The Dodgers have run away with the NL West and clinched MLB’s best record. The Astros have clinched the top seed in the American League.
But postseason spots and seedings remain open. Front and center is the race for the NL East, with the Braves and Mets jockeying for first place in the final three days of the season.
The final NL wild-card spot is up for grabs as the Brewers try to catch the Phillies. And there’s still some shuffling that could happen in the AL wild-card race between the Blue Jays, Mariners and Rays.
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This year, six teams in each league will make the playoffs, three division winners and three wild cards. The top two division winners in each league are given first-round byes to the League Division Series. Barring any major slumps or runs the rest of the way, it will be the East and West division winners in each league getting the free passes.
The Sporting News is tracking the MLB standings as the season wraps up. Here’s all you need to know heading into the final stretch of the campaign.
MLB standings 2022
American League playoff bracket
Standings updated after games of Oct. 5
American League wild-card standings
WC1: Blue Jays, 92-69 (. 568) WC2: Mariners, 90-72 (. 556) WC3: Rays, 86-76 (. 531)
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Orioles, 83-79 (. 512), ELIMINATED White Sox, 81-81 (. 500), ELIMINATED Red Sox, 78-84 (. 481), ELIMINATED Twins, 78-84 (. 481), ELIMINATED Angels, 73-89 (. 451), ELIMINATED Rangers, 68-94 (. 420), ELIMINATED Tigers, 66-96 (. 407), ELIMINATED Royals, 65-97 (. 401), ELIMINATED Athletics, 60-102 (. 370), ELIMINATED
National League playoff bracket
Standings updated after games of Oct. 5
National League wild-card standings
WC1: Mets, 101-61 (. 623) WC2: Padres, 89-73 (. 549) WC3: Phillies, 87-75 (. 537)
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Brewers, 86-76 (. 531), ELIMINATED Giants, 81-81 (. 500), ELIMINATED Diamondbacks, 74-88 (. 457), ELIMINATED Cubs, 74-88 (. 457), ELIMINATED Marlins, 69-93 (. 426), ELIMINATED Rockies, 68-94 (. 420), ELIMINATED Reds, 62-100 (. 383), ELIMINATED Pirates, 62-100 (. 383), ELIMINATED Nationals, 55-107 (. 340), ELIMINATED
- Indicates clinched postseason berth
** Indicates clinched division
*** Indicates clinched No. 1 seed in league
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MLB magic numbers for 2022
As the season starts to wind down, these are always the numbers everyone wants to know. How many more games will it take for teams to clinch postseason positions?
The math behind magic numbers isn’t complicated. It’s subtracting one team’s wins and the losses of a trailing team from 163. So, for example, if a team leading the division has 90 wins and a team trailing them in the standings has 63 losses, the magic number would be 10.
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Keep those calculators away. The Sporting News has the latest magic numbers for teams trailing in the division race and the wild card rounds. Info comes from MLB.com.
Updated after end of games on Oct. 5
AL East
Yankees, CLINCHED DIVISION Blue Jays, x/x Rays, x/x Orioles, x/x Red Sox, x/x
AL Central
Guardians, CLINCHED DIVISION White Sox, x/x Twins, x/x Tigers, x/x Royals, x/x
AL West
Astros, CLINCHED DIVISION Mariners, x/x Angels, x/x Rangers, x/x Athletics, x/x
AL wild card
Blue Jays, CLINCHED WILD CARD Mariners, CLINCHED WILD CARD Rays, CLINCHED WILD CARD Orioles, x/x White Sox, x/x Twins, x/x Red Sox, x/x Angels, x/x Rangers, x/x Tigers, x/x Royals, x/x Athletics, x/x
NL East
Braves, CLINCHED DIVISION Mets, x/x Phillies, x/x Marlins, x/x Nationals, x/x
NL Central
Cardinals, CLINCHED DIVISION Brewers, x/x Cubs, x/x Reds, x/x Pirates, x/x
NL West
Dodgers, CLINCHED DIVISION Padres, x/x Giants, x/x Diamondbacks, x/x Rockies, x/x
NL wild card
Braves, CLINCHED WILD CARD Padres, CLINCHED WILD CARD Phillies, CLINCHED WILD CARD Brewers, x/x Giants, x/x Diamondbacks, x/x Cubs, x/x Rockies, x/x Marlins, x/x Reds, x/x Pirates, x/x Nationals, x/x
