2023 MLB playoff picture: Bracket, standings, magic numbers, tiebreakers for baseball postseason

Only four spots remain open in Major League Baseball’s 2023 playoff field. The Miami Marlins clinched their playoff spot on Saturday night with a win against the Pirates and are the eighth team to qualify for the 2023 postseason. The Marlins might not be the only team with a champagne celebration on Saturday, either. The Rangers, Astros, Diamondbacks and Blue Jays all also have a chance to clinch on Saturday night and round out the playoff field. The Cubs, Reds and Mariners might be eliminated from the playoff picture in the coming hours.

The Rangers need just one more win this weekend against the Mariners to secure a playoff berth and two to capture the AL West title. The Astros are facing the Diamondbacks in a series that could see both teams clinch playoff spots. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, failed to clinch a wild-card spot against the AL East-rival Rays in the afternoon, but could still get into the playoffs if the Mariners lose on Saturday night.

Seven teams (Braves, Dodgers, Orioles, Rays, Twins, Brewers and Phillies) had their playoff spots secured for five days or longer. The top four seeds are locked in place in the National League: No. 1 Braves, No. 2 Dodgers, No. 3 Brewers and No. 4 Phillies. The Braves and Dodgers have byes to the NLCS, while the Brewers and Phillies will host Wild Card Series next week. The Marlins could either be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NL.

Three seeds are clinched in the American League: No. 1 Orioles, No. 3 Twins and No. 4 Rays. The Rangers will get the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye if they can secure the AL West.

The 2023 MLB playoff picture is also notable for who is not in it. The Padres, Yankees, Mets and Cardinals — all playoff teams in 2022 and expected contenders in 2023 — have had disappointing years that will likely end with the regular season. The Angels saw their playoff hopes dashed in a dismal August, culminating in finally shutting Shohei Ohtani for the season.

As a reminder, MLB now uses a 12-team playoff format with the three division winners and three wild card teams in both leagues qualifying for the postseason. The two division winners with the best records in each league get byes to the League Division Series round, while the other eight teams square off in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.

Who’s clinched?

Braves: Clinched NL East, home-field advantage throughout playoffs
Dodgers: Clinched NL West
Twins: Clinched AL Central
Orioles: Clinched AL East, home-field advantage through ALCS
Rays: Clinched AL wild-card spot
Brewers: Clinched NL Central
Phillies: Clinched NL wild-card spot
Marlins: Clinched NL wild-card spot

Magic numbers

Rangers’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth: 1
Blue Jays’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth: 1
Astros’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth: 1
Diamondbacks’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth: 1
Rangers’ magic number to clinch the AL West: 2

Tiebreakers

Here’s a look at key tiebreakers that could come into play to determine playoff spots and seeding. MLB uses head-to-head record as the top tiebreaker among teams that finish with the same record.

AL West
Astros own tiebreaker over Rangers
Mariners own tiebreaker over Astros
Rangers own tiebreaker over Mariners

AL wild card
Rangers own tiebreaker over Mariners and Blue Jays
Mariners own tiebreaker over Blue Jays

NL wild card
Marlins own tiebreaker over Diamondbacks, Cubs, Reds
Diamondbacks own tiebreaker over Cubs
Reds own tiebreaker over Cubs, Diamondbacks

Here’s a look at the MLB standings and playoff picture for the 12-team postseason as of this morning. All division and postseason odds are courtesy of SportsLine, and you can check out the expanded standings here.