After six months and 161 games, we've arrived: Sunday, Sept. 28, marks the final day of the 2025 MLB regular season. And thanks to an unexpectedly bonkers September, there's still plenty to be decided — from division races to Wild Card positioning to even playoff spots — in Game 162.
Both the AL East and AL Central races are going right down to the wire after all four teams involved took care of business on Saturday. The National League is a bit more buttoned up, but there's major drama regarding the sixth and final playoff spot, with the New York Mets trying to hold off a September collapse.
Where do things stand entering the season's final day? Who needs what to make it to October? Here's everything you need to know.
MLB postseason update: Sep. 28
- MLB postseason: Which teams have clinched postseason spots?
- MLB magic numbers: Which teams still have something to play for?
- MLB tiebreakers: Which teams control their own destiny in the final weekend?
- MLB postseason scenarios: What has to happen for each team to clinch?
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
MLB postseason: Which teams have clinched postseason spots?
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have righted the ship at the last possible moment, notching their third win in a row on Saturday afternoon to remain a nose in front of the hard-charging Yankees in the AL East race. Both teams are in regardless, but there's obviously a very big difference between the No. 1 overall seed and a bye to the ALDS and having to host a best-of-three Wild Card series beginning on Tuesday.
New York Yankees
Speaking of the Yankees: New York has taken full advantage of its soft closing schedule, ripping off its seventh straight win on Saturday to keep the heat on Toronto. Even if the team misses out on a division title on Sunday (more on that in just a bit), they're entering the postseason with more confidence than seemed possible just a few weeks ago.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have followed up their emotional AL West clinch with two straight losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which have officially put them out of the running for the top overall seed in the AL. Seattle is locked into the No. 2 spot no matter what happens on Sunday, meaning they'll host Game 1 of the ALDS at T-Mobile Park next weekend.
Boston Red Sox
Boston punched its playoff ticket with a win over the Tigers on Friday, locking themselves into one of the final two Wild Card spots (and a road date with either the AL Central champ or the AL East runner-up). But the Red Sox aren't entirely without something to play for on the season's final day, needing another win over Detroit to secure the No. 5 seed.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are assured of some sort of playoff spot thanks to their walk-off win over the Rangers on Saturday, but whether that's as the AL Central champ or as a Wild Card team all depends on how Sunday shakes out. Either way, few teams will enter October with more momentum than the squad that faced a double-digit deficit in their division earlier this month.
Detroit Tigers
The good news is that the Tigers have averted outright collapse, holding on for a 2-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday to punch their ticket to the postseason. Of course, anything less than a division title would still be a bit of a disappointment given where this team started the month of September, so you can bet Detroit will head into Sunday looking for a win and some help to salvage the Central.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have clinched everything it's possible for a team to clinch, with the NL Central long since wrapped up, the No. 1 seed in the NL playoffs secure and the best record in all of baseball regardless of what happens Sunday. The postseason will run through Milwaukee, as Brewers fans will hope that this year is finally the year.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies couldn't quite catch Milwaukee in the standings, but Bryce Harper and Co. will be just fine settling for the No. 2 seed and home-field advantage in the NLDS. Citizens Bank Park has been a fortress in recent Octobers, and this team enters the postseason with plenty of confidence and as much determination to erase the stain of last year's early flameout.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have been locked into the No. 3 seed for a few days now, ever since they clinched the NL West earlier this week. It's been a bumpier ride than most expected this year, but suddenly L.A. has won eight of 10 and appears to be peaking at the right time. Now, if they acn just get that bullpen figured out.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs secured their spot in the postseason days ago, and wins on Friday and Saturday assured Chicago of the top NL Wild Card spot and home-field advantage in the coming best-of-three series next week. The pitching staff still has plenty of questions for Craig Counsell to answer, but this team can slug with the best of them, and Wrigley Field will be rocking.
San Diego Padres
The Cubs' opponent in the Wild Card round is already locked in as well, as the Padres fell short in their quest to dethrone the Dodgers in the West but have already clinched themselves the No. 5 seed in the NL playoffs entering play on Sunday. San Diego will hop on a flight to Chicago after the conclusion of their regular season on Sunday afternoon, with the main question now being how Mike Shildt will choose to line up his rotation.
MLB magic numbers: Which teams still have something to play for?
Figuring out a magic number is quite simple. The formula to do so is as follows, according to MLB.com:
- Games remaining +1 - (Losses by second place team - losses by first place team)
And with only one game left in the regular season, the magic numbers couldn't be much easier to calculate.
AL East
The Yankees and Blue Jays enter Sunday with identical 93-68 records. But because Toronto handily won the season series over New York, they hold the tiebreaker edge and will claim the division title if the two teams end the regular season even in the standings. Which makes things very simple: The Jays' magic number is 1, with a win over the Rays on Sunday clinching the AL East.
