MLB Projected Playoff Teams and Seeding - Through 9/21/20

We have our first official division winner of the COVID-shortened 2020 season.  Thanks to the Astros' loss to the Mariners last night, the Oakland As clinched their first AL West title since 2013, when they lost to the Tigers in the ALDS.

Today, we could see several teams clinch playoff spots or division titles.

• The Indians' magic number for a playoff spot is 1, so they will clinch with either a win over the White Sox or a loss by the Mariners.
• The Rays' magic number to clinch the AL East title is 1, so they can win the division today with either a win or a Yankees loss.
• The Braves' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 2, so they can secure a berth with a win and losses by the Reds, Phillies, Brewers, and Giants.  There might be some of those teams that the Braves hold the tiebreaker over, such that the Braves can clinch without all four of the other teams losing, but I am not going to try to figure that out. And if I'm seeing things correctly, although the Braves' magic number to win the NL East is 3, I think they would clinch the division with a win over the Marlins today, based on tiebreakers over the Marlins.
• The Cubs' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is also 2, so they can also secure a berth with a win and losses by the Reds, Phillies, Brewers, and Giants.  As with the Braves, there might be some of those teams that the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over, such that the Cubs can clinch without all four of the other teams losing, but I am not going to try to figure that out.
• The Dodgers' magic number to win the NL West is 2, so they can clinch the division with a win over the As tonight, combined with a loss by the Padres.

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

Through the games played on September 21, 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.  Once specific seeds are clinched, I will put those in bold.

Moved up:  
-Cincinnati Reds (from #8 to #7 in NL)

Moved down:  
-Philadelphia Phillies (from #7 to #8 in NL)

American League

1.  y-Tampa Bay Rays, 36-19 (.655) (1st in AL East)

--Magic Number (win division):  1

2.  x-Chicago White Sox, 34-20 (.630) (1st in AL Central)
--Magic Number (win division):  4
3.  z-Oakland Athletics, 33-20 (.623) (1st in AL West)
4.  x-Minnesota Twins, 33-22 (.600) (2nd in AL Central)

--Magic Number (win division):  8

5.  x-New York Yankees, 31-23 (.574) (2nd in AL East)
--Magic Number (win division):  11
6.  Houston Astros, 27-27 (.500) (2nd in AL West)

--Magic Number (playoff spot):  3

7.  Cleveland Indians, 30-24 (.556) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  11/1
8.  Toronto Blue Jays, 28-26 (.519) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East)
--Magic Number (playoff spot):  3

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, Houston Astros, 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, 32-22 (.593) (1st in NL Central) (hold tiebreaker over Braves as of today because of better record in last 20 intradivision games)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  4/2

3.  Atlanta Braves, 32-22 (.593) (1st in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  3/2

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

5.  Miami Marlins, 28-26 (.519) (2nd in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  11/5

6.  St. Louis Cardinals, 26-25 (.510) (2nd in NL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  13/8

7.  Cincinnati Reds, 28-27 (.509) (WC1 - 3rd in NL Central)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  11/6

8.  Philadelphia Phillies, 27-27 (.500) (WC2 - 3rd in NL East)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  12/7

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