MLB Playoff Picture: Orioles bring chaos

Get ready. The MLB Playoff series start in just 31 days, on Oct. 7.

In order to prepare you for October – and November baseball, we have prepared a comprehensive look at the MLB Playoff picture. 

Here, you will see exactly which teams are in the postseason, including their seeding, and which teams, on the outside looking in, are in the hunt.

Before we begin, here’s how the playoffs will differ from years past.

This year, the pool of teams has been expanded from 10 to 12 (six teams in each league). Division leaders will determine the top three seeds, with the bottom three seeds going to teams with the next best record.

The top two division leaders – the 1 and 2 seeds – will receive byes in the first round. The other teams will play in four best-of-three series (two in each league). 

The remaining division leader will have to enter the Wild Card Series and face the 6 seed. 

Each Wild Card Series will determine who faces the 1 and 2 seed in the Division Series

The MLB Postseason Picture

Here’s a look at the MLB Postseason bracket of the regular season ended today.

American League

1. Houston Astros (87-48)
2. New York Yankees (81-54)
3. Cleveland Guardians (69-64)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (75-58)
5. Seattle Mariners (76-59)
6. Toronto Blue Jays (75-59)

National League

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-42)
2. New York Mets (85-50)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (79-56)
4. Atlanta Braves (84-51)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (73-61)
6. San Diego Padres (74-62)

Pros and Cons

The new MLB Playoff format has its negatives and positives.

Let’s start with the good. With the Wild Card Series going from a strict elimination game to a three-game series, the two best teams will get extended breaks before the Division Series.

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This provides them with a significant advantage. While the Wild Card teams are using up arms for a shot at the Division Series, team’s with bye will rest.

Given the slog the regular season is, this boosts the chances of the best teams in the league. Hence, it is likely that the World Series features teams truly deserving of a shot at the Ring.

Now, the bad. There’s a chance that teams deserving of a shot won’t get one because of the division format.

For example, if the season ended today, the leader in the AL Central would get the 3 seed. This despite both teams vying for the Central division having a worse record than the Baltimore Orioles.

To quote A League of their Own, “there’s no crying in baseball.” The Orioles have another route into the playoffs.

Let’s look at teams still in the hunt.

In the MLB Playoff Hunt