The idea behind expanding the number of teams qualifying for the MLB postseason was that more teams would be involved. While that is certainly true at the trade deadline, this season feels pretty decided as far as which six teams from the AL and NL will have a chance for World Series glory in October. All that is left to figure out is seeding, which could set up some very interesting matchups in the Wild Card Series. Actually, the entire postseason field looks to be really good, which is what you might think it would be considering the teams are pretty locked into a playoff position.
Since it is obvious, I will spill the beans here.
Potential NL playoff teams: Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds.
Potential AL playoff teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals.
So this will address any divisions still up for grabs as well as the wild-card slots.
NL East
REMAINING OPPONENTS
Phillies: at Brewers, at Marlins, vs. Mets, vs. Royals, at Dodgers, at Diamondbacks, vs. Marlins, vs. Twins.
Mets: at Tigers, at Reds, at Phillies, vs. Rangers, vs. Padres, vs. Nationals, at Cubs, at Marlins.
BREAKDOWN
The second-place Mets threw some doubt into the division-leading Phillies’ minds by sweeping a three-game series at Citi Field to pull within four games of Philadelphia. The teams will meet again for a four-game series a week from today at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have the slightly tougher schedule, but both face tough opponents. The Phillies will miss the presence of ace right-hander Zack Wheeler, who is out for the season with a blood clot in his right shoulder. Aaron Nola has struggled mightily in his three starts since returning from the injured list, leaving the rotation leaning heavily on left-handers Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez. The Mets, meanwhile, have infused their rotation with rookies Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong. McLean has been ace-like in his first three MLB starts, while Tong was solid with a lot of early run support in his debut Friday. The Phillies have been more inconsistent this season, putting up a 25-25 record in June and July after a 19-9 May. August has seen the Phillies get back on track. The Mets, meanwhile, have been fairly consistent up until August, where they struggled with a 1-8 start. The Phillies are likely going to repeat as the East champion and battle the Brewers and Dodgers for a first-round bye, with the Mets securing the No. 3 wild card.
NL Central
REMAINING OPPONENTS
Brewers: vs. Phillies, at Pirates, at Rangers, vs. Cardinals, vs. Angels, at Cardinals, at Padres, vs. Reds.
Cubs: vs. Atlanta, vs. Nationals, at Atlanta, vs. Rays, at Pirates, at Reds, vs. Mets, vs. Cardinals.
Reds: vs. Blue Jays, vs. Mets, at Padres, at A’s, at Cardinals, vs. Cubs, vs. Pirates, at Brewers.
BREAKDOWN
The Brewers and Cubs do not play each in September, which is a crime. Even just a three-game series would bring a little drama to this rivalry and division race. The Brewers have had 11- and 14-game winning streaks since the Fourth of July, which allowed the Crew to turn a 6½-game deficit to the Cubs into as much as a nine-game advantage. It now stands at 6½ games after the Brewers came back down to earth. With that cushion, it would take a disaster — which could happen with the cracks showing in Milwaukee’s bullpen — for the Brewers not to win their third straight Central title and the No. 1 seed in the NL. That leaves the Cubs to take one of the top two wild-card spots, with the second-place team from the NL West taking the other. The Reds have an outside chance at the No. 3 wild card, but lost five straight before winning Sunday and face a tough September schedule — and would need the Mets to collapse.
NL West
REMAINING OPPONENTS
Dodgers: at Pirates, at Orioles, vs. Rockies, at Giants, vs. Phillies, vs. Giants, at Diamondbacks, at Mariners.
Padres: vs. Orioles, at Rockies, vs. Reds, vs. Rockies, at Mets, at White Sox, vs. Brewers, at Diamondbacks.
BREAKDOWN
Another big-time rivalry without a single September game. Who wants that drama? The defending World Series champion Dodgers tied up the NL West in the teams’ final regular-season meeting of 2025, but since then, the Dodgers have regained a two-game edge. Each team faces another NL division leader at home and has a road series against the D’backs. The Padres have the scheduling edge with two series against MLB’s worst team in the Rockies and on against the White Sox. The Dodgers have to face another rival in the Giants twice, so the opening is there for the Padres to take advantage. The Dodgers have seemed to find better footing recently, but haven’t been able to maintain any momentum throughout this season. L.A. definitely needs its offense to pick things up, especially Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, if it wants to become the first repeat World Series champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. The West champion could end up as the No. 3 seed in the NL, while the second-place team as the No. 5 seed. I will throw in one unlikely scenario: The Giants could get hot and make a run for a wild-card spot, much like the 2024 Tigers, who were five games behind the Minnesota Twins and needed to leap two other teams just to make, which they did as the No. 2 AL wild card.
