MLB American League Playoff Picture if Season Ended Today
Hannah Brewitt
Host · Writer
It’s still early in the MLB season, but we can still look ahead to the playoffs.
Here we’ll track how the American League playoff picture is shaping up through the season.
MLB AL Playoff Picture on June 10
No. 1 Overall (First-Round bye) – Tampa Bay Rays
No. 2 Overall (First-Round bye) – Texas Rangers
No. 3 Overall – Minnesota Twins vs. No. 3 Wild Card – Houston Astros
No. 1 Wild Card – Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 2 Wild Card – New York Yankees
A new postseason structure was introduced before the 2022 season to expand the playing field. Six American League teams will make the playoffs at the end of the 162-game regular season, with the top two teams receiving a first-round bye and the third seed competing in a best-of-three wild card series. In the wild-card round, the No. 3 seed will host the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed will host the No. 5 seed.
If the season ended today, AL East teams would occupy three of the six coveted playoff spots, including the first overall seed and two wild cards. The Rays remain the top team in the division (and all of MLB) with an impressive 47-19 record. They are 6.5 and 9.5 games ahead of the second and third-place teams: the Orioles and the Yankees.
Elsewhere in the AL East, the Red Sox and Blue Jays are on the bubble. If these teams were in any other division, they would skew toward the top instead of the bottom. However, they are competing with some of the league’s best talent. It’s possible that either team (or both teams) could finish with 90+ wins and not make the postseason. They must be excellent, not just good, if they want to ball through October.
The Twins lead the AL Central, and the Rangers top the AL West. Two months into the season, these teams have maintained their position as the division leaders. However, the gap is getting smaller in the West. The Angels and Astros are picking up steam and could overtake Texas if they hit a backslide. In the Central, the Guardians have gained some traction and are just 1.5 games behind the Twins.
Baseball fans can expect each team to fight until the end for optimal positioning come fall.
