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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