The playoff field for the 2023 Major League Baseball season is taking shape, though there's a bunch of jockeying still to be done in the upcoming weeks. As things stand, said jockeying won't be taking place atop the NL East or NL West. Those divisions aren't clinched just yet, but playing out the schedule is a mere formality, as the Braves and Dodgers, respectively, have essentially taken care of business in those divisions. The AL Central is far from over and the Twins cannot be trusted to handle their business, but they do have a big lead.
That leaves three divisions that look to be great races down the stretch. The Orioles hold a lead in the AL East, but the Rays are within striking distance. The Brewers have a lead over the Cubs and the Reds are also in range in the NL Central. And in the AL West, the surprising Rangers lead the defending champion Astros while the surging Mariners are now a serious threat.
The wild-card races are loaded, too, especially on the NL side. In the AL, the Rays are, for the time being, comfortably in, but then it's the Astros, Blue Jays and Mariners fighting for the last two spots while the Red Sox are in the mix. Over in the aforementioned NL race, the Phillies are on top, but it's not a huge margin. The Giants and Cubs are barely holding off the Diamondbacks, Marlins and Reds.
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.
2023 MLB playoff picture
American League
Byes
No. 1 Orioles and No. 2 RangersWild Card Series
No. 3 Twins vs. No. 6 MarinersNo. 4 Rays vs. No. 5 AstrosNational League
Byes
No. 1 Braves and No. 2 DodgersWild Card Series
No. 3 Brewers vs. No. 6 CubsNo. 4 Phillies vs. No. 5 Giants
