What is the Baltimore Orioles magic number? How the O's can clinch a postseason berth

The Baltimore Orioles went through many years of not being a competitive baseball team. The decision was made to rebuild and replenish the farm system in hopes of building a consistent playoff contender for years to come. It appears that time has finally come.

This season, the Orioles have been one of the biggest surprises in MLB. Not only are they in contention for a postseason berth, but they are also in first place in the AL East and in the running to earn the top seed to earn home-field advantage. It has been quite the season for the Orioles and the fanbase, as this team hasn't made the playoffs since 2016.

So, when can the team officially clinch their spot in the MLB postseason? We have that answer for you below.

What is the Baltimore Orioles magic number?

The Orioles cannot clinch a playoff berth on Tuesday, Sept. 12. However, they could be very close to doing so this week. Baltimore's magic number is currently at three to clinch a spot in the playoffs, according to MLB.com.

For those wondering what the magic number means, it's the combination of wins by them and losses by their closest competitor needed to clinch a playoff spot. With that, the Orioles would need two wins by them and one loss by their competitors, or one win themselves and two losses by their closest competitor, just as examples.

As for the AL East, the Orioles won't clinch that for quite some time. As of this writing, the Orioles have a magic number of 16 to clinch their first division title since 2014. The team has a 91-52 record as of Sept. 12. The Tampa Bay Rays, meanwhile, are three games behind them for first place in the division with an 89-56 record.

It appears to be an inevitability that the Orioles will be in the postseason, and it will be confirmed in the coming days.