MLB Playoff Picture 2022: Updated Standings, Wild Card Seedings and Bracket Outlook
The race for the 2022 MLB playoffs is winding down, with just over two weeks remaining in the regular season.
This weekend's slate of games provided a bit more clarity, with some teams earning much-needed breathing room from the squads nipping at their heels.
Here's a look at the postseason picture as of Sept. 18, along with the latest standings and races worth watching.
Current Playoff Picture
American League
No. 1 seed: Houston Astros (96-51), first-round bye
No. 2 seed: New York Yankees (88-58), first-round bye
No. 3 seed: Cleveland Guardians (79-67) vs. No. 6 seed: Seattle Mariners (80-65)
No. 4 seed: Toronto Blue Jays (83-64) vs. No. 5 seed: Tampa Bay Rays (82-64)
National League
No. 1 seed: Los Angeles Dodgers (100-44), first-round bye
No. 2 seed: New York Mets (93-55), first-round bye
No. 3 seed: St. Louis Cardinals (87-61) vs. No. 6 seed: Philadelphia Phillies (80-66)
No. 4 seed: Atlanta Braves (91-55) vs. No. 5 seed: San Diego Padres (81-66)
Full Standings
AL East
AL Central
AL West
AL Wild Card
NL East
NL Central
NL West
NL Wild Card
Most of the division races are pretty much wrapped up, but the chase for the National League East crown is coming down to the wire, as the New York Mets try to hold off the Atlanta Braves.
New York is clinging to a one-game lead after winning four straight against the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend. Both teams have plenty of winnable matchups over the next 10 days: the Braves will face the last-place Washington Nationals in two three-game series, while the Mets have three games against the Oakland Athletics and two against the Miami Marlins.
All of that will culminate with New York and Atlanta meeting for a three-game set during the final weekend of the regular season from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. It can be expected that the division winner will be determined by that series, while the team that finishes in second place will settle for the top NL wild-card spot.
Looking ahead to the playoff bracket, the team that falls into the first wild-card spot will have a daunting road in the postseason. The Mets or Braves could face the fifth-seeded Phillies or Padres. The winner of that wild-card series would be rewarded with an NLDS matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who reached 100 wins faster than any other MLB team this season.
Over in the American League, there's still some shuffling happening among the wild-card teams. The Toronto Blue Jays overtook the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot after winning three out of five games between the two squads last week. The Seattle Mariners are hoping to improve their position as well, and they have a great opportunity to do so with no winning teams remaining on the schedule.
After Monday's series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, the Mariners will have matchups against the A's, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers. Seattle can jump Toronto or Tampa Bay—or both—with a strong finish.
It all makes for an exciting end to the regular season, as baseball fans will be watching closely hoping their teams get in when it's all said and done.
