MLB Playoffs Standings 2020: Dodgers, Rays Lead Bracket; Astros, Phillies In Postseason Picture
With less than a week remaining in a shortened MLB season, most teams are still mathematically in the postseason hunt.
A 60-game schedule and an expanded postseason format have given most teams something to play for as the regular season winds down. In the final stretch of the season, only four teams have been eliminated from contention.
Seven of the 16 total playoff berths have been clinched. Five teams are officially in the American League playoffs, and it's pretty clear who will fill out the other three AL spots. There’s less certainty in the National League, where two of the eight playoff berths have been solidified and the No.5-10 seeds are separated by 1.5 games in the standings.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (38-16) have MLB’s best record and one of the NL playoff berths. The San Diego Padres (34-20) are guaranteed to clinch a wild-card berth, at worst, and still technically in the NL West race.
No NL division has been clinched with six days remaining in the regular season.
The Chicago Cubs (32-22) are currently the No.2 seed with a 4.5-game lead atop the NL Central. The Atlanta Braves (32-22) have a four-game lead as the first-place team in the NL East. It won’t be long before both teams are officially division champions.
The next four NL playoff spots are likely to come from a group of six teams. The Miami Marlins (28-26), St. Louis Cardinals (26-25), Cincinnati Reds (28-27) and Philadelphia Phillies (27-27) would all be in the playoffs if they started Tuesday night. The Milwaukee Brewers (26-27) and San Francisco Giants (26-27) are both a half-game out of the latest playoff picture.
The Colorado Rockies (24-29) and New York Mets (24-30) are both long shots to make the playoffs. The Washington Nationals (21-32) and Arizona Diamondbacks (20-34) could be eliminated by Wednesday.
Over in the AL, the Tampa Bay Rays (36-19), Chicago White Sox (34-20), Oakland Athletics (33-20), Minnesota Twins (33-22) and New York Yankees (31-23) have clinched playoff berths. Since the ALDS, ALCS and World Series will all be played at neutral sites, the final seeding of the top-four teams is essentially inconsequential.
Oakland is the only team that has clinched a division title. Minnesota can potentially catch Chicago in the AL Central. Tampa Bay is ready to put away the AL East and eliminate the Yankees from the division race.
The Houston Astros (27-27), Cleveland Indians (30-24) and Toronto Blue Jays (28-26) are all very likely to land wild-card berths. The Seattle Mariners (24-30) have to beat Houston Tuesday and Wednesday in order to have a real chance of making the postseason.
The Los Angeles Angels (24-31), Baltimore Orioles (23-31), Detroit Tigers (22-30) and Kansas City Royals (22-32) are not legitimate contenders.
The regular season ends Sunday. The playoffs start Tuesday, Sept. 29.
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