While four teams have clinched their respective divisions, the AL East and Central divisions are still up for grabs, as are the final Wild Card spots in each league. Meanwhile, a slugging catcher is vying to break the American League record for the most home runs in a season.
The Guardians could very well pull off one of the biggest late-season comebacks in MLB history. A whopping 15 1/2 games back of the Tigers in the AL Central as late as July 8, the Guardians are, stunningly, tied with them entering the final weekend. Cleveland has gone 18-6 this month and erased the 10 1/2-game deficit in the AL Central it had entering September.
With the Guardians taking the season series against the Tigers, Cleveland has also guaranteed the tiebreaker advantage, meaning if the two clubs ended the season with the same record, the Guards would be the AL Central champions. Essentially, the Guardians, who play the Rangers this weekend, need to match what the Tigers do (Detroit plays Boston) and Cleveland will be the AL Central champion.
Toronto’s struggles haven’t been quite as drastic as Detroit’s, but the Blue Jays have nonetheless made the AL East race much more interesting than expected. The Blue Jays had a lead as big as 6 1/2 games in the East as late as July 28, but they’re tied with the Yankees with a 91-68 record entering the final weekend.
While the Blue Jays have struggled of late, there’s still a chance they not only win the division but also finish as the top seed in the American League. Having won the season series against the Yankees and Mariners, the Blue Jays would hold a tiebreaker advantage over both clubs. That means:
Through the end of July, the Mets were seriously vying for the NL East division and were battling for the No. 1 seed in the National League. It’s been downhill since then, with the Mets going 20-30 since the beginning of August, the fifth-worst record in the Majors. The Mets, however, had a pivotal win against the Cubs on Thursday and remain a game ahead of the Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot.
It’s important that the Mets stay a game ahead of the Reds, too, as Cincinnati won the season series vs. New York. If the two clubs end the season with the same record, the Reds would take the third Wild Card spot. The D-backs are also still in the mix at two games behind the Mets, but they’ll need a lot to go right to secure the last playoff spot.
It’s been a historic season for Cal Raleigh, who hit home runs No. 59 and 60 on Sept. 24 against the Rockies, becoming the seventh player in MLB history to hit 60 homers in a season, this coming on the night the Mariners won the AL West for the first time since 2001. Along the way, Raleigh set the record for the most homers by a switch-hitter in MLB history, the most in Mariners franchise history and the most by a primary catcher.
Next on the list is getting to 62 home runs and tying Aaron Judge (2022) for the most home runs in a season in AL history. Raleigh is already firmly in the AL MVP race with Judge, but reaching or exceeding 62 homers could be a deciding factor.
The Brewers and Phillies won their respective divisions and secured the top two seeds in the National League, meaning they’ll get a bye in the Wild Card round. The Dodgers secured their 12th NL West title in 13 seasons with a win on Thursday, giving them the No. 3 NL seed. The Cubs and Padres, too, secured NL playoff berths and will take the top Wild Card seeds, with the order yet to be determined. The last Wild Card spot will come down to the Mets, Reds or D-backs.
Over in the American League, much is still to be decided. The Mariners won the AL West and the Blue Jays and Yankees secured playoff berths. But the final two AL Wild Card spots and the East and Central divisions are still up for grabs.
Raleigh (60 home runs), Kyle Schwarber (56), Shohei Ohtani (54) and Judge (51) have all cleared 50 home runs in 2025, tying an MLB record for the most players with 50 homers in a season, which was also done in 2001 and 1998. One more player could join them, however, with Eugenio Suárez sitting at 49 home runs as we enter the final weekend. If the Mariners third baseman can get there, the ‘25 season would stand alone with five 50-homer players, the most in a single season in MLB history.
What a year it’s been for Devers. The longtime Red Sox third baseman and franchise cornerstone was traded to the Giants in a blockbuster move in mid-June and has had another ho-hum Devers season, posting an .844 OPS with 34 home runs between the two teams. After playing in 73 games with the Red Sox, Devers has played in 87 games with the Giants, giving him 160 total games. If he plays in San Francisco’s final three games, Devers will become the first player to play in more than 162 games in a season since Justin Mourneau for the Twins in 2008.
With 144 runs scored entering the final weekend, Ohtani is vying for a level of run-scoring that few players have ever reached. If Ohtani manages to score six runs in the Dodgers’ final three games, he’d be the first player with 150 runs scored since Jeff Bagwell had 152 for the 2000 Astros. Before Bagwell, you have to go all the way back to Ted Williams in 1949. A 140-run season is impressive in its own right, but 150 runs is incredibly rare.