The 2022 MLB season is winding down, and the playoff picture continues to grow clearer.
Through Sunday's action, most of the division races moved closer to being already decided, while it appears there are a couple that will come down to the wire.
With less than a month left in the regular season, the teams still hunting for a playoff spot will need a strong finish to turn their fortunes around.
Here's a look at the postseason picture as of Sept. 4, along with the latest standings.
Current Playoff Picture
American League
No. 1 seed: Houston Astros (86-48), first-round bye
No. 2 seed: New York Yankees (80-54), first-round bye
No. 3 seed: Cleveland Guardians (68-64) vs. No. 6 seed: Toronto Blue Jays (73-59)
No. 4 seed: Seattle Mariners (76-58) vs. No. 5 seed: Tampa Bay Rays (74-58)
National League
No. 1 seed: Los Angeles Dodgers (92-41), first-round bye
No. 2 seed: New York Mets (85-50), first-round bye
No. 3 seed: St. Louis Cardinals (79-55) vs. No. 6 seed: Philadelphia Phillies (73-61)
No. 4 seed: Atlanta Braves (84-51) vs. No. 5 seed: San Diego Padres (74-61)
Full Standings
AL East
- New York Yankees: 80-54
- Tampa Bay Rays: 74-58, 5.0 GB
- Toronto Blue Jays: 73-59, 6.0 GB
- Baltimore Orioles: 71-62, 8.5 GB
- Boston Red Sox: 67-68, 13.5 GB
AL Central
- Cleveland Guardians: 68-64*
- Minnesota Twins: 68-64*
- Chicago White Sox: 67-67, 2.0 GB
- Kansas City Royals: 55-80, 14.5 GB
- Detroit Tigers: 51-83, 18 GB
*Cleveland currently owns the tiebreaker, as it is 6-5 against Minnesota this season.
AL West
- Houston Astros: 86-48
- Seattle Mariners: 76-58, 10 GB
- Texas Rangers: 58-75, 27.5 GB
- Los Angeles Angels: 58-76, 28 GB
- Oakland Athletics: 50-85, 36.5 GB
NL East
- New York Mets: 85-50
- Atlanta Braves: 84-51, 1.0 GB
- Philadelphia Phillies: 73-61, 11.5 GB
- Miami Marlins: 55-78, 29.0 GB
- Washington Nationals: 47-87, 37.5 GB
NL Central
- St. Louis Cardinals: 79-55
- Milwaukee Brewers: 70-63, 8.5 GB
- Chicago Cubs: 56-78, 23.0 GB
- Cincinnati Reds: 53-79, 25.0 GB
- Pittsburgh Pirates: 49-84, 29.5 GB
NL West
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 92-41
- San Diego Padres: 74-61, 19.0 GB
- San Francisco Giants: 64-68, 27.5 GB
- Arizona Diamondbacks: 64-69, 28 GB
- Colorado Rockies: 57-78, 36 GB
When it comes to division races, the National League East and American League Central are providing the most intrigue in the home stretch of the season.
The New York Mets have led the NL East for much of the season, but back-to-back losses to the last-place Washington Nationals have them clinging to a one-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, who are on a five-game win streak.
The defending World Series champs are playing some of their best baseball at the perfect time, which is creating some increased pressure in New York. It wouldn't be a surprise if the division is decided in the penultimate series of the season when the Braves host the Mets from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.
The Cleveland Guardians once looked to be cruising to an AL Central title, but five straight losses this week allowed the Minnesota Twins to pull even. The Chicago White Sox are not too far behind, as well.
The Twins and Guardians will play a three-game series beginning Friday, which could go a long way toward deciding the division. Winning the AL Central would be a drastic change in fortune for Minnesota, which faces an uphill climb in the wild-card race and currently sits five games out of the final spot.
The New York Yankees are clinging to a five-game lead in the AL East after holding on to win Sunday's series finale over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees had lost six of their last seven games prior to Sunday's victory as their disappointing late-season performance continued.
New York has to hope to build some momentum, as it will welcome a hungry Minnesota squad for a four-game series beginning Monday. The Yankees were once believed to be the top contender in the AL, but that is clearly no longer the case.
That distinction belongs to the Houston Astros, who topped the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday for their fifth win in their last six games. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best record in the majors and are favored to represent the NL in the World Series.
In the wild-card races, the Philadelphia Phillies hold a 2.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL, while the Baltimore Orioles are 2.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final spot in the AL.
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September 02, 2022 at 11:17AM
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MLB Playoff Picture 2022: Complete AL, NL Standings, Bracket and Wild-Card Race - Bleacher Report
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