It's been a long, winding, wild road to get here, but we've finally reached the final week of the 2025 MLB regular season. And while it seemed like we were heading for a stretch run without a ton of drama when it came to playoff positioning, the baseball gods had other ideas: Unexpected teams like the Guardians, Reds and D-backs have gotten red-hot at just the right time, while erstwhile contenders like the Tigers and Mets are facing a full-on collapse.
Who will be on the right side of the bubble when the music stops, and what will the postseason bracket look like? We've got you covered with up-to-date standings and first-round playoff matchups, so be sure to check back here every morning for the latest.
(As a refresher: MLB's playoff format now features 12 playoff spots, six in each league. The top two division winners in each league by overall record are rewarded with first-round byes, which means they won't have to play in the best-of-three Wild Card series which get underway on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The remaining four teams, including the third-best division winner in each league, will face off in the first round.)
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Which teams have clinched a postseason spot?
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays became the first American League team to officially clinch a playoff spot over the weekend, a remarkable achievement considering the uncertainty surrounding this team at the start of the season. But Toronto is far from done: They enter the final week with a two-game lead (plus the head-to-head tiebreaker) over the Yankees for the AL East crown and a three-game lead over the Mariners for the top overall seed in the American League playoffs.
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee is the king of the NL Central for the third consecutive season, rolling to another division crown this weekend after a truly remarkable summer. They've already locked up a first-round bye and hold a three-game lead over the Phillies in the battle for the No. 1 overall seed in the NL playoffs.
Philadelphia Phillies
Speaking of Philly, the Mets' ongoing collapse has allowed Rob Thomson and Co. to cruise to an NL East title. Catching the Brewers for the top spot (and home-field advantage through the NLCS) might not be in the cards barring a final-week miracle, but they hold a four-game edge over the Dodgers in the fight for a first-round bye with just six games to play.
Los Angeles Dodgers
L.A. has managed to keep the Padres at arm's length in the NL West, with a three-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker in tow. Barring a last-second collapse, they feel more or less locked into the No. 3 seed and home-field advantage in the Wild Card round.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs haven't been able to keep pace with the Brewers in the Central, but they've stabilized things a bit after their midsummer swoon and clinched their first trip to the postseason since 2020 over the weekend. If they want home-field advantage in their Wild Card series, they'll have to protect their three-game edge over the Padres in the standings.
Projected American League postseason bracket as of Sept. 22
Here's how things stand entering play on Monday, Sept. 22:
- Toronto Blue Jays (90-66, AL East champs)
- Seattle Mariners (87-69, AL West champs)
- Detroit Tigers (85-71, AL Central champs)
- New York Yankees (88-68, No. 1 AL Wild Card)
- Boston Red Sox (85-71, No. 2 AL Wild Card)
- Cleveland Guardians (84-72, No. 3 AL Wild Card)
Houston Astros (84-72)
Texas Rangers (79-77)
The Blue Jays are well on their way to earning both an AL East title and the No. 1 overall seed, while the hard-charging Mariners have overtaken suddenly collapsing Tigers in the race for the No. 2 seed (and the all-important bye to the ALDS). Detroit is clinging to a one-game lead over the never-say-die Guardians, who have pulled even with the Astros in the standings — and would make the playoffs if the season ended today thanks to the head-to-head edge over Houston.
There's still a lot that could change over the next few days, but here's how the Wild Card round would shake out.
- No. 5 Boston Red Sox at No. 4 New York Yankees
- No. 6: Cleveland Guardians at No. 3 Detroit Tigers
Again, take this all with a grain of salt. The Red Sox could jump as high as No. 3 or fall out of the playoffs entirely. The Yankees still aren't out of the division race just yet. The Guardians and Tigers are in a dogfight atop the Central. And while the Astros saw their AL West hopes more or less slip away this weekend, there's still hope for a Wild Card berth yet.
Projected National League postseason bracket as of Sept. 22
In the National League, meanwhile, things are somewhat more settled. The first five teams feel pretty much set in stone, and likely in the current order. It's only at the bottom of the playoff bracket where the drama resides.
- Milwaukee Brewers (95-61, NL Central champs)
- Philadelphia Phillies (92-64, NL East champs)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (88-68, NL West champs)
- Chicago Cubs (88-68, No. 1 NL Wild Card)
- San Diego Padres (85-71, No. 2 NL Wild Card)
- Cincinnati Reds (80-76, No. 3 NL Wild Card)
New York Mets (80-76)
Arizona Diamondbacks (79-77)
San Francisco Giants (77-79)
Somehow, the Mets now find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, losing out on the final Wild Card spot to the Reds by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker. And don't sleep on Arizona, which remains just a game back despite selling at the trade deadline this summer.
Beyond that, though, there isn't much to watch for over the season's final week. The Brewers have the inside track to the top overall seed, while the Phillies are headed toward a first-round bye themselves. The Dodgers are locked in at No. 3 barring something totally unforeseen, with the Cubs and Padres headed toward what would be a star-studded Wild Card series.
- No. 5 San Diego Padres at No. 4 Chicago Cubs
- No. 6: Cincinnati Reds at No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Cincy would hardly be a walkover for the Dodgers considering all the starting pitching the Reds could bring to bear on a short three-game series. Chicago and San Diego, meanwhile, are two teams in win-now mode that would be heartbroken by an early exit from October.