MLB Playoff Picture 2024: Yankees, Dodgers Can Clinch Spots in Bracket on Wednesday
September 18, 2024
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are among five teams that can clinch a berth in the 2024 MLB postseason on Wednesday.
New York has the easiest path to a playoff spot, needing just a win over the Seattle Mariners to punch a ticket. The Dodgers need a victory over the Miami Marlins, plus losses by the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets.
Other teams that could clinch a spot in the postseason as early as Wednesday include the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers.
MLB @MLBPotential Wednesday <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Postseason?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Postseason</a> clinch scenarios:<a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Yankees</a>: clinch Postseason berth w/ win at SEA<a href="https://twitter.com/CleGuardians?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CleGuardians</a>: clinch Postseason berth w/ win vs. MIN, AND a loss by DET at KC, AND a loss by SEA vs. NYY<a href="https://twitter.com/Brewers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Brewers</a>: clinch NL Central w/ win vs. PHI OR a CHC loss vs. A's.… <a href="https://t.co/xiko4Cqo3k">pic.twitter.com/xiko4Cqo3k</a>
The Brewers will almost certainly be the first team to clinch a division title.
They have the largest division lead in MLB at 10 games over the Chicago Cubs. They can win the NL Central on Wednesday with a win over the Phillies or a Cubs loss to the Oakland Athletics.
Philadelphia is the only other team in the league with a division lead of more than five games. The Phillies have an eight-game advantage over the surging New York Mets. Their magic number for the NL East is down to four, so they could have that wrapped up as soon as Thursday.
There doesn't appear to be much drama around the division races. The Guardians and Houston Astros both lead their division by five games.
Even though the Yankees' lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East is only at four, the O's have been trending in the wrong direction for awhile now. They have lost eight of their last 11 games and June was their last month with a winning record (17-12).
The Orioles are 31-34 since July 1 and have lost six games in the division standings. They do have one more chance to make a run for the AL East with a three-game series in the Bronx against the Yankees from Sept. 24-26.
Baltimore currently leads the season series 6-4 and could clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker with one more victory. In that scenario, the Orioles would win the division if the two teams finish the regular season with the same record.
Since falling into a tie with the Kansas City Royals for the top spot in the AL Central on Aug. 27, the Guardians have won 11 of their last 18 games to open up a five-game lead in the division.
The Guardians and Yankees are looking to return to the playoffs after missing out in 2023. The Dodgers, Phillies and Brewers are on the verge of making a return trip after playing in October last year.