MLB Playoffs 2024: Updated Playoff Picture and World Series Predictions

Ten of the 12 teams are locked into the Major League Baseball postseason.

The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals secured playoff spots on Friday night to finalize the American League field.

The National League wild-card race will go down to the final games of the regular season. The New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks are level going into Saturday.

The top teams in each league are gearing up for the week-long break that comes with the top two seeds.

However, a first-round bye does not guarantee a spot in the World Series. Three of the four World Series participants in the last two years began the postseason in the wild-card round.

Division Winners

1. New York Yankees (93-67)

2. Cleveland (92-68)

3. Houston (87-73)

Wild-Card Teams

1. Baltimore (89-71)

2. Detroit (86-74)

3. Kansas City (85-75)

The AL playoff field was set on Friday night by way of the Detroit Tigers win over the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Minnesota's loss eliminated itself from the playoff race and allowed the Kansas City Royals to clinch the third wild-card spot despite losing to the Atlanta Braves.

The Tigers have the edge to secure the No. 5 seed and a trip to Baltimore because they play two more games against the White Sox.

Kansas City sits in a tougher spot because Atlanta is still playing for its playoff life in the NL wild-card race.

The New York Yankees reside in a similar situation in the hunt for home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason.

New York is at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday and Sunday, while the Guardians host the Houston Astros. Both teams lost on Friday. A Yankees win and Guardians loss on Saturday would lock up home field for the AL East champion.

Division Winners

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (96-64)

2. Philadelphia (94-66)

3. Milwaukee (92-68)

Wild-Card Race

1. San Diego (92-68)

2. Atlanta (87-71)

3. New York Mets (87-71)

4. Arizona (88-72)

The NL wild-card race took its latest turn on Friday when Atlanta beat Kansas City and both the Mets and DBacks lost.

The Braves, Mets and DBacks are all level in the standings with the two NL East teams in the final two wild-card spots going into Saturday.

All three teams have a perceived edge this weekend because all of their opponents are locked into their playoff positions.

Atlanta hosts a Kansas City team that clinched a playoff berth on Friday, the Mets are in Milwaukee against a Brewers side that will be the No. 3 seed in the NL and Arizona is at home versus San Diego, the top NL wild-card team.

The Braves and Mets still have two games scheduled for Monday, but both games may not be played depending on what the wild-card race looks like going into the doubleheader.

At the top, the Los Angeles Dodgers need one win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday or Sunday to secure home-field advantage. The Dodgers have a two-game edge after their Friday win in Denver and the Phillies loss to Washington.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The last two postseasons do not suggest the top seeds from each league will face each other in the World Series.

However, both the Yankees and Dodgers can approach the week off properly to be ready to go when the divisional series rolls around. They can use simulated and intrasquad games to keep up the intensity following the conclusion of the 162-game regular season.

The Yankees can rely on a rotation led by Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil to get them through the ALDS and the front end of the ALCS.

The Dodgers can rely more on their lineup, with Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts at the top, to get through any matchup and cover for a pitching staff that has not been as great as it needs to be this season.

Los Angeles will have to rely a lot on Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the top of its playoff rotation, but if the lineup comes through, like it has many times this season, it can overcome any struggles on the mound.