2024 MLB playoff picture: Yankees win AL East; Updated Bracket, Rankings | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The New York Yankees are American League East champions for the second time in three seasons.

After already clinching a spot in the MLB playoffs, the Bronx Bombers clinched the division with a 10-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

New York is also battling with the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL and receives a bye in the Wild Card Series. Here's a look at the current postseason picture and where it stands at the time of writing.

Projected MLB playoff series

• AL Wild Card Series: No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Kansas City Royals; No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Detroit Tigers
• NL Wild Card Series: No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks; No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 New York Mets
• First-round byes: No. 1 New York Yankees and No. 2 Cleveland Guardians (American League); No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies (National League)

1. New York Yankees (93-66); Division decided
2. Baltimore Orioles (88-71, 5GB); secured the playoff spot
3. Boston Red Sox (80-79, 13GB)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (78-81, 15GB)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (74-85, 19GB)

1. Cleveland Guardians (92-67); Division decided
2. Kansas City Royals (85-74, 7GB)
3. Detroit Tigers (85-74, 7GB)
4. Minnesota Twins (82-76, 9.5GB)
5. Chicago White Sox (39-120, 53GB)

1. Houston Astros (86-73); Division decided
2. Seattle Mariners (82-77, 4GB)
3. Texas Rangers (75-84, 11GB)
4. Oakland Athletics (69-90, 17GB)
5. Los Angeles Angels (63-96, 23GB)

1. Philadelphia Phillies (94-65); Division decided
2. New York Mets (87-70, 6GB)
3. Atlanta Braves (86-71, 7GB)
4. Washington Nationals (69-90, 25GB)
5. Miami Marlins (58-100, 35.5GB)

1. Milwaukee Brewers (91-68); Division decided
2. St. Louis Cardinals (81-78, 10GB)
3. Chicago Cubs (81-78, 10GB)
4. Cincinnati Reds (76-83, 15GB)
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (74-85, 17GB)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (94-64); secured the playoff spot
2. San Diego Padres (91-67, 3GB); secured the playoff spot
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (88-71, 6.5GB)
4. San Francisco Giants (79-80, 15.5GB)
5. Colorado Rockies (61-98, 33.5GB)

This being the Yankees, seasons aren't judged solely by whether or not they win the division. Achieving that benchmark certainly eases the pressure on manager Aaron Boone, however USA today's Bob Nightengale previously reported that his future in the dugout could depend on the team's playoff results.

New York has had a relatively up-and-down season for a team that posted over 90 wins.

Thanks to a 45:19 start, the team was on a roll in the first half. Then things went downhill and the Orioles grabbed a one-game lead in the AL East heading into the All-Star break.

The Yankees and Orioles were neck-and-neck until the end of August, and it wasn't until September that New York began to gain some breathing room.

Additionally, New York laid claim to being the World Series favorite in a field that featured no single candidate head and shoulders above the rest. While expectations always skyrocket in the Big Apple, this is a squad that justifies such hype.

To that end, no player will carry a greater burden than Aaron Judge.

Aside from the fact that the 32-year-old didn't win a World Series – pretty much a requirement to truly become a legendary figure in pinstripes – he didn't really have a signature run in October either. In 44 career playoff games, he has 13 home runs and a slash line of .211/.310/.462.

Juan Soto's upcoming free agency will also be a subplot of New York's offseason. The 25-year-old has hit better than ever in the entire 162-game season and is preparing for a massive win this winter.

However, the reaction to Soto within the fan base and the local press could be unforgiving if he doesn't help propel the Yankees to the top.