As the final week of the 2024 MLB regular season draws to a close, a few teams are already looking ahead to October.

NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers clinched the season’s first playoff spot, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres all joining them. In the American League, the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians have clinched playoff spots, as have the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros.

In addition to the divisional matches, there are many more storylines to see as the regular season draws to a close.

What’s the current state of play in the playoffs? What games should you watch today? Which team will be the first to clinch a playoff spot? And what does the playoff bracket look like? We’ve got everything you need to know as the regular season draws to a close.

Important links: Full MLB Standings | Wildcard Standings | Predictions

Who’s joining?

Brewers from Milwaukee

The Brewers clinched their first playoff berth this season, as they secured the NL Central title for the third time in four seasons.

New York Yankees

The Yankees secured a playoff spot with a win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night and now sit comfortably atop the AL East.

Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians secured a spot in the playoffs with a win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday to capture the AL Central title.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers secured a spot in the playoffs with their 20-4 win over the Marlins and are moving closer to the NL West title.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies clinched their third straight playoff berth with a win over the Mets on Friday night. They clinched their first NL East title since 2011 with a win over the Cubs on Monday.

Houston Astros

The Astros defeated the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday to capture their fourth consecutive AL West division title.

Baltimore Orioles

With a win over the Yankees and the Minnesota Twins’ loss to the Miami Marlins, the Orioles secured a spot in the playoffs on Tuesday.

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres secured a spot in the playoffs with a decisive triple play against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Who can win next?

In the AL, the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers both have a magic number of six to reach the postseason. The Yankees’ magic number to win the AL East is one.

In the NL, the magic number for the Diamondbacks is four, and for the New York Mets it is five.

What are the October MLB Playoff Games?

American competition

Wildcard Round: (6) Tigers vs. (3) Astros*, (5) Royals vs. (4) Orioles*

ALDS: Tigers/Astros vs. (2) Guardians*, Royals/Orioles vs. (1) Yankees*

National League

Wild-card round: (6) D-backs at (3) Brewers*, (5) Mets at (4) Padres*

NLDS: D-backs/Brewers vs. (2) Phillies*, Mets/Padres vs. (1) Dodgers*

* — Playoff spot secured

Tiebreakers

If LA and Philadelphia finish in a tie, the Phillies would take first place due to their better head-to-head record against the Dodgers this season.

The head-to-head season series would determine who would take first place in the AL if Cleveland finished the season in a tie with the AL East champion for the league’s best record: Guardians over Orioles; Yankees over Guardians.

If the Yankees, Orioles and Guardians all finish with the same record, Baltimore would receive the top seed in the AL based on the three teams’ intradivision record.

If Baltimore and New York finish in a tie, the Orioles currently hold the lead in the AL East tiebreaker, as they lead the Yankees 6-4 in head-to-head season play with three games remaining.

If Atlanta and New York tie, the Mets currently hold the tiebreaker due to a better intradivision record, as the teams are tied at 5-5 in head-to-head season play (with three games remaining).

If Minnesota and Detroit tie, the Twins would hold the tiebreaker because they won the regular season series 7-6.

Analysis of the AL race

The Yankees have moved ahead of the Orioles (both teams have secured playoff spots) in a battle for the AL East crown, while the Guardians have secured both division titles. The Detroit Tigers have entered the fray and are locked in a neck-and-neck race with the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals for the league’s final playoff spots.

And what if these teams reach the postseason? Here are their odds for each round:

Analysis of the NL race

Four teams have moved to the top of the NL standings, with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks battling for the final playoff spots. The Brewers have secured the NL Central crown and the Phillies have sailed to a division title in the NL East. The Dodgers are trying to hold off the Padres in the NL West race, with both teams already clinching a postseason spot.

And what if these teams reach the postseason? Here are their odds for each round:

Game of the day

Looking for something to watch today? Here’s the baseball game with the biggest playoff implications:

Playoff Schedule

Wildcard series
Best of three, all matches in the Better Seed stadium

Game 1: Tuesday October 1st
Game 2: Wednesday October 2nd
Game 3: Thursday October 3*

Division series
Best of five

ALD’S
Game 1: Saturday October 5th
Game 2: Monday October 7th
Game 3: Wednesday October 9th
Game 4: Thursday October 10*
Game 5: Saturday October 12*

NLDS
Game 1: Saturday October 5th
Game 2: Sunday October 6th
Game 3: Tuesday October 8th
Game 4: Wednesday October 9*
Game 5: Friday October 11*

Series of competition championships
Best of seven

ALCS
Game 1: Monday October 14th
Game 2: Tuesday October 15th
Game 3: Thursday October 17th
Game 4: Friday October 18th
Game 5: Saturday October 19*
Game 6: Monday October 21*
Game 7: Tuesday October 22*

NLCS
Game 1: Sunday October 13th
Game 2: Monday October 14th
Game 3: Wednesday October 16th
Game 4: Thursday October 17th
Game 5: Friday October 18*
Game 6: Sunday October 20*
Game 7: Monday October 21*

World Series
Best of seven

Game 1: Friday October 25th
Game 2: Saturday October 26th
Game 3: Monday October 28th
Game 4: Tuesday October 29
Game 5: Wednesday October 30*
Game 6: Friday November 1st*
Game 7: Saturday November 2*

Note: If both LCSs end on October 19 (meaning neither series lasts longer than five games), the World Series begins on Tuesday, October 22.

* If necessary