MLB Playoff Picture: Mets lose ground with 6 games left, Guardians & Reds sneak into final spots

The race for the playoffs is in its final stages, with several teams vying to secure a spot in the postseason. Heading into the final few days of the regular season, five teams have clinched a playoff berth so far.

The Milwaukee Brewers (National League Central) and Philadelphia Phillies (NL East) are headed into October as division winners. Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays have qualified for the postseason, with the Dodgers and Blue Jays still in the fight for a division title.

With several other teams still fighting for a postseason berth, we look at the MLB playoff picture.

MLB Playoff Picture: Mets lose ground, Yankees surge, Astros & Reds fighting for final WC spot

New York Mets

It has been a frustrating second half of the season for the Mets, who are no longer in charge of their postseason bid. Following a defeat to the Washington Nationals in the series finale on Sunday and the Cincinnati Reds' win over the Chicago Cubs, the Mets are no longer a lock for the final NL Wild Card spot.

While the Reds and Mets hold an 80-76 record, Cincinnati holds the tie-breaker over Carlos Mendoza's team. The Mets will need to win one more game than the Reds across the final six games to reclaim their wild-card spot.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees' strong September continued on Sunday as they brushed aside the Baltimore Orioles for a 7-1 win, claiming the series in the process.

The Yankees hold a four-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card race and still have the chance to topple division leaders, the Toronto Blue Jays, who hold a 2.0 game advantage over the Yankees in the AL East. The Bronx Bombers seem like a lock for the postseason after winning seven of their last 10 games.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros' series against division rivals, the Seattle Mariners, was expected to be decisive in the playoff race. The Astros emerged on the losing end after being swept by Seattle over the weekend.

The Mariners now hold a 3.0 game advantage at the summit of the American League West, while the Astros are seemingly out of contention for the division title.

Houston's place in the postseason is also under threat, as the Cleveland Guardians improved to 84-72 after winning the series against the Minnesota Twins. The Guardians and Astros are tied for the final AL wild card spot, with Cleveland holding the tie-breaker over Houston.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash