The MLB postseason bracket is ready. All teams and top seeds are locked down, with all four Wild Card Series scheduled to kick off on Friday.
Fall is here and so are the MLB playoffs. The Atlanta Braves captured their only remaining division title with their 2-1 win over the Marlins, their fifth consecutive NL East crown, earning them a place in the first round. As the 2nd seed in the National League, they will face the winner of the Wild Card Series between the Cardinals and the 6th seeded Phillies. Atlanta won 4-3 against the Cardinals and 11-8 against the Phillies, rivals from this year’s division.
The flip side of the coin is the presence of the Mets in first place as Wild Cards in the National League. New York will host the No. seed. 5: Padres. San Diego and Philadelphia took the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively, on Tuesday night after the Padres beat the Giants and Phillies lost in Houston. The Padres won 4-2 against the Mets this year.
On the American League side, the Mariners’ win in Game 1 of their doubleheader and the Rays’ brief loss in Boston took Seattle, the No. 5 AL, and Tampa Bay, seed No. 6. The Mariners will travel to Toronto and the Guardians will host the Rays for the American League Wild Card Series.
The Mariners won 5-2 against the Blue Jays, while the Guardians won the season series with the Rays 4-2.
As a reminder: The new collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association expands the postseason pitch from 10 to 12 teams before the 2022 season. Both the American League and National League
they now have three wildcard spots (instead of two), with the top two seeds in each league receiving a first-round bye. The other teams will then pair up for a best Wild Card Series of three, where all three matches will be played at the home of the highest seed, with the winner advancing to the Division Series.