. They will need to catch up to the Indians and Twins, but they could still make it into the playoffs as a wild card team.

Detroit Tigers (84-78)
The Tigers are in fourth place in the AL Central, but they are still mathematically alive for a spot in the playoffs. They would need to make up ground on both the Indians and Twins, but it is possible if they can string together some wins in their final games.

AL West

As the AL West champion, the Astros will have home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. They’ll open the postseason by hosting the wild-card game on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The winner of that matchup will advance to play the Rays in the ALDS.

National League

As the Major League Baseball season comes to a close, the playoffs are just around the corner. Here is a look at the National League teams that have clinched a spot in the playoffs, as well as those that are still fighting for a spot.

NL East

The NL East is a close race, with the Atlanta Braves leading the way. The Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies are right behind them, while the New York Mets and Miami Marlins are struggling to keep up.

NL Central

The Chicago Cubs have clinched the NL Central title and are headed to the playoffs. The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates are also headed to the postseason, while the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds will be watching from home.

NL West

The National League West is a very close race with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks all within two games of each other. The Dodgers have the best record in the division at 89-71 and are currently in first place. The Rockies are in second place with a87-73 record, and the Diamondbacks are close behind with an 86-74 record.

All three teams have clinched a spot in the playoffs, but it is still unclear who will win the division and have home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Dodgers have a slight lead, but anything could happen in the final week of the season.

Wild Card

The MLB regular season is coming to an end and the playoffs are just around the corner. 10 teams will be fighting for a chance to win the World Series. The American League has five teams that have clinched a spot in the playoffs. The National League has four teams that have clinched a spot. The AL Wild Card game will be between the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays. The NL Wild Card game will be between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals.

AL

The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers all clinched spots in the AL playoffs. The Orioles finished in first place in the AL East and will face the Royals in the ALDS. The Indians claimed the second AL wild-card spot and will take on the Rays. The Red Sox clinched the AL East title and will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They will face the winner of Tuesday’s AL wild-card game in the ALDS.

NL

-Arizona Diamondbacks
-Colorado Rockies
-Los Angeles Dodgers
-Milwaukee Brewers
-New York Mets
-Philadelphia Phillies
-Pittsburgh Pirates
-San Diego Padres
-San Francisco Giants
-St. Louis Cardinals