Just four days remain in MLB's regular season and there's a good chance at least one playoff spot − not to mention playoff seedings − won't be determined until the final outs are recorded.
That's just the way baseball fans like it. (Unless their team is the one that gets left out.)
One thing to keep in mind: The regular season won't go into extra innings.
If two or more teams finish tied for a playoff spot after 162 games, MLB now uses a tiebreaker formula instead of a one-game playoff to determine which team advances.
Here's how it could all play out.
NL wild card tiebreakers
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record as four teams in the National League battle for the three wild card spots.
The Chicago Cubs win all tiebreakers vs. every other team in the race, while the Philadelphia
Phillies have the upper hand on the San Diego Padres based on their season series.
- San Diego Padres (88-70): 1-5 vs. Cubs, 0-6 vs. Phillies
- Chicago Cubs (87-71): 6-1 vs. Phillies, 5-1 vs. Padres
- Philadelphia Phillies (87-71): 6-0 vs. Padres, 1-6 vs. Cubs
The Arizona Diamondbacks, who play the Padres in a three-game series this weekend, remain barely alive in the playoff chase. In order to claim a wild card spot, the D'backs will need to sweep and have either the Cubs or Phillies lose the rest of their games.
AL Central tiebreakers
The Chicago White Sox won the season series with the Cleveland Guardians 7-6, so they will win the Central division title if the teams finish with the same record.
The Central runner-up will most likely claim the AL's final wild card spot with the White Sox three games ahead of both AL West teams with four to play.
- Chicago White Sox (81-77): 4-2 vs. Rangers, 2-5 vs. Astros
- Houston Astros (78-80): 5-2 vs. White Sox, 9-4 vs. Rangers
- Texas Rangers (78-80): 2-4 vs. White Sox, 4-9 vs. Rangers
AL West tiebreakers
The Houston Astros won the season series against the Texas Rangers 9-4, so they'll take the West division crown if the two clubs finish the regular season tied.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB tiebreakers for NL wild card, AL Central and AL West divisions
