MLB Playoffs 2025: Blue Jays grab No. 1 in the AL, Guardians pull off historic Central comeback, Mets collapse as Reds clinch final NL Wild Card spot

The regular season is over. 162 games down, Red October is here, and the playoff bracket is finally locked in and the last day gave us all the chaos you could possibly ask for with a division flip, a brutal elimination, and a surprise survival.

AL East: Blue Jays Beat the Yankees for the Crown

Toronto handled the Rays and walked away with the AL East title and the No. 1 seed in the American League. The Yankees may have won too, but the tiebreaker went to the Jays. That means Toronto gets the bye, the Yankees get shoved into a hostile Wild Card matchup with Boston.

AL Central: Guardians Steal the Division, Tigers Back Into October

Cleveland completed one of the great division comebacks in recent memory. The Tigers’ late-season choke left the door open, and when Boston knocked off Detroit Sunday, the Guardians stormed through it. Cleveland takes the No. 3 seed and will host Detroit in a Wild Card series. The Tigers settle for the last AL spot at No. 6.

NL Wild Card: Mets Choke, Reds Survive

The Mets are out. Their loss to the Marlins erased any shot of sneaking in, and despite the Reds losing Sunday too, Cincinnati held the tiebreaker and claimed the final NL Wild Card spot. That’s it. Another Mets collapse, another year of New York tears.

NL Picture: Phillies and Brewers Sit Pretty

The Phillies took care of business, locked into the No. 2 seed, and now wait for the Dodgers-Reds winner in the NLDS. The Brewers finished with MLB’s best record, meaning the road to the pennant runs through Milwaukee.

MLB Postseason Bracket

American League

• (6) Tigers vs. (3) Guardians → Winner faces (2) Mariners
• (5) Red Sox vs. (4) Yankees → Winner faces (1) Blue Jays

National League

• (6) Reds vs. (3) Dodgers → Winner faces (2) Phillies
• (5) Padres vs. (4) Cubs → Winner faces (1) Brewers

Wild Card Schedule (Best-of-3)

Tuesday, Sept. 30

• Tigers at Guardians — 1:08 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• Padres at Cubs — 3:08 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Red Sox at Yankees — 6:08 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• Reds at Dodgers — 9:08 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Same times on Wednesday (Game 2s), and Thursday if necessary.

Division Series begins Saturday, October 4. Championship Series starts October 12 (AL) and October 13 (NL). World Series Game 1 is set for October 24.

The Headlines Going Into October

• Guardians’ Miracle: Buried to division champs, Cleveland enters October on fire.
• Blue Jays Built Different: First-round bye, home-field advantage, and a roster stacked with star power.
• Phillies & Brewers on Collision Course: Two heavyweights sitting in the driver’s seat.
• Mets Meltdown: Again.

Red October is here, and for Philly, the path to the World Series starts with a waiting game. We will see the Dodgers or Reds next Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.

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