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

With only a week of the regular season left, the MLB playoff picture is becoming slightly clearer, which is to say, still pretty murky.

The Padres, Twins, and Yankees all clinched playoff spots.  It's the Padres' first playoff berth since 2006, when they lost to to the eventual World Series champion Cardinals in the NLDS.  The Twins are making their second consecutive playoff appearance.  They were swept by the Yankees in the ALDS last year, extending their MLB record for the longest playoff losing streak to 16 games.  Yes, you read that right.  The Twins have lost 16 playoff games in a row.  Their last playoff win was a 2-0 win over the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS.  Speaking of the Yankees, they'll be playing in their fourth consecutive playoffs.  They lost to the Astros in the ALCS last year, making the 2010s the first decade since the 1910s that the Yankees failed to advance to the World Series.

Next in line are the Indians, whose magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 2.  They can clinch a spot today if they win and the Mariners lose.  Also, the As' magic number is down to 1, and while they are idle today, they can clinch the AL West if the Astros lose.  The Dodgers's magic number to clinch the NL West is down to 2, but neither they nor the second place Padres play today, so their magic number will remain the same for at least another day.

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

Through the games played on September 20, 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:  
-Minnesota Twins (from #5 to #4 in AL)

Moved down:  
-New York Yankees (from #4 to #5 in AL)

American League

1.  y-Tampa Bay Rays, 35-19 (.648) (1st in AL East)

--Magic Number (win division):  3

2.  x-Chicago White Sox, 34-19 (.642) (1st in AL Central)
--Magic Number (win division):  4
3.  y-Oakland Athletics, 33-20 (.623) (1st in AL West)
--Magic Numbers (win division):  1

4.  x-Minnesota Twins, 33-22 (.600) (2nd in AL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division):  9

5.  x-New York Yankees, 31-22 (.585) (2nd in AL East)

--Magic Numbers (win division):  11
6.  Houston Astros, 27-26 (.509) (2nd in AL West)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  14/3

7.  Cleveland Indians, 29-24 (.547) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  13/2
8.  Toronto Blue Jays, 27-26 (.509) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East)
--Magic Numbers (playoff spot):  4

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, Toronto Blue Jays

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers

National League

1.  y-Los Angeles Dodgers, 38-16 (.704) (1st in NL West)
--Magic Number (win division):  2

2.  Chicago Cubs, 31-22 (.585) (1st in NL Central) 
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  6/4

3.  Atlanta Braves, 31-22 (.585) (1st in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  5/4

4.  x-San Diego Padres, 34-20 (.630) (2nd in NL West)
--Magic Numbers (win division):  11

5.  Miami Marlins, 28-25 (.528) (2nd in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  11/6

6.  St. Louis Cardinals, 26-24 (.520) (2nd in NL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  13/9

7.  Philadelphia Phillies, 27-26 (.509) (WC1 - 3rd in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  12/8
8.  Cincinnati Reds, 27-27 (.500) (WC2 - 3rd in NL Central) (hold tiebreaker over Giants via better intradivision winning percentage)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  12/8

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, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates