MLB Playoff Tracker 2024: Standings, clinch scenarios, tiebreakers and postseason schedule as of September 26

The MLB postseason is upon us, and with less than a week of the regular season left, there's a lot at stake for any team with World Series aspirations.

Let’s analyze the current state of the MLB standings and the playoff situation.

Who has secured a place in the playoffs?

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies secured nothing less than second place in the NL playoffs with their 9-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers' 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The NL East champions have a bye in the wildcard round and will host an NLDS. They will compete with the Dodgers for first place in the NL.

On Tuesday, the Orioles clinched a spot in the AL playoffs with their 5-3 win over the Yankees and the Twins' 4-1 loss to the Marlins. They have not yet secured their postseason spot and are still in the race for the AL East crown, four games behind the first-place Yankees – thanks to Wednesday's 9-7 win in the Bronx – with four games left in the regular season.

Also on Tuesday, the Astros clinched their postseason berth and their fourth consecutive AL West title with a 4-3 win over the Mariners. They have not yet secured their postseason berth.

Finally, the Padres secured their spot in the NL postseason with a 4-2 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday that ended in a triple play. They have not yet secured their spot in the postseason, trailing the Dodgers by three games in the NL West with four games remaining.

On September 19, the Guardians punched their ticket to October with a 3-2 walk-off win over the Twins. Cleveland clinched the AL Central title on Saturday and secured first or second place in the American League with Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Reds, meaning they have a bye in the wild-card round and will host an ALDS.

Also on September 19, the Dodgers secured their 12th consecutive postseason appearance with a 20-4 (yes, 20-4) victory over the Marlins. Ohtani delivered an absolutely historic performance to secure the first 50-50 season in MLB history. The Dodgers, who have not yet secured their postseason spot, can clinch the NL West title with a win against the Padres on Thursday.

The Brewers won the NL Central title on September 18. They have not yet secured their playoff spot.

The Yankees secured their first postseason berth in the AL on September 18. They have not yet secured the AL East title or their postseason berth.

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Who can win next?

The Royals, Tigers and Mets have their eyes on the postseason, with odds above 70%, according to FanGraphs. The Diamondbacks are above 50%, but still have a long way to go before October. The Twins, Mariners and Braves are not out of the game yet and are still chasing wild-card spots.

The Dodgers and Yankees have a good chance to win their divisions, assuming they hold on to their current lead. These two teams also have a good chance to secure a bye in the wild-card round.

What else is there to win?

Once a team has clinched its postseason ticket, there is still a lot at stake. Teams could be battling for playoff spots until the final weekend of the season.

First and second place in each league will go to the division winners with the two best finishes. These teams will receive a bye in the wildcard round and host rights in the division series.

3rd place goes to the winner of Division 3 and that team will host a three-game wildcard series against 6th place (who will receive the third wildcard). The top wildcard team will receive 4th place and will have to play 5th place in the wildcard round.

Once we get that far, the higher seeds will also get home field advantage in the championship series.

What would the playoff standings look like if the season ended today?

American League

Wildcard: No. 6 Detroit Tigers vs. No. 3 Houston Astros*

ALDS: Wildcard winner against No. 2 Cleveland Guardians*

Wildcard: No. 5 Kansas City Royals vs. No. 4 Baltimore Orioles*

ALDS: Wildcard winner against No. 1 New York Yankees*

Bundesliga

Wildcard: No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers*

NLDS: Wildcard winner against No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies*

Wildcard: No. 5 New York Mets vs. No. 4 San Diego Padres*

NLDS: Wildcard winner against No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers*

(*Playoff spot secured)

What are the tiebreakers?

Teams will no longer play Game 163 if they finish the season tied. Instead, tiebreakers will be determined first by head-to-head results and, if necessary, by intra-division results.

The following tiebreakers could come into play:

• The Yankees won the tiebreaker against the Guardians.

• The Guardians won the tiebreaker against the Orioles.

• The Phillies won the tiebreakers against the Dodgers and Brewers.

• The Twins won the tiebreakers against the Tigers, Royals and Mariners.

• The Royals won the tiebreakers against the Tigers and Mariners.

• The Tigers won the tiebreaker against the Mariners.

• The Mets won the tiebreakers against the Padres and Diamondbacks.

• The Braves won the tiebreaker against the Diamondbacks.

• The Padres won the tiebreakers against the Dodgers and Brewers.

• The Orioles have the tiebreaker against the Yankees, with one game left to play.

• The D-backs have the tiebreaker against the Padres, with three games left to play.

• The Braves have the tiebreaker against the Mets, with two games left to play.

Read more: 2024 MLB offseason preview: What's next for the White Sox, Nationals, A's and more??

What is the schedule for the wildcard and division series?

Wildcard Series

Game 1: Tuesday, October 1st
Game 2: Wednesday, October 2
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 3*

Division Series

ALDS

Game 1: Saturday, October 5
Game 2: Monday, October 7
Game 3: Wednesday, October 9
Game 4: Thursday, October 10*
Game 5: Saturday, October 12*

NLDS

Game 1: Saturday, October 5
Game 2: Sunday, October 6
Game 3: Tuesday, October 8
Game 4: Wednesday, October 9*
Game 5: Friday, October 11*

(*if required)