Team | Record | Magic number |
|---|---|---|
Toronto Blue Jays | 93-68 | 1 |
New York Yankees | 93-68 | 2 |
The Yankees, meanwhile, have a magic number of 2: They need to not only beat the Orioles on Sunday but also get a Tampa upset in Toronto to secure the division title.
AL Central
The situation is pretty much the same in the Central: The Guardians and Tigers both sit at 87-74, but Cleveland secured the season series by taking two of three from Detroit earlier this week.
Team | Record | Magic number |
|---|---|---|
Cleveland Guardians | 87-74 | 1 |
Detroit Tigers | 87-74 | 2 |
Cleveland's magic number is down to 1, meaning that if they handle their business against Texas on Sunday, the division is theirs. Detroit, meanwhile, needs both a win over the Red Sox and a Rangers win over the Guardians.
NL Wild Card
The last major order of business to be decided on Sunday is the sixth and final playoff spot in the NL, where the Mets have been flirting with disaster for weeks now. New York now finds itself needing both a win and some help just to make it to October.
Team | Record | Magic number |
|---|---|---|
Cincinnati Reds | 83-78 | 1 |
New York Mets | 83-78 | 2 |
Cincinnati has won two in a row in Milwaukee, pulling even with the Mets in the standings at 83-78. And because the Reds won the season series, their magic number is now down to just one: If Cincinnati completes the sweep with another win on Sunday, they'll head to Los Angeles for the Wild Card round on Tuesday.
The Mets, on the other hand, need to not only beat the Marlins in Miami but also get some help from the Brewers.
MLB tiebreakers: Which teams control their own destiny in the final weekend?
With so many close races and the abolition of Game 163s, tiebreakers could now dictate which teams get in and which miss out in several different spots.
AL East
Toronto took eight of the 13 head-to-head matchups against New York this season, securing the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Yankees. The Jays are in control of their own destiny in the AL East, and if the Yankees miss out despite having an identical record, they'll be sure to look back on their poor performance against AL East rivals with regret.
Advantage: Blue Jays over Yankees
AL Central
Cleveland is largely in this position thanks to taking five of six against the Tigers over the last couple of weeks, not only making up ground in the standings but also securing the season series and the head-to-head tiebreaker. All of which means that the Guardians only need one more win to ensure at least a tie with Detroit and the AL Central title.
Advantage: Guardians over Tigers
NL Wild Card
The Diamondbacks are out, meaning the NL Wild Card race is between the Reds and Mets. And thanks to their 4-2 record against New York in the regular season, the Reds are in the driver's seat. If New York completes the collapse by missing the postseason, dropping two of three in Cincy back in early September will loom very large.
Advantage: Reds over Mets
MLB postseason scenarios: What has to happen for each team to clinch?
Toronto Blue Jays
As mentioned previously, the equation for the Blue Jays is very simple: They control their own destiny thanks to the tiebreaker over the Yankees, putting both the AL East and the top overall seed within reach.
Blue Jays win AL East if:
- Toronto beats Tampa OR
- Yankees lose to Baltimore
If the Jays lose on Sunday and New York beats the O's, Toronto will be locked into the top AL Wild Card spot and a home series against the No. 5 seed (likely Boston) no matter what else happens.
New York Yankees
It's just as straight-forward for the Yankees: Win, and get some help, or face a very uncomfortable Wild Card series next week.
Yankees win AL East if:
- New York beats Baltimore AND
- Toronto loses to Tampa
If New York loses or the Blue Jays win, the Yankees will be locked into the No. 4 seed.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians have steamrolled their way to tying the Tigers in the AL Central and earning the tiebreaker advantage over Detroit. Thus, the AL Central runs through Cleveland on the final day of the regular season.
Guardians win AL Central if:
- Cleveland beats Texas OR
- Detroit loses to Boston
If the Guardians can't take care of business and coughs up the Central to the Tigers, they'll fall all the way to the No. 6 seed no matter what else happens. (While Cleveland can technically finish tied with the Red Sox, Boston won the season series between the two teams and holds the tiebreaker.)
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are in the exact same position as the Yankees are with one game to go.
Tigers win AL Central if:
- Detroit beats Boston AND
- Cleveland loses to Texas
The Central isn't the only thing up for grabs for Detroit on Sunday, though. Even if the Tigers miss out on the division, there's still positioning to be gained in the Wild Card race.
Tigers clinch No. 5 seed if:
- Detroit beats Boston AND
- Cleveland beats Texas
Cincinnati Reds
The proposition for Cincinnati is simple, as the Reds have already secured the tiebreaker over the Mets and just need to finish tied at worst in the standings to make the playoffs.
Reds clinch Wild Card spot if:
- Cincinnati beats Milwaukee OR
- New York loses to Miami
New York Mets
The Mets, meanwhile, are going to need some help, a shocking position to be in considering the talent on this roster and how pretty they were sitting even a few weeks ago.
Mets clinch Wild Card spot if:
- New York beats Miami AND
- Cincinnati loses to Milwaukee