The trade deadline is in the rearview mirror. Labor Day 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 three-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 September 16 and see what the potential MLB playoff matchups could look like.
MLB playoff bracket: Matchups on September 16
American League
No. 3 Minnesota Twins (78-70; AL Central leader) vs. No. 6 Seattle Mariners (81-66; third Wild Card)
No. 4 Tampa Bay Rays (92-57; first WC) vs. No. 5 Texas Rangers (82-65; second WC)
The winner of the 3-6 matchup would face the No. 2 Houston Astros (83-65; AL West leader) in the Divisional round. The winner of the 4-5 matchup would face the top-seeded Baltimore Orioles (91-56; AL East leader) in the next round.
National League
No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers (83-64; NL Central leader) vs. No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks (77-72; third WC)*
No. 4 Philadelphia Phillies (80-67; first WC) vs. No. 5 Chicago Cubs (78-70; second WC)
*Note: The D-backs and Cincinnati Reds are tied for the final Wild Card spot at 77-72, with Arizona holding the tiebreaker thanks to winning the season series
The winner of the 3-6 matchup would go on to face the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers (89-57; NL West leader) in the Divisional round. The winner of the 4-5 matchup would face the No. 1 Atlanta Braves (96-51; NL East leader) in the next round.
