MLB Playoffs 2021: Current Standings, Magic Numbers, Clinching Updates

Will your favorite team make it to the playoffs? Here's the current standings, magic numbers, clinching updates and the postseason key dates.

After a long, long six months, the playoffs are just around the corner.  

The postseason is slated to kick off on Oct. 5 with the American League wild-card game, and the National League wild-card game scheduled a day later. The World Series, though, will start just before Halloween on Oct. 26 with the potential Game 7 scheduled for Nov. 3—its latest since 2009.

The Rays, aka the defending American League champions, were the first to clinch a postseason slot and have since locked up the competitive AL East. Since first making the postseason in 2008, Tampa Bay has advanced to the playoffs in seven out of 14 years. 

And the season's first division title was secured when the White Sox clinched their first AL Central crown since 2008 with a 7–2 victory over Cleveland on Sept. 23. This guarantees Chicago's first back-to-back playoff appearance in franchise history.

Need an update on how the AL wild-card tiebreakers work? Here's your cheat sheet.

Check out the full playoff picture below, and stay tuned as this rundown gets updated as we head for the home stretch.

Here are the current standings, magic numbers and all the clinching updates.

Playoff Standings and Magic Numbers through 1:00 a.m. ET Oct. 3. 

* Clinched postseason berth

^Clinched division title

~ Best league record

American League

Division Leaders

1. Rays (100–61) ~
2. Astros (93–66) ^
3. White Sox (91–68) ^

Wild-Card Race

• WC1: Yankees (91–70)
• WC2: Red Sox (91–70)
• Blue Jays (90–71) — 1.0 GB
• Mariners (90–71) — 1.0 GB

National League

Division Leaders

1. Giants (106–55) *
2. Brewers (95–64) ^
3. Braves (86–73) ^

Wild-Card Game

• Dodgers (105–56) *
• Cardinals (90–70) *