MLB postseason tracker: Orioles and Rays clinch playoff berth, who’s next and games to watch
There are still weeks left to go in the 2023 MLB regular season, but a few teams — mainly the red-hot Atlanta Braves — are already looking toward October.
The Braves became the first team to clinch a postseason berth and followed it up by securing the NL East title, and the Los Angeles Dodgers joined them by clinching the NL West. Soon after, the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays both secured spots in October. Meanwhile, clubs such as the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, are battling it out for the remaining wild-card spots.
Beyond division races, there are many storylines to watch as the regular season comes to an end and October begins.
Where do the current playoff matches stand? What games should you be paying attention to today? How can the Braves be the first team to clinch a postseason berth? And what does the playoff schedule look like? We have everything you need to know as the regular season winds down.
Key links: Full MLB standings | Wild-card standings | Best playoff races
Who is in?
Atlanta Braves
With a win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 10, the Braves became the first team to punch a ticket to this year’s playoffs — their sixth straight postseason berth. Atlanta followed it up by clinching the NL East crown with a victory in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers secured their 10th NL West crown in the past 11 seasons with a victory over the Mariners on Saturday night, making L.A. the second team to punch its ticket to this postseason.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles secured a playoff berth with a walk-off win in the 11th inning against the Rays on Sunday. After splitting the four-game series with Tampa Bay, Baltimore’s division title is no lock — the battle for the AL East could come down to the seasons final days.
Tampa Bay Rays
Despite Sunday’s loss, the Rays also locked up a spot in October with the Rangers’ loss to the Guardians.
What are this October’s MLB playoff matchups as it stands now?
American League
Wild-card round: (6) Rangers at (3) Twins, (5) Blue Jays at (4) Rays*
ALDS: Twins/Rangers vs. (2) Astros, Rays/Blue Jays vs. (1) Orioles*
National League
Wild-card round: (6) Cubs at (3) Brewers, (5) D-backs at (4) Phillies
NLDS: Brewers/Cubs vs. (2) Dodgers*, Phillies/D-backs vs. (1) Braves*
* — clinched playoff spot
Breaking down the AL race
Despite spending much of the season atop the AL East, the Rays find themselves the top wild-card team in the American League after the Orioles took sole possession of first place in the division in late July. Two other members of the AL East are still in playoff contention, although the Boston Red Sox‘s chances are slowly dwindling. The Toronto Blue Jays, on the other hand, are locked in a close battle for the final wild-card spots.
Their competition? A Texas Rangers team that, like the Rays, led the division for more than 100 days this season but now finds itself fighting for a postseason berth. And the Mariners, who usurped the Rangers atop the AL West but have now fallen behind the Houston Astros in the race for the division title, while the Minnesota Twins look to be a lock as the lone AL Central representative in October.
And what about when these teams get to the playoffs? Here’s what their chances are for every round of the playoffs:
Breaking down the NL race
The divisional races in the National League aren’t quite as close as the ones in the AL, as the Dodgers are on track to join the Braves in clinching a division title. The Milwaukee Brewers have long held first place in the NL Central, too.
Now, the wild-card race is where it gets exciting. While the Phillies have a strong hold on the first two wild-card spots, five teams — the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants — are within a few games of each other for the final spots. Miami and Cincinnati are the big surprises, as neither team was thought to be a playoff contender entering the season.
And what about when these teams get to the playoffs? Here’s what their chances are for every round of the playoffs:
Game of the day
Need something to watch today? Here’s the baseball game with the biggest playoff implications:
Playoff schedule
Wild-card series
Best of three, all games at better seed’s stadium
Game 1: Tuesday, Oct. 3
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 4
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 5*
Division series
Best of five
ALDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 7
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 8
Game 3: Tuesday Oct. 10
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 11*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 13*
NLDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 7
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 9
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 11
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 12*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 14*
League championship series
Best of seven
ALCS
Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 15
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 16
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 18
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 19
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 20*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 22*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 23*
NLCS
Game 1: Monday, Oct. 16
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 17
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 19
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 20
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 21*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 23*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 24*
World Series
Best of seven
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 27
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 28
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 30
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 31
Game 5: Wednesday, Nov. 1*
Game 6: Friday, Nov. 3*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 4*
* If necessary
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Maryland board approved a $14.3 million contract on Wednesday to begin the demolition and rebuilding of Baltimore’s storied but antiquated Pimlico Race Course, home to the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.
The vote by the three-member Board of Public Works, which includes Gov. Wes Moore, was made 10 days before the 150th Preakness Stakes, which is scheduled for May 17. It will be the last time the annual horse race will be held with the existing structures in place before the track is rebuilt on the same site. The demolition will begin shortly after this year’s race.
“There cannot be a better time to announce the beginning of a transformation that will allow Pimlico to become a year-round hub for economic activity within the Park Heights community,” Moore said of the Baltimore neighborhood and longtime home of the race.
Under the plan, the Preakness will take place in Laurel Park, located just southwest of Baltimore, in 2026 while the new facility is built, before returning to Pimlico in time for the 2027 race.
Craig Thompson, the chair of the Maryland Stadium Authority which is overseeing the design of the new track, said the plan is to make Pimlico the home of Maryland thoroughbred racing. The track will go from hosting about 15 races a year to well over 100, Thompson said.
“This is more than just about a racetrack, as historic and important as it is,” Thompson said. “This is about bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in state investments to Park Heights.”
Thompson also shared a preview of the design plans. They include a new clubhouse with architecture inspired by the Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore’s Druid Hill park and the original Pimlico Clubhouse, which included a colonnade and rooftop balconies, Thompson said.
Last year, the board approved a deal to transfer ownership of Pimlico from The Stronach Group to the State of Maryland in order to ensure the Preakness remains in Baltimore.
The state has been wrestling with what to do to restore the old racetrack for decades. Aptly nicknamed Old Hilltop, the track opened in 1870. It’s where Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat and many others pranced to the winner’s circle.
But its age has long been a concern. In 2019, the Maryland Jockey Club closed off nearly 7,000 grandstand seats, citing the “safety and security of all guests and employees.”
The horse racing industry and other equine industries have been a cornerstone of Maryland agriculture, as well as an integral part of preserving green space.
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