Not everyone can make the MLB postseason, but these 12 teams are in the driver's seat to reach October at this time. Yes, there is a lot of baseball left to be played between now and the end of the regular season, but there really has not been that much change in terms of what teams are projected to make the playoffs. Some, like the Milwaukee Brewers, are red hot, while both New York franchises have seen better days.
In the end, it will be the same formula we have used the last few years to put a 12-team field together. It will be the six division winners, three from each league, as well as the next best three teams in the AL and NL. The two division winners in each league with the best records will get first-round byes, while the No. 3 seed will host the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 will host the No. 5 in a best-of-three Wild Card series.
From there, each league's No. 2 will host the winner of the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup in a best-of-five Division Series. The No. 1 seed will host the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 in their DS. After that, The best team between the No. 2/No. 3/No. 6 will face the best team between the No. 1/No. 4/No. 5 in their respective league's LCS before we get to the World Series.
Now that we are firmly in the second half of August, here is who is projected to make the postseason.
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Projected MLB postseason bracket heading into Aug. 19
Let's start with the American League field first before we dive right into the National League in a bit.
Projected American League postseason bracket
Through Aug. 18, these would be the six teams making the postseason out of the American League.
- No. 1: Detroit Tigers (74-53) (Projected AL Central champions)
- No. 2: Toronto Blue Jays (73-53) (Projected AL East champions)
- No. 3: Houston Astros (69-56) (Projected AL West champions)
- No. 4: New York Yankees (67-57) (Projected AL Wild Card No. 1)
- No. 5: Boston Red Sox (68-58) (Projected AL Wild Card No. 2)
- No. 6: Seattle Mariners (68-58) (Projected AL Wild Card No. 3)
With the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays earning first-round byes, here are the Wild Card matchups.
- No. 1: Detroit Tigers (BYE)
- No. 2: Toronto Blue Jays (BYE)
- No. 6 Seattle Mariners at No. 3 Houston Astros
- No. 5 Boston Red Sox at No. 4 New York Yankees
It will be a pair of division rivals clashing in two marquee matchups, with the No. 3 Houston Astros hosting the No. 6 Seattle Mariners in a best-of-three. In the other series of note, the No. 4 New York Yankees would host the No. 5 Boston Red Sox in their best-of-three series. The winner of Seattle at Houston would face Toronto in their ALDS, with the winner of Boston at New York taking on Detroit in theirs.
Now let's turn our attention to what the postseason bracket would look like in the National League.
Projected National League postseason bracket
If the MLB season ended today, here is who would be making the postseason out of the NL.
- No. 1: Milwaukee Brewers (79-45) (Projected NL Central champions)
- No. 2: Philadelphia Phillies (72-53) (Projected NL East champions)
- No. 3: Los Angeles Dodgers (71-54) (Projected NL West champions)
- No. 4: Chicago Cubs (70-54) (Projected NL Wild Card No. 1)
- No. 5: San Diego Padres (69-56) (Projected NL Wild Card No. 2)
- No. 6: New York Mets (66-58) (Projected NL Wild Card No. 3)
With the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies getting first-round byes, here are the matchups.
- No. 1: Milwaukee Brewers (BYE)
- No. 2: Philadelphia Phillies (BYE)
- No. 6 New York Mets at No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
- No. 5 San Diego Padres at No. 4 Chicago Cubs
The No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers will host the No. 6 New York Mets in their best-of-three series, while the No. 4 Chicago Cubs would do the same with the No. 5 San Diego Padres coming to town. The winner of Los Angeles vs. New York would take on Philadelphia, while the Chicago vs. San Diego winner would take on Milwaukee in a best-of-five NLDS. Surely, these series will go off the rails.
Give it a few more weeks, and the entire playoff field may look quite different from this projection.