MLB Playoff Bracket if the Postseason Started Today
Grant White
Host · Writer
The MLB season is a marathon. Teams compete over a 162-game schedule, needing to rank among the top six squads in their respective leagues to make the playoffs. Wins are just as valuable in April, May, and June as they are in the latter part of the season, and franchises can’t afford to lose ground to the teams ahead of them.
Here’s what the playoff brackets would look like if the postseason started today.
National League
| No. 1 – Atlanta Braves | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Pittsburgh Pirates | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Los Angeles Dodgers | No. 6 – San Diego Padres |
| No. 4 – Milwaukee Brewers | No. 5 – Arizona Diamondbacks |
There were a few critical changes in the National League playoff picture over the past week, and surprisingly, none included the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates are holding steady as the NL Central leaders, 1.5 games up on the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite dropping three straight, they continue to hold onto a potential first-round bye. Pittsburgh sits next to the top-seeded Atlanta Braves, ranking first in the NL in OPS and second in ERA.
It took the new-look Los Angeles Dodgers a few weeks to get acclimated, but they have finally climbed the heap in the competitive NL West. LA has won nine of their last 11, including six straight, usurping the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top spot. We could have a SoCal grudge match as the San Diego Padres surpassed the New York Mets for the final wild-card berth, setting the stage for a playoff clash with the Dodgers.
The Brewers are holding steady in the four-spot as the only wild card team not to change position since last week. Milwaukee continues to rely on its pitching to win games, compiling a league-leading 3.40 ERA. That’s offset their offensive shortcomings, as the Brew Crew rank in the bottom half of the MLB in OPS, runs, and strikeouts. Still, they would have a home-field advantage over the D-Backs if the postseason started today. Arizona is 5-5 over its previous ten and is at risk of falling further as the contenders begin to heat up.
American League
| No. 1 – Tampa Bay Rays | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Texas Rangers | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Minnesota Twins | No. 6 – Boston Red Sox |
| No. 4 – Baltimore Orioles | No. 5 – Toronto Blue Jays |
Losing two of three to the Houston Astros wasn’t enough to dissuade bettors from hopping on the Tampa Bay Rays bandwagon. The Rays have moved to the top rung of the FanDuel Sportsbook World Series futures board, priced with the third-shortest odds to win it all at +750. That puts them light years ahead of the second-place Texas Rangers, who have the 16th-best odds at +4500.
The only adjustment to last week’s standings was the Boston Red Sox stepping over a few teams to grab the sixth spot in the AL playoff picture. The BoSox have won five in a row, three of which have come against the Toronto Blue Jays, to move four games above .500. They could be in for a wild card series against the Minnesota Twins. Minny has struggled with offensive consistency but continues to trot out one of the most effective staff in the majors. The Twins rank fifth in team ERA, compiling the third-most strikeouts.
Lastly, the Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles are clinging to their respective spots in the standings. The O’s have dropped two of their past five to the lowly Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. Still, they are 2.5 games clear of the Jays for second in the AL East. More concerningly, Toronto needs to pump the breaks on a four-game losing streak in the series finale against the Red Sox. A win from Boston and the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday would force the Blue Jays outside the playoff picture.
Undoubtedly, the playoff races will only intensify as the season progresses.
