American League East Tied, With 4 Games To Play

Before diving into team-by-team drama, remember the structure:

• MLB now gives 12 playoff berths: 3 division winners + 3 wild cards per league.

• The top two division winners in each league (by record) get a first-round bye; the rest must play a best-of-three Wild Card Series.

• There are no more Game 163 tiebreakers — ties are resolved via head-to-head, common opponents, etc.

So, there’s more on the line than just “win-or-go-home” — getting the division (and better seed) meaningfully shifts your path.

AL East: Yankees vs. Blue Jays — Who Claims the Crown?

Where things stand

As of now:

• Both New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are 90–68, tied for the AL East lead.

• But Toronto holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over New York, which gives them an edge if they finish deadlocked.

• Just days ago, the Blue Jays led by 5 games; the Yankees have mounted a furious late surge, winning 7 of their last 8.

• Meanwhile, Toronto has hit a rough patch — 6 losses in their last 7 games.

So momentum is arguably with New York, but the tiebreaker still favors Toronto.

What each team needs

For the Yankees:

• They must outperform Toronto over the final stretch — even one more win than the Jays gives them the title.

• They cannot rely on tie-based fallback since they lose the head-to-head tie.

• Clinching the East would also give them a shot at a bye (if their record is among top two in AL).

For the Blue Jays:

• They need to avoid collapse; just matching the Yankees (or doing slightly worse) could lose them the crown unless New York slips badly.

• Their tiebreaker is a crucial cushion.

• But momentum and the psychological edge may now sway toward New York.

It’s very much in play — this could come down to the final series, or be decided on the last day.

AL Wild Card & Broader AL Picture

With the Yankees and Blue Jays effectively competing for the division, the wild card slots in the AL are up for grabs too. A few notes:

• Boston Red Sox (87–71) and Detroit Tigers (85–73) are in the mix (along with others) vying for those wild card berths.

• The Tigers are trying not to screw up a major September lead collapse

• Cleveland and Houston also are lurking in the wild card discussion.

• Because the top two division winners get byes, there’s a real upside to pushing hard for that division title rather than settling for wild card.

So the final week in the AL is loaded: not just for the East, but for who gets in via wild card, who gets better seeding, and who faces harder matchups.

NL Wild Card: The Dogfight

The National League has its own drama — multiple teams jockeying for the final wild card spots. Key points:

• The Cubs (89–69) have locked in a postseason berth and a division spot? They appear clinched.

• The Padres (87–72) are also clinched a spot in the postseason.

• That leaves one final NL wild card slot among the Mets, Reds, and Diamondbacks.

• The Reds just swept the Cubs (4-1) and tied for that final slot.

• The Mets had a key letdown vs. the Cubs.

• The Diamondbacks are close behind and could make noise.

• In terms of seeding, Milwaukee and Philadelphia each clinched divisions and earned first-round byes.

  
  

So the final wild card spot in NL is coming down to the wire — and tie-breaks, momentum, and last games will matter.

Predictions & What to Watch

• AL East: The Yankees have surged and look dangerous. If they can keep it up and get just one more win than the Jays, they take the East. But Toronto’s tiebreaker is a significant safety net.

• Wild card seeding matters: In the AL, finishing second (as a wild card) vs. first (division) will dramatically change your postseason path.

• In the NL, I’m leaning toward the Reds squeaking in — their sweep puts them in good position — but I wouldn’t count out the Mets or Diamondbacks until it’s over.

• Expect the final day (and perhaps final inning) of the season to decide who gets in, who gets a bye, and who gets shafted by seeding.