Entering play Wednesday, here’s where every contending team stands with five days remaining in the regular season.
Who’s in?
Tickets already punched:
Brewers,
Phillies,
Cubs,
Dodgers,
Blue Jays,
Padres,
Yankees,
Mariners
It was a buy-one-get-one-free Champagne celebration on Tuesday, as the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners punched their tickets to October. Coincidentally, the wins came in comeback fashion, with the Yankees walking off the Chicago White Sox, and the Mariners completing a late three-run rally of their own against the Rockies.
Party on 🍾 #SeizeTheMoment pic.twitter.com/YGSkM14IfZ
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 24, 2025
Who’s next?
On the brink of clinching a playoff spot:
Red Sox
After making short work of the Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox have inched one step closer to October. They’ve decreased their magic number to three. Seattle could also find itself popping bottles once more, as its magic number to clinch the AL West is down to one after the Houston Astros lost to the A’s on Tuesday night.
Who’s locked in a race?
In control of their destiny:
Guardians,
Tigers,
Mets
In one of the best games of the season, the Guardians topped Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers to claim first place in the AL Central via tiebreaker. Neither team is in position to take the division yet, but the remainder of the two-game set will almost certainly determine the AL playoff field.
After a win against the Chicago Cubs and a Cincinnati Reds loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the New York Mets are back in possession of an NL Wild Card spot. New York now has a one-game lead over Arizona and Cincinnati, the latter of which it does not hold the tiebreaker over.
In need of help:
Diamondbacks,
Astros,
Reds
The Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks are one game out of the NL Wild Card, with both teams hoping the Mets continue their second-half collapse. Houston will need miracles to make the postseason now that the Mariners have clinched a spot and are near ending the Astros’ run in the AL West.
If the playoffs started today
American League
Toronto and Seattle would receive first-round byes after finishing as the AL’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds. Toronto would also have home-field advantage through the ALCS for finishing with the best record in the AL.
AL Wild Card Series: No. 6 Tigers at No. 3 Guardians; No. 5 Red Sox at No. 4 Yankees
ALDS: Yankees/Red Sox at Blue Jays; Tigers/Guardians at Mariners
National League
The Brewers and Phillies would enter as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, receiving first-round byes. Should the Brewers make it to the World Series, they’d maintain home-field advantage due to finishing the season with the sport’s best record.
NL Wild Card Series: No. 6 Mets at No. 3 Dodgers; No. 5 Padres at No. 4 Cubs
NLDS: Dodgers/Mets at Phillies, Cubs/Padres at Brewers
What to watch Wednesday
Tigers at Guardians: Cleveland took Game 1, but the series is far from over. Jack Flaherty and Tanner Bibee will toe the slab for their respective teams.
Pirates at Reds: Now on the outside looking in, the Reds will try to regain footing with Hunter Greene set to face Paul Skenes.
Red Sox at Blue Jays: Boston will look to decrease its magic number while Toronto will try to keep possession of the AL East, a division it has a slim one-game lead over the Yankees in.
Mets at Cubs: Beyond needing to win to stay alive, Juan Soto is four steals away from a 40/40 season, making this game one worth watching.
Dodgers at Diamondbacks: Los Angeles is trying to put the NL West away for good, but its bullpen is doing its damndest to hold it back.
Rockies at Mariners: The Mariners could clinch the AL West with a win. Oh, and Cal Raleigh is inching ever closer to a 60-homer season.
(Photo of Mariners celebrating: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
