The final day of Major League Baseball’s 2024 regular season has arrived… maybe. Sunday was slated to be the final day of action for the 2024 regular season, but there is only one playoff race left undecided, and it could need an extra day to sort things out. Ten teams have clinched spots in the 12-team playoff field. Two spots remain up for grabs in the NL wild-card race, and three teams — the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks — are trying to clinch them. The race just might not be finished by Sunday night.
The Braves and Mets are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Monday after the final two games of their pivotal series were rained out by Hurricane Helene. The two NL East rivals head into Sunday in playoff position. The Mets and D-backs are tied for the sixth and final NL wild-card spot, but the Mets hold the tiebreaker between the two clubs. The Braves are a game ahead of both teams and if they win Sunday against the Royals, they’re back in the postseason. It remains a possibility that the Braves and Mets could both clinch on Sunday (if the Mets win and the D-Backs lose) and Monday’s games would not be necessary to be played.
The NL wild-card races figures to provide most of Sunday’s drama. Eight of the teams who have clinched are locked into their seeds. The Yankees have the No. 1 seed in the American League, while the Dodgers claimed the National League’s top seed and home-field advantage through the entire postseason. The Guardians and Phillies will both have first-round byes. The Astros and Brewers both won their divisions and will host Wild Card Series this week as No. 3 seeds. The Orioles and Padres have locked up the No. 4 seeds in the AL and NL, respectively.
The only seeds that could change on Sunday (or Monday) are the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds. The Royals could leap the Tigers for the No. 5 seed in the American League if Kansas City wins and Detroit loses on Sunday.
By way of reminder, MLB now grants 12 playoff berths — a total of six to the division winners and then three wild-card berths in each league. The top two division winners in each league as measured by overall record are rewarded with first-round byes, which means they won’t have to play in the best-of-three Wild Card Series that functions as that first round.
Now let’s get you caught up on the bracket, standings and more. All division and postseason projections referenced in the standings come from SportsLine.
2024 MLB playoff picture
If the season ended today…
American League
Byes: No. 1 Yankees, No. 2 Guardians
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Astros vs. No. 6 Royals, No. 4 Orioles vs. No. 5 Tigers
National League
Byes: No. 1 Dodgers, No. 2 Phillies
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Brewers vs. No. 6 Mets, No. 4 Padres vs. No. 5 Braves
Who’s clinched?
- The Yankees clinched the AL East and the No. 1 seed in the American League
- The Dodgers clinched the NL West, the No. 1 seed in the National League and home-field advantage throughout the postseason
- The Guardians clinched the AL Central and a first-round bye
- The Phillies clinched the NL East and a first-round bye
- The Brewers clinched the NL Central
- The Astros clinched the AL West
- The Tigers have clinched an AL playoff spot
- The Royals have clinched an AL playoff spot
- The Orioles have clinched an AL playoff spot
- The Padres have clinched an NL playoff spot
MLB magic numbers
(Entering Sunday, Sept. 29)
- NL playoff spots: Braves — 1, Mets — 2
Notable tiebreakers
(Note: Two-team MLB tiebreakers are determined by head-to-head record. If teams have the same head-to-head record, intradivision record is used.)
- The Braves currently hold the tiebreaker against the Mets
- The Mets and Braves have clinched the tiebreaker against the D-backs
- The Royals have clinched the tiebreaker against the Tigers
American League standings
| N.Y. Yankees – x | 93 | 68 | — | 100.0% | 100% |
| Baltimore – y | 90 | 71 | 3.0 | 0.0% | 100% |
| Tampa Bay – e | 80 | 81 | 13.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Boston – e | 80 | 81 | 13.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Toronto – e | 74 | 87 | 19.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Cleveland – x | 92 | 69 | — | 100% | 100% |
| Detroit – y | 86 | 75 | 6.0 | 0.0% | 100% |
| Kansas City – y | 85 | 76 | 7.0 | 0.0% | 100% |
| Minnesota – e | 82 | 79 | 10.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Chi. White Sox – e | 40 | 121 | 52.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
National League standings
| Philadelphia – x | 94 | 67 | — | 100% | 100% |
| Atlanta | 88 | 71 | 5.0 | 0.0% | 95.2% |
| N.Y. Mets | 87 | 72 | 6.0 | 0.0% | 64.7% |
| Washington – e | 71 | 90 | 23.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Miami – e | 61 | 100 | 33.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Milwaukee – x | 93 | 68 | — | 100% | 100% |
| Chi. Cubs – e | 83 | 78 | 10.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| St. Louis – e | 82 | 79 | 11.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pittsburgh – e | 76 | 85 | 17.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Cincinnati – e | 76 | 85 | 17.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Clinched division – x
Clinched wild-card – y
Clinched playoff berth – z
Eliminated – e
MLB wild-card standings
| AL wild card | W | L | WCGB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore – y | 90 | 71 | +5.0 |
| Detroit – y | 86 | 75 | +1.0 |
| Kansas City – y | 85 | 76 | — |
| Seattle – e | 84 | 77 | 1.0 |
| NL wild card | W | L | WCGB |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego – y | 93 | 68 | +4.0 |
| Atlanta | 88 | 71 | +1.0 |
| N.Y. Mets | 87 | 72 | — |
| Arizona | 88 | 73 | — |
2024 World Series odds
- Dodgers: +340
- Phillies: +400
- Yankees: +450
- Astros: +700
- Padres: +850
- Guardians: +1100
- Orioles: +1200
- Braves: +2000
- Brewers: +2200
- Mets: +2500
- Diamondbacks: +2500
- Tigers: +3000
- Royals: +3000
- Twins: +5000
