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This 2022 MLB season is halfway through, and teams begin their final push for a chance at the playoffs and a World Series title.
Some teams are basically locked into the playoffs, including the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York University Metropolis, but there are many other teams either on the cusp or looking to improve their seeding. Closing on the 5th, let’s take a closer look at the updated U.S. and National League standings, current playoff pictures and this year’s new format.
- American League Ranking
- Minimum
- New York Yankees: 74-48 Tampa Bay Rays: 65-55, 8.0 GB
- Toronto Blue Jays: 65-55, 8.0 GB
- Baltimore Orioles: 63-58, 10.5 GB
- Boston Red Sox: 60-62, 14.0 GB
- Cleveland Guardians: 64-56
- Minnesota Twins: 62-57, 1.5 GB
- Chicago White Sox: 62-59, 2.5 GB
- Kansas City Royals: 49- 74, 16.5 GB
- AL CENTRAL
Detroit Tigers: 47-76, 18.5 GB
Western America
- Houston Astros: 78-45
- Texas Rangers: 55-66, 22.0 GB
- Seattle Mariners: 66-56, 11.5 GB
- Los Angeles Angels: 52-69, 25.0 GB
- Oakland Games: 45-77, 32.5 GB
- ) National League Ranking
East Holland
- New York Mets: 79-44
Atlanta Braves: 75-48, 4.0 GB
- Philadelphia Phillies: 66-55, 12.0 GB
- Miami Marlins: 52-69, 2 6.0 GB
- Washington Nationals: 41-82, 38.0 GB
NL Center
- stone.St. Louis Cardinals: 69-51
- Milwaukee Brewers: 64-56, 5.0 GB Chicago Cubs: 52-68, 17.0 GB
- Cincinnati Reds: 48-71, 20.5 GB
- Pittsburgh Pirates: 47-74, 22.5 GB
West Holland
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 84-36
- San Diego Padres: 68-56, 18.0 GB
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- San Francisco Giants: 60-61, 24.5 GB
- Arizona Diamondbacks: 55-66, 29.5 GB
- Colorado Rockies: 53 -70, 32.5 GB
New format Breakdown
Ahead of the 2022 campaign, MLB introduced a new kind of postseason tournament format, expanding the number of wild-card teams from two to three per league.
The single-elimination wild card game from 2012 to 2019 and again in 2021 has been replaced by two best-of-three wild cards series replaced.
Here is a breakdown of how the team will be seeded:
Do not. Seed No. 1:
- Best AL/NL Record
- Do not. Seed No. 2:
- Division 2
- Do not. Seed No. 3:
- Division 3rd
- Do not. 4th seed:
- Best record among wild card teams
- Do not. 5th seed:
- Do not. No. 6 seed: 3rd best record among wild card teams
- The top two seeds in each league will receive a first-round bye and automatically advance to the divisional series. The No. 3 seed plays against the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed plays against the No. 5 seed to decide the winner.
The format of the Division Series, Championship Series and World Series will remain the same.
- Current playoff pictures
- American League
Do not. No. 1 seed: Houston Astros (78-45), first-round bye
No. 2 Seed: New York Yankees (74-48), first-round bye . No. 3 seed: Cleveland Guards (64-56) vs No. 6 seed: Seattle Mariners (66-56)
No. 4 No. 1 seed: Tampa Bay Rays (65-55) and No. 5 seed: Toronto Blue Jays (65-55)
- AL Teams in the Hunt
Minnesota Twins (62-57): 2.5 WCGB
Baltimore Orioles (63-58): 2.5 WCGB
Chicago White Sox (62-59): 3.5 WCGB
Boston Red Sox (60-62): 6.0 WCGB National League
Do not. No. 1 seed: Los Angeles Dodgers (84-36), first-round bye
. No. 2 seed: New York Mets (79-44), first-round bye . No. 3 seed: St. Louis Cardinals (69-51) vs No. 6 seed: Philadelphia Phillies (66-55)
No. 4 seed: Atlanta Braves (75-48) vs. 5 seed: San Diego Padres (68-56)
- NL Hunting Team
- Milwaukee Brewers People: 64-56, 1.5 WCGB
San Francisco Giants: 60-61, 6.0 WCGB
in a On point, it looked like the Yankees were running away with an AL lead, but the post-All-Star slump left the team with a 10-20 record and a 5-14 record in August since the Midsummer Classic.
Still, the Yankees and Astros are basically locked in for a playoff spot in the AL, but one of these teams is Outside games are getting really interesting, and the current situation may look very different in the coming weeks.
As for the NL, the Dodgers and Mets are likely to have a first-round bye, it’s hard to imagine either of those Cardinals ,The Phillies or Padres lost a playoff berth to the Brewers or Giants.
Still, it could happen, so keep an eye on the Phillies as we get closer to the regular-season finale in early October , the Padres and the Brewers.
To better understand each team’s odds of making the playoffs, check out FanGraphs’ MLB playoff odds.
- Second best record among wild card teams