Entering the final week of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, playoff berths are still up for grabs with a pair of longtime postseason shoo-ins suddenly in danger of missing out.
The Cleveland Guardians trailed the Tigers by 11 games in the American League Central on Sept. 4, but reeled off a 10-game winning streak and enter Monday, Sept. 22 just one game back in the division as Detroit has lost nine of its last 10. In the National League, the New York Mets had held a postseason spot since early April, but lost two of three over the weekend against the lowly Washington Nationals, falling behind the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild-card spot.
Cleveland hosts Detroit for a three-game set beginning Tuesday at Progressive Field, with the Tigers needing a sweep to clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Guardians’ ascent also shook up the AL wild-card standings with the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros needing to fight them off as well.
Here’s a look at the latest standings and playoff picture:
Entering Monday, Sept. 22
MLB playoff bracket if season ended today
American League
Byes: Blue Jays, Mariners
AL wild card series
Guardians at Tigers
Red Sox at Yankees
National League
Byes: Brewers, Phillies
NL wild card series
Reds at Dodgers
Padres at Cubs
AL wild card standings
Top three reach playoffs
New York Yankees (88-68): +4 games
Boston Red Sox (85-71) + 1 game
Cleveland Guardians (84-72): holds head-to-head tiebreaker vs. Houston
Houston Astros (84-72)
Texas Rangers (79-77): 5.5 GB
Kansas City Royals (78-78): 6.5 GB
NL wild card standings
Top three reach playoffs
Chicago Cubs (88-68): +8 games // clinched postseason berth
San Diego Padres (85-71): +5 games
Cincinnati Reds (80-76): holds head-to-head tiebreaker vs. Mets
New York Mets (80–76)
Arizona Diamondbacks (79-77): 1 GB
San Francisco Giants (77-79): 3 GB
St. Louis Cardinals (76-80): 4 GB
Miami Marlins (76-80): 4 GB
AL East
Toronto Blue Jays (90-66) – clinched postseason berth
New York Yankees (88-68): 2 games back
Boston Red Sox (85-71): 5 GB
AL Central
Detroit Tigers (85-71)
Cleveland Guardians (84-72): 1 GB
AL West
Seattle Mariners (87-69)
Houston Astros (84-72): 3 GB
Texas Rangers (79-77): 8 GB
NL East
Philadelphia Phillies (92-64) – clinched NL East title
New York Mets (80-76)
NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers (95-61) – clinched NL Central title
Chicago Cubs (88-68)
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers (88-68) – clinched postseason berth
San Diego Padres (85-71): 3 GB
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