AL East
REMAINING OPPONENTS
Blue Jays: at Reds, at Yankees, vs. Astros, vs. Orioles, at Rays, at Royals, vs. Red Sox, vs. Rays.
Yankees: at Astros, vs. Blue Jays, vs. Tigers, at Red Sox, at Twins, at Orioles, vs. White Sox, vs. Orioles.
Red Sox: vs. Guardians, at Diamondbacks, at A’s, vs. Yankees, vs. A’s, at Rays, at Blue Jays, vs. Tigers.
BREAKDOWN
The AL East will be the only division to send three teams to the postseason. And considering all three of the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees have series remaining against each other, the opportunity for movement between division leader and being a wild card could be significant. The Jays have a slightly more difficult schedule than the Red Sox, with the Yankees by far the easiest. While the Red Sox do have to series against the A’s (one as part of a six-game West Coast trip), they do have the toughest finish to the season with the Jays and Tigers, the teams with the top two records in the AL entering September. None of the final series are easy as the Jays have the Rays and the Yankees face the Orioles, but all three will be at home. The Jays and Red Sox will square off in the next-to-last series of the regular season in Toronto, while the Yankees and Red Sox are mid-month at Fenway Park and Jays-Yankees the first week of September at Yankee Stadium. The Jays seem to have the best momentum going into September, leaving the battle between the Red Sox and Yankees for the top two AL wild cards. The performances of key players — AL Cy Young contender Garrett Crochet of the Red Sox and AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge of the Yankees — could provide the difference.
AL Central
REMAINING OPPONENTS
Tigers: vs. Mets, vs. White Sox, at Yankees, at Marlins, vs. Guardians, vs. Atlanta, at Guardians, at Red Sox.
Royals: vs. Angels, vs. Twins, at Guardians, at Phillies, vs. Mariners, vs. Blue Jays, at Angels, at A’s.
BREAKDOWN
While the AL East will send three teams to the postseason, the AL Central will only have one. The Tigers have been among the best teams in the AL all season, especially into July, where they posted an 11-14 mark. Unlike last year, the Tigers will be on cruise control in September and have a schedule that doesn’t provide many challenges between opening the month with the Mets and finishing with the Red Sox. Meanwhile, the Royals will be playing for their playoff lives and have a very challenging stretch in the middle of the month. That is where they face the Phillies on the road and the Mariners and Jays at home. Other than that, they face the Angels twice and finish with the A’s in West Sacramento. The Royals’ fate will be tied to the Mariners’ performance, but likely to come up short, which will have them thinking about their 8-18 June.
AL West
REMAINING OPPONENTS
Astros: vs. Angels (one game), vs. Yankees, at Rangers, at Blue Jays, at Atlanta, vs. Rangers, vs. Mariners, at Angels, at A’s.
Mariners: at Rays, at Atlanta, vs. Cardinals, vs. Angels, at Royals, at Astros, vs. Rockies, vs. Dodgers.
BREAKDOWN
This race could come down to the lone remaining head-to-head matchup, the next-to-last weekend of the season in Houston. The Mariners have the easier of the two remaining schedules, with home series vs. the Angels and Rockies leading the way. However, the Astros have the easier finish with road series against the Angels and A’s, while the Mariners have the Rockies and a season-finishing series at home vs. the Dodgers. The Mariners’ pitching staff is built to carry a team in the final month of the season and into October, while the Astros have a patchwork rotation after their top two of Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez. Will the Mariners’ bats be able to produce enough to support the staff? Trade-deadline acquisition Eugenio Suárez has been pretty silent since coming over, while AL MVP contender Cal Raleigh will be pursuing a home run title. The Astros recently got Yordan Alvarez back in their lineup. Can their experience be the difference?
