2023 MLB Playoffs Image, Baseball Standings, Postseason Projections, Tiebreakers, Magic Numbers

The 2023 Major League Baseball playoffs begin in two weeks, but much remains to be determined in the MLB playoff picture. Four teams have secured postseason berths so far. The Orioles and Rays joined the NL East-winning Braves and NL-West winning Dodgers on Sunday as 2023 playoff teams. The Twins and Brewers are closing in on division titles in the AL and NL Central, respectively, but the wild-card races in both leagues it looks like they will come down to the wire.

In the hunt for the American League wild cards, three teams are fighting for two spots. The Rays have a huge lead at No. 4 in the AL and will host the Wild Card Series if they can’t catch the Orioles in the AL East. The Astros are trying to fend off the Rangers and Mariners in the division, and the Blue Jays are battling those three AL West clubs for the final two wild card spots.

In the National League, the Diamondbacks and Marlins both had weekend sweeps that helped them move up in the standings. The Phillies are hanging on to the No. 4 spot in the NL, but their spot isn’t guaranteed. Also in the mix are the Cubs (who swept the D-backs over the weekend), Reds and Giants.

The 2023 MLB playoff picture is also notable for who isn’t in it. The Yankees, Mets, Padres and Cardinals — all playoff teams in 2022 and expected contenders in 2023 — have had years of disappointment that end the regular season. The Angels saw their playoff hopes fade away in a dismal August. The Halos dropped out of the race in August and finally closed Shohei Ohtani for the season over the weekend.

As a reminder, MLB now uses a 12-team playoff format with three division winners and three wild-card teams in both leagues qualifying for the postseason. The top two division winners in each league receive a bye in the League Division Series, while the other eight teams compete in the best-of-three Wild Card Series.

Table of Contents

Who secured it?

Brave: Secured NL East
Dodgers: Secured NL West
Orioles: AL playoff spot secured
Beams: AL playoff spot secured

Magic numbers

The Twins’ magic number to win the AL Central: 5
The brewery’s magic number to get the NL Central: 7

Draw

Here’s a look at the key tiebreakers that could come into play in determining playoff spots and seeding. MLB uses the best tie between teams that finish with the same record.

AL east
The Orioles own the tiebreaker over the Rays

AL West
The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers
The Mariners own the tiebreaker over the Astros
The Rangers own the tiebreaker over the Mariners

AL wild card
The Rangers own the tiebreaker over the Mariners and Blue Jays
The Mariners own the tiebreaker over the Blue Jays

NL wild card
Phillies own tiebreaker over Reds, Cubs, Diamondbacks
Marlins own tiebreaker over Phillies, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Reds
Giants own tiebreaker over Phillies, Marlins, Reds, Diamondbacks
The Cubs own the tiebreaker over the Giants
The Diamondbacks own the tiebreaker over the Cubs
Reds own tiebreaker over Cubs, Diamondbacks

Here’s a look at MLB standings and picture of the 12-team postseason playoffs as of this morning. All divisions and postseason odds are Courtesy of SportsLine, and you can see the extended ranking here.