As we enter the final days of the regular season, the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) playoff picture is starting to materialize. The division winners hold the first three seeds, while the next three seeds represent the wild-card teams. In the American League, the New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros are the division winners, with the Yankees clinching home-field advantage. The Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals fill out the wild-card spots. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers have clinched division titles, with the Dodgers also securing home-field advantage. The San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves and New York Mets round off the remaining wild-card spots. The Arizona Diamondbacks remain in the hunt.
The playoff bracket sees the top seeds in both leagues directly advancing to the divisional round. In the American League, the Yankees will face off against the winners of the Orioles-Tigers matchup, and the Guardians will battle the victors of the Astros-Royals showdown. Over in the National League, the Dodgers will go up against either the Padres or the Braves, while the Phillies will take on the winner of the Brewers-Mets confrontation.
The playoff schedule kickstarts with the wild-card series slated for October 1-3. This will be followed by the divisional series from October 5-12, the league series from October 13-22 and finally, the World Series planned for October 25 to November 2.
Tie-breakers in playoff spots are initially resolved by head-to-head records. If a tie persists, other factors come into play including records against teams in the same division, records against teams in the same league yet outside the division, and records of the last half of intraleague games. In the event of a continued tie, the record of the last half of intraleague games plus one will be taken into account.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is creating history, having hit a third home run in a game and contributing a remarkable 10 runs batted in, from six hits overall. Ohtani’s performance is one to keep an eye on as the season draws to a dramatic close.
For avid MLB fans seeking the latest updates on match schedules, playoff standings, and player news, MLB encourages following your favorite teams and players on their official platforms. Baseball enthusiasts can expect an action-packed climax to the 2024 season in the coming days.
