Since the regular season began in late March, MLB's 30 teams have been battling for position with an eye on earning a place in the postseason. While some franchises have already fallen short, almost half of the league's teams still have a shot at playoff glory, and results over the next few weeks will be vital if they hope to extend their season into the fall. Here's a quick rundown of the sides in contention as another MLB season rounds third base and heads for home:
American League
In the American League, the New York Yankees are enjoying a bounceback season and, at the time of publication, find themselves tied for the lead in a competitive AL East. A young and dynamic Baltimore Orioles team are their main challengers for first place, with the O's determined to win back-to-back division titles for the first time since the 1970s. The Boston Red Sox are lurking in third place – a little far back to make a push for the division, but still in with a shot at the wild card series if they perform between now and October.
In the AL Central, the Cleveland Guardians lead the way, propelled by the likes of Steven Kwan, an outfielder with one of the best averages in baseball. The Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals could still mathematically claim the division, but at present, both look more likely to battle for a wild card.
After a slow start, the Houston Astros are back in familiar territory in the AL West, leading the division at the business end of the season. The 2017 and 2022 World Series champions are currently just a few games ahead of the Seattle Mariners, who strengthened at the trade deadline, adding hitters Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner. 2023 World Series winners the Texas Rangers are highly unlikely to feature in this year's postseason after a disappointing 2024.
National League
As we move towards the end of the 2024 MLB season, Bryce Harper's Philadelphia Phillies lead the NL East with their sights set on winning a first division title since 2011. Standing in their way are the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, though both teams are a number of games behind and may end up tussling for a wild card berth.
Over in the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers head up the division with a cluster of teams around 8–10 games behind. The Brewers are in line for their third division title in 4 years unless the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, or Chicago Cubs can string together an impressive run of results.
Finally, the NL West remains an exciting division and will likely boast one of MLB's most competitive division title races in 2024. At present, the LA Dodgers top the standings in Shohei Ohtani's first season at Dodger Stadium, but the San Diego Padres and 2023 National League champs the Arizona Diamondbacks are just a few games behind. Expect this year's race for the high-powered NL West to run right through September, with the unlucky runners-up still heading to the postseason as wild cards.
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