Playoff baseball is right around the corner. The regular season is on its final legs, as the calendar is about to turn to October, bringing the most intense action from the diamond.
While the MLB postseason is set to start Tuesday, the field has not yet been finalized. There are still playoff spots up for grabs, with only 10 teams locked in for the World Series chase.
The AL participants have been decided. The Yankees, Astros and Guardians are all in the postseason yet again, representing the three division winners on the AL side. In addition, the Orioles are back for their second consecutive postseason, while the Royals and Tigers round out the six, with just seeding between Kansas City and Detroit needed Sunday.
Out in the NL, the Dodgers, Phillies and Brewers once again back up the division winners, and the Padres are locked into a wild-card spot. However, there are three clubs in the hunt for the final two wild-card spots in the NL — the Mets, Braves and Diamondbacks.
In typical seasons, today's regular-season finale would be just that. However, Hurricane Helene threw those plans out the window. New York and Atlanta have played two fewer games than Arizona, as the two NL East rivals have a doubleheader scheduled for Monday. There is a scenario where the outcomes of Sunday make the doubleheader meaningless, but it could come down to those Mets-Braves contests.
So what are the clinching scenarios for the MLB playoffs? Here are the updated MLB standings and live playoff bracket.
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MLB standings 2024
American League playoff bracket
Standings updated through games on Sept. 29.
| Seed | Team | Division | Record | Win pct. |
| 1 | Yankees*** | East | 93-68 | .578 |
| 2 | Guardians*** | Central | 92-69 | .571 |
| 3 | Astros** | West | 88-73 | .547 |
| 4 (WC) | Orioles* | East | 91-71 | .562 |
| 5 (WC) | Royals* | Central | 86-76 | .531 |
| 6 (WC) | Tigers* | Central | 86-76 | .531 |
American League wild-card standings
- WC1: Orioles, 91-71 (.562), +5.0
- WC2: Royals, 86-76 (.531)
- WC3: Tigers, 86-76 (.531)
- —
- Mariners, 85-77 (.525), ELIMINATED
- Twins, 82-80 (.506), ELIMINATED
- Red Sox, 81-81 (.500), ELIMINATED
- Rays, 80-82 (.494), ELIMINATED
- Rangers, 78-84 (.481), ELIMINATED
- Blue Jays, 74-88 (.457), ELIMINATED
- Athletics, 69-93 (.426), ELIMINATED
- Angels, 63-99 (.389), ELIMINATED
- White Sox, 41-121 (.253), ELIMINATED
* Indicates clinched postseason berth
** Indicates clinched division title
*** Indicates clinched first round bye
National League playoff bracket
Standings updated through games on Sept. 29.
| Seed | Team | Division | Record | Win pct. |
| 1 | Dodgers*** | West | 98-64 | .605 |
| 2 | Phillies*** | East | 95-67 | .586 |
| 3 | Brewers** | Central | 93-69 | .574 |
| 4 (WC) | Padres* | West | 93-69 | .574 |
| 5 (WC) | Braves* | East | 89-73 | .549 |
| 6 (WC) | Mets | West | 89-73 | .549 |
National League wild-card standings
- WC1: Padres, 93-69 (.574), +4.0 GB
- WC2: Braves, 89-73 (.549)
- WC3: Mets, 89-73 (.549)
—
- Diamondbacks, 89-73 (.549)
- Cubs, 83-79 (.512), ELIMINATED
- Cardinals, 83-79 (.512), ELIMINATED
- Giants, 80-82 (.494), ELIMINATED
- Reds, 77-85 (.475), ELIMINATED
- Pirates, 76-85 (.472), ELIMINATED
- Nationals, 71-91 (.438), ELIMINATED
- Marlins, 62-100 (.383), ELIMINATED
- Rockies, 61-101 (.377), ELIMINATED
* Indicates clinched postseason berth
** Indicates clinched division title
*** Indicates clinched first round bye
MLB playoff scenarios 2024
A majority of the playoff field is already set, but there are two spots still up for grabs in the NL wild-card race.
All divisions have been won, and the top four seeds in each league are all locked in. The only part of the bracket left to solidify is the No. 5 and No. 6 wild-card teams on the NL.
Thanks to Hurricane Helene, there is a chance for a more chaotic finish that normal to the end of the season.The Mets and Braves have played two fewer games than the Diamondbacks, and they have to play a doubleheader against one another on Monday.
The Braves and Mets entered Monday tied at 88-72, with the tiebreaker still to be determined by the doubleheader, while the Diamondbacks are in a virtual tie with two more games played.
However, with the Mets win in Game 1, New York clinched a spot in the postseason
- WC2: Mets, 89-72 (.553)*
- WC3: Diamondbacks, 89-73 (.549)
- Braves, 88-73 (.547), 0.5 GB
The scenarios for Monday are now below:
- Split: Braves clinch, Mets clinch, Diamondbacks eliminated
- Mets sweep: Mets clinch, Diamondbacks clinch, Braves eliminated
Here's a breakdown of how each team can make the postseason Monday:
How the Braves can make the playoffs
The Braves just need to win one game against the Mets to reach the postseason as the No. 5 seed. Their fate comes down to Game 2 after the loss in Monday's opener.
How the Diamondbacks can make the playoffs
The Diamondbacks needed either the Mets or Braves to sweep the doubleheader to reach the postseason. A split would eliminate Arizona, thanks to a tiebreaker disadvantage.
Now, Arizona will be rooting for New York in Game 2 to secure their spot in the postseason.
