MLB Playoff 2024 Picture: Guardians Clinch AL Central; Updated Bracket, Standings | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

Here are the updated playoff standings and potential matchups for Saturday’s game as of 7:30 p.m. ET.

American League Playoff Predictions

• First-round bye: No. 1 New York Yankees, No. 2 Cleveland Guardians
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Minnesota Twins, No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Kansas City Royals

National League Play-Off Predictions

• First-round bye: No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers, No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 New York Mets, No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 Arizona Diamondbacks

1. New York Yankees (90-64)*
2. Baltimore Orioles (86-68, 4GB)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (77–78, 13.5 GB)
4. Boston Red Sox (76-78, 14GB)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (73-82, 17.5GB)

1. Cleveland Guardians (90-65)**
2. Kansas City Royals (82-72, 7.5GB)
3. Minnesota Twins (81-73, 8.5GB)
4. Detroit Tigers (80-74, 9.5GB)
5. Chicago White Sox (36-118, 53.5 GB)

1. Houston Astros (84-70)
2. Seattle Mariners (79-75, 5GB)
3. Texas Rangers (73-81, 11GB)
4. Oakland Athletics (67-87, 17GB)
5. Los Angeles Angels (62-92, 22 GB)

1. Baltimore Orioles (86-69, +4.5 games)
2. Kansas City Royals (82-73, +0.5 games)
3. Minnesota Twins (81-73)
4. Detroit Tigers (81-74, 0.5GB)
5. Seattle Mariners (79-75, 2GB)
6. Tampa Bay Rays (77–78, 4.5GB)
7. Boston Red Sox (76-78, 5GB)

1. Philadelphia Phillies (92-63)*
2. New York Mets (86-69, 6GB)
3. Atlanta Braves (84-71, 8GB)
4. Washington Nationals (69-86, 23GB)
5. Miami Marlins (57-98, 35GB)

1. Milwaukee Brewers (88-66)**
2. Chicago Cubs (79-76, 9.5 GB)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (77-77, 11GB)
4. Cincinnati Reds, (76-80, 13GB)
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-83, 16.5 GB)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-62)*
2. San Diego Padres (88-66, 4GB)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (86-68, 6GB)
4. San Francisco Giants (76-79, 16.5GB)
5. Colorado Rocky Mountains (59-95, 33 GB)

1. San Diego Padres (88-66, +2.5 games)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (86-68, +0.5 games)
3. New York Mets (86-69)
4. Atlanta Braves (84-71, 2GB)
5. Chicago Cubs (79-76, 7GB)
6. St. Louis Cardinals (77-77, 8.5GB)

*Denotes secured play-off spot

**It means a foregone conclusion

The Guardians clinched a playoff spot Thursday with a 3-2 victory in extra innings over the Minnesota Twins. First-year manager Stephen Vogt guided the Guardians back to the top of the AL Central after a disappointing 76-86 finish in 2023.

Since MLB adopted a six-division format in 1994, Cleveland has won more AL Central titles than any other club (12). This is the club’s fifth division title and sixth playoff appearance in the last nine seasons.

Even though the Guardians have their division locked up, the team still has a lot of work to do in the race for the playoffs. They are still battling the New York Yankees for the best record in the AL and home-field advantage in the American League playoffs.

The Yankees have the tiebreaker advantage having won four of their six head-to-head meetings in the regular season, so Cleveland would need to finish the season with a better record to clinch the top spot.

Cleveland hasn’t finished with the AL’s best record since 2017 (102-60). The team has just one playoff series win since reaching the 2016 World Series, when it defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2022 AL Wild Card Series.

Regardless of what happens with the top spot in the overall standings, the Guardians are in a good position to have the magic number of three to secure a first-round bye and avoid the Wild Card series. They have 5.5 games ahead of the AL West-leading Houston Astros with six games remaining.

The Guardians and Astros will play three games at Progressive Field from September 27-29 to close out the regular season. Cleveland could extract a lot of drama from this series if it clinches a top-two seed before it starts.