MLB Projected Playoff Teams and Seeding - Through 9/18/20

Another day, another playoff berth clinched, as the Oakland Athletics secured their third playoff appearance in a row.  Last year, they were a Wild Card team, losing to the Rays in the Wild Card Game.  They also have a chance to be the first team to clinch a division title, as their magic number to do that is 2, so they will win the AL West if they win today and the Astros lose.

Next in line are the Twins, whose magic numbers is 1, so if they win or the Mariners lose, the Twins are in.  The Yankees' magic number is down to 2, so they could clinch a spot today if they win and the Mariners lose.  The Padres' magic number is also down to 2, so with a win and a Giants loss today, they can clinch their first playoff berth since 2006.

For a breakdown of the MLB playoff structure for this year and tiebreakers, click here.

Through the games played on September 18, here would be the playoff seeds if the season ended today.  For the magic numbers, I'm relying on the MLB Magic Numbers Twitter account.

Moved up:  
-New York Yankees (from #5 to #4 in AL)
-Philadelphia Phillies (from #8 to #7 in NL)
-St. Louis Cardinals (from out to #6 in NL)
-Tampa Bay Rays (from #2 to #1 in AL)

Moved down:  
-Chicago White Sox (from #1 to #2 in AL)
-Cincinnati Reds (from #6 to #8 in NL)
-Minnesota Twins (from #4 to #5 in AL)
-San Francisco Giants (from #7 in NL to out)

American League

1.  x-Tampa Bay Rays, 34-18 (.654) (1st in AL East)

--Magic Number (win division):  5

2.  x-Chicago White Sox, 33-18 (.647) (1st in AL Central)

--Magic Number (win division):  5
3.  y-Oakland Athletics, 32-19 (.627) (1st in AL West)
--Magic Numbers (win division):  2

4.  New York Yankees, 30-21 (.588) (2nd in AL East)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  13/2
5.  Minnesota Twins, 31-22 (.585) (2nd in AL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  12/1

6.  Houston Astros, 25-26 (.490) (2nd in AL West)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  17/6

7.  Cleveland Indians, 28-23 (.549) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  15/4
8.  Toronto Blue Jays, 26-25 (.510) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  17/6

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title

Teams eliminated from division title contention:  Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  None

National League

1.  y-Los Angeles Dodgers, 37-15 (.712) (1st in NL West)
--Magic Number (win division):  5

2.  Chicago Cubs, 31-20 (.608) (1st in NL Central) 
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  6/3

3.  Atlanta Braves, 30-21 (.588) (1st in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  7/5

4.  San Diego Padres, 33-19 (.635) (2nd in NL West)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  13/2

5.  Miami Marlins, 26-24 (.520) (2nd in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  14/9

6.  St. Louis Cardinals, 24-24 (.500) (2nd in NL Central) (hold tiebreaker over Reds via better intradivision winning percentage)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  17/10

7.  Philadelphia Phillies, 26-25 (.510) (WC1 - 3rd in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  14/9
8.  Cincinnati Reds, 26-26 (.500) (WC2 - 3rd in NL Central) (hold tiebreaker over Giants via better intradivision winning percentage)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  15/10

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title

Teams eliminated from division title contention:  Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  None