MLB regular season’s thrilling conclusion is upon us. As 30 teams wrap up their 162-game journeys, the final weekend promises to be a nail-biting, drama-filled ride. With postseason berths, division titles, and seeding still up for grabs, this weekend’s matchups will shape the October landscape. From teams clinging to playoff hopes to others vying for coveted bye weeks, every pitch counts. Here are the three key storylines to follow as the MLB season reaches its climax.
MLB’s Final Weekend: 3 Key Storylines to Follow
Triple Crown History on the Horizon
Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal are strong contenders to win the Cy Young Award in their respective leagues. Both pitchers could become the fourth duo to win the pitching Triple Crown, the league leader in ERA, strikeouts and wins in each league. If Sale (2.38 ERA, 255 K, 18 W) and Skubal (2.39 ERA, 228 K, 18 W) do so, they will join Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander (2011), Walter Johnson and Dazzy Vance (1924) and Johnson and Hippo Vaughn (1918) as the only pair of pitchers to win the Triple Crown in the same season.
Top Playoff Seeds and Home-Field Advantage
Three teams came into September for contention for the top two spots in each league. The top spots have come down to three teams in each league and it depends on who takes the No. 1 spot to secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The Los Angeles Dodgers enter Friday with a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies despite earning the bye. Although, the Phillies hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Dodgers. The New York Yankees have a one-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians and the tiebreak advantage after going 4-2 against Cleveland.
The Baltimore Orioles have control in the top AL Wild Card spot. The San Diego Padres are in a similar position, sitting three games ahead of the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks. Both the Orioles and Padres clinched postseason berths against their division rivals on Tuesday.
Today’s clinch scenarios!
The @Royals can clinch a #Postseason spot with a win vs. ATL, OR a MIN loss vs. BAL.
The @Tigers can clinch a #Postseason spot with a win vs. CWS, OR a MIN loss vs. BAL.
The @Orioles can clinch home-field in the Wild Card Round with a win at MIN, OR a…— MLB (@MLB) September 27, 2024
Wild Card!, Yeehaw!
Who doesn’t love a Wild Card race? Guess what, the Wild Card races in both leagues are still up for grabs and will likely come down to the wire. Both the American League and National League have three teams still fighting for the final two spots. However, the NL battle between the Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves and New York Mets has strong potential to go down in the final game.
The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals both can clinch a postseason berth with one more win or a Minnesota Twins loss. The AL Wild Card picture could be wrapped up as soon as Friday. For the Twins, they will need to win their final three games and have the Royals and/or Tigers go 0-3 for the weekend.
The Mets cannot be eliminated before Monday. Although, if they finish Sunday two games behind the Braves, they will need a doubleheader sweep to pull into a tie and claim the tiebreaker. The Braves could be eliminated before Monday, but they will remain in contention going into that day’s doubleheader. Atlanta will need to stay within two games of New York in the standings or are no fewer than two wins behind Arizona.
Main Photo: © Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
