MLB Playoff Picture 2022: Updated Wild Card Standings, Full Bracket for AL and NL | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Sarah Rodriguez With just over a week left in the regular season, time is winding down for teams to punch their tickets to the 2022 MLB playoffs.
A couple of more berths were clinched this past week, but seven of the 12 playoff spots remain up for grabs.
Here's a look at how the playoff bracket is taking shape as of Sept. 25, along with the latest standings and races worth keeping an eye on.
Current Playoff Bracket
American League
No. 1 seed: Houston Astros (101-53), first-round bye
No. 2 seed: New York Yankees (94-58), first-round bye
No. 3 seed: Cleveland Guardians (86-67) vs. No. 6 seed: Seattle Mariners (83-69)
No. 4 seed: Toronto Blue Jays (86-67) vs. No. 5 seed: Tampa Bay Rays (84-69)
National League
No. 1 seed: Los Angeles Dodgers (106-47), first-round bye
No. 2 seed: New York Mets (97-57), first-round bye
No. 3 seed: St. Louis Cardinals (89-65) vs. No. 6 seed: Philadelphia Phillies (83-69)
No. 4 seed: Atlanta Braves (95-58) vs. No. 5 seed: San Diego Padres (85-68)
Full Standings
- New York Yankees: 94-58 - clinched playoff berth
- Toronto Blue Jays: 86-67, 8.5 GB
- Tampa Bay Rays: 84-69, 10.5 GB
- Baltimore Orioles: 79-73, 15.0 GB
- Boston Red Sox: 72-80, 22.0 GB
AL Central
- Cleveland Guardians: 86-67 - clinched AL Central
- Chicago White Sox: 76-77, 10.0 GB
- Minnesota Twins: 74-79, 12.0 GB
- Kansas City Royals: 63-90, 23.0 GB - eliminated
- Detroit Tigers: 60-92, 25.5 GB - eliminated
- Houston Astros: 101-53 - clinched AL West
- Seattle Mariners: 83-69, 17.0 GB
- Los Angeles Angels: 67-86, 33.5 GB - eliminated
- Texas Rangers: 65-87, 35.0 GB - eliminated
- Oakland Athletics: 56-97, 44.5 GB - eliminated
AL Wild Card
- Toronto Blue Jays: 86-67
- Tampa Bay Rays: 84-69
- Seattle Mariners: 83-69
- Baltimore Orioles: 79-73, 4.0 GB
- Chicago White Sox: 76-77, 7.5 GB
- New York Mets: 97-57 - clinched playoff berth
- Atlanta Braves: 95-58, 1.5 GB - clinched playoff berth
- Philadelphia Phillies: 83-69, 13.0 GB
- Miami Marlins: 63-90, 33.5 GB - eliminated
- Washington Nationals: 53-99, 43 GB - eliminated
NL Central
- St. Louis Cardinals: 89-65
- Milwaukee Brewers: 82-71, 6.5 GB
- Chicago Cubs: 67-86, 21.5 GB - eliminated
- Cincinnati Reds: 60-93, 28.5 GB - eliminated
- Pittsburgh Pirates: 56-97, 32.5 GB - eliminated
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 106-47 - clinched NL West
- San Diego Padres: 85-68, 21.0 GB
- San Francisco Giants: 75-78 31.0 GB
- Arizona Diamondbacks: 71-83, 35.5 GB - eliminated
- Colorado Rockies: 65-88, 41.0 GB - eliminated
NL Wild Card
- Atlanta Braves: 95-58 - clinched playoff berth
- San Diego Padres: 85-68
- Philadelphia Phillies: 83-69
- Milwaukee Brewers: 82-71, 1.5 GB
- San Francisco Giants: 75-78, 8.5 GB
The wild-card races are worth watching as the end of the regular season approaches.
In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners are all jockeying for position. Toronto and Tampa Bay split a four-game series this weekend, so there wasn't much separation at the top of the wild-card standings.
The most intriguing team is Seattle, which has a smooth finish to the schedule. The Mariners' final three series will be against the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers, all of whom are near the bottom of the AL standings.
A strong finish to the season could allow Seattle to jump Toronto or Tampa Bay and avoid a first-round playoff matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, who wrapped up an AL Central title on Sunday. B/R's Zachary D. Rymer recently predicted the Mariners will finish ahead of both the Blue Jays and Rays.
Over in the National League, the Atlanta Braves have already clinched one of the spots, while the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies are still hoping to hold their positions. Both teams are facing a challenge from a surging Milwaukee Brewers team, which is just 1.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.
After a two-game set against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers will take on the lowly Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks to close out their season. If the Phillies or Padres stumble near the finish line, they might find themselves on the outside of the postseason picture.
As for the Braves, they will have the chance to change their entire postseason outlook. Atlanta sits 1.5 games behind the New York Mets for the lead in the NL East, and the two teams will meet next weekend for a three-game series that is likely to decide the division winner.
An NL East title would not only clinch a first-round bye for the Mets or Braves, but it would also help either team avoid a potential NLDS matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the favorites to represent the NL in the World Series.
Baseball fans will surely be entertained by the exciting end to the regular season as teams continue to fight for their spot in the playoffs.
