MLB playoff tiebreakers, defined: Postseason clinching eventualities for AL, NL groups in 2023

The 2018 MLB season got here right down to a pair of pivotal Sport 163s: a matchup between the Brewers and Cubs for the NL Central and a conflict between the Dodgers and Rockies for the NL West. The Brewers and Dodgers wound up profitable to advance to the playoffs, although the 2 runners-up went to the playoffs as wild playing cards.

The times of a Sport 163 are over. Main League Baseball will now flip to a tiebreaking system to find out which groups head to the postseason and which of them are headed residence.

And that system may very well be put to the check in 2023. Heading into the ultimate week of the common season, the races for the AL West, ultimate AL wild-card spot and the final two NL wild-card spots are each huge open, with a number of groups vying for the playoffs.

The tiebreaking system has many layers to it to make sure there is no such thing as a approach groups can stay tied by the top of the method. 

What’s that system, and which groups are presently within the driver’s seat in a tiebreaking state of affairs? Here is what it is advisable know.

MORE: Up to date MLB magic numbers for 2023 playoffs

How do MLB tiebreakers work?

Within the occasion groups are tied after Sport 162, MLB will flip to its tiebreakers to determine the groups headed to the playoffs.

There’s a set order for dealing with the ties:

1. Head-to-head document
2. Intradivision document
3. Interdivision document
4. Final half of intraleague video games
5. Final half of intraleague video games plus one

The primary tiebreaker is straightforward sufficient. If one crew has a profitable document in opposition to the opposite, it heads to the playoffs over the opposite. It will get extra sophisticated if there are three groups tied for a similar spot. In that case, the head-to-head document would look first to see if one crew has profitable information in opposition to the opposite two. If two groups have an identical information in opposition to one another, however each have profitable information over the third crew, these two groups would advance to intradivision information and the subsequent wave of tiebreakers. If they’re all nonetheless tied at that time, it appears to be like at total profitable share in opposition to the tied groups; if the tie nonetheless exists, it strikes to intradivision information.

Subsequent up is the document groups posted inside their very own division. This is applicable even when groups play in separate divisions, e.g. the Cubs would have a look at their NL Central document whereas the Marlins would look to their NL East document.

Then it appears to be like on the information for groups exterior their very own division, however nonetheless inside their very own league. For instance, the Cubs would have a look at their document in opposition to NL East and NL West groups, whereas the Marlins would have a look at their wins and losses in opposition to the NL Central and NL West.

The ultimate two, and past, all contain intraleague video games. The primary is that groups would have a look at their information in opposition to all groups inside their league over the past half of the season. If there’s nonetheless a tie from there, the tiebreaker would return one additional recreation on the schedule to see if that may resolve the tie. MLB would proceed to look a recreation again within the intraleague information till it’s resolved.

Present MLB tiebreaking eventualities

Some tiebreaking eventualities are already convincing sufficient that the remaining video games of the season will not impression the rest of the 12 months.

Heading into the ultimate weekend of play, up to date with video games ending as of Sept. 28, here is a have a look at how the tiebreakers are shaping up.

Head-to-head document

NL wild card

AL West

*Rangers have clinched the document in opposition to Seattle previous to season-ending collection in opposition to Mariners.

AL wild card

*Rangers have clinched the document in opposition to Seattle previous to season-ending collection in opposition to Mariners.

Intradivision information

NL wild card

*Cubs finish season with a three-game collection vs. Brewers
**Reds finish season with a three-game collection vs. Cardinals

AL West

*Rangers and Mariners finish season with a four-game collection in opposition to one another

AL wild card

*Blue Jays finish season with a three-game collection vs. Rays
**Rangers and Mariners finish season with a four-game collection in opposition to one another

Interdivision information

NL wild card

*Marlins finish season with a three-game collection with the Pirates

AL West

AL Wild card

Final half of intraleague video games

NL wild card

*Cubs finish season with a three-game collection with the Brewers
**Marlins finish season with a three-game collection with the Pirates
***Reds finish season with a three-game collection with the Cardinals

AL West

*Rangers and Mariners finish season with a four-game collection with one another

AL wild card

*Blue Jays finish season with a three-game collection vs. Rays
**Rangers and Mariners finish season with a four-game collection with one another

Final half of intraleague video games plus one

NL Wild Card

*Cubs finish season with a three-game collection with the Brewers
**Marlins finish season with a three-game collection with the Pirates
***Reds finish season with a three-game collection with the Cardinals

AL West

*Rangers and Mariners finish season with a four-game collection with one another

AL wild card

*Blue Jays finish season with a three-game collection vs. Rays
**Rangers and Mariners finish season with a four-game collection with one another