- Los Angeles Angels. MLB insider only sees two teams in Shohei Ohtani's immediate future for next season
- Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia Phillies clinch NL wild-card, head to postseason for second straight year
As the 2023 MLB regular season nears its conclusion this Sunday, the playoff race intensifies with a focus on the wild card entries.
While seven teams are already in the playoffs, five spots remain up for grabs, creating an intense final week.
In the American League, the AL West and wild card races are undecided.
The National League's wild card race is equally fierce.
Teams aim to secure one of the three playoff spots given to the best-record teams not winning their division.
National League Wild Card contenders are emerging:
- Wild card No. 1:Philadelphia Phillies (88-69) - They clinched a wild card berth.
- Wild card No. 2:Arizona Diamondbacks (83-74) - They lead the Cubs by one game for the second wild card.
- Wild card No. 3: Chicago Cubs (82-75) - Just 0.5 games ahead of the Marlins for the final wild card.
In the American League:
- Wild card No. 1: Tampa Bay Rays (96-62) - They've secured a playoff spot.
- Wild card No. 2:Toronto Blue Jays (87-70) - Holding a 1.5-game lead for the final spot.
- Wild card No. 3: Houston Astros (86-72) - A slim 0.5-game lead over the Mariners.
How many MLB wild card teams are in 2023?
In the 2023 MLB season, the wild card landscape offers an intriguing twist.
Three wild card teams from each league earn a ticket to the playoffs, marking a significant departure from the previous one-game Wild Card Game format.
Now, the wild card round unfolds with two best-of-three series in both the American and National Leagues.
The division winners boasting the top two records in each league receive a bye to the Division Series.
Meanwhile, the division winner with the third-best record contends with the final wild card team in a best-of-three showdown hosted by the division winner.
The fourth and fifth seeds in each league face off in another best-of-three Wild Card series, setting the stage for a thrilling postseason journey.