The All-Star break is weeks into the rearview mirror. The trade deadline has come and gone. Which means we’ve now officially reached the next phase of the 2023 MLB season: It’s playoff picture time, baby. This 162-game marathon has now become a six-week sprint to the finish, with every day seemingly carrying huge postseason implications — especially with the third Wild Card spot now offering one more path to October. Where does your favorite team stand? Let’s take a look at the bracket as of August 4 and see what the potential MLB playoff matchups could look like.
MLB playoff bracket: Matchups on August 4
American League
No. 3 Minnesota Twins (56-54; AL Central leader) vs. No. 6 Toronto Blue Jays (60-50; third Wild Card)
No. 4 Tampa Bay Rays (66-45; first WC) vs. No. 5 Houston Astros (62-48; second WC)
The winner of the 3-6 matchup would face the No. 2 Texas Rangers (63-46; AL West leader) in the Divisional round. The winner of the 4-5 matchup would face the top-seeded Baltimore Orioles (67-42; AL East leader) in the next round.
National League
No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers (59-51; NL Central leader) vs. No. 6 Cincinnati Reds (59-52; third WC)
No. 4 San Francisco Giants (61-49; first WC) vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Phillies (59-50; second WC)
The winner of the 3-6 matchup would go on to face the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers (62-45; NL West leader) in the Divisional round. The winner of the 4-5 matchup would face the No. 1 Atlanta Braves (69-37; NL East leader) in the next round.
