Around Labor Day, it looked like the Major League Baseball playoff race would be a big snoozefest.
September had other ideas.
The standings in both the American and National leagues have tightened in a hurry, and a lot of the action over the final week will take place in Ohio.
Here’s a look at some things to watch as MLB’s regular season comes to an end and October baseball arrives:
What are the biggest storylines?
The NL wild-card race remained tight Wednesday morning with the New York Mets holding a one-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks. The Mets looked well-positioned for a playoff spot Sept. 1 but have a 7-13 record this month, which allowed the Reds and D-backs to climb into the race. Arizona was a seller at the trade deadline after a disappointing first half but has recovered with a 20-11 record since Aug. 19.
The AL also has plenty of drama with four teams — the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros — fighting for the final three playoff spots. The Guardians have a stunning 16-2 record since Sept. 5, climbing into a tie with the Tigers for the AL Central lead after being 10½ games back Sept. 1.
The Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh hit his 58th home run Sunday, extending his record for homers in a season by a player who plays primarily catcher. He has five games remaining to try to reach 60. The Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber and Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani both have 53 homers, while New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has 49.
What is the playoff format?
Twelve teams qualify for MLB’s postseason, six each from the AL and NL. The three division winners in each league are seeded 1 through 3, ranked by record. Then the three wild-card teams get the Nos. 4 through 6 seeds, also ranked by record.
The top two seeds in each league automatically advance to the division series. The other eight teams play in best-of-three wild-card series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 30. The No. 6 seed will travel to face the No. 3 seed while the No. 5 seed goes to No. 4. The higher seed hosts all three games.
The winners advance to the best-of-five division series, followed by the best-of-seven league championship series and a best-of-seven World Series between the AL and NL champions.
What is the postseason schedule?
Wild-card series: Sept. 30-Oct. 2 (ESPN)
Division series: Oct. 4-11 (NL on TBS, AL on Fox-32/FS1)
Championship series: Oct. 12-21 (NL on TBS, AL on Fox-32/FS1)
World Series: Oct. 24-Nov. 1 (Fox-32)
Who already has clinched a spot?
In the NL, the Milwaukee Brewers, Phillies, Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres have qualified for the postseason. The Padres clinched Monday with a win over the Brewers. Only one spot remains available.
In the AL, the Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees and Mariners know they will play October baseball. The Red Sox are best positioned to clinch next, with a 95.8% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN.com.
Who are the favorites to win the World Series?
The Phillies (+425) are the favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook. After that it’s the Dodgers (+500), Mariners (+550), Brewers (+750), Blue Jays (+800) and Yankees (+800).
The Blue Jays opened the season at +6000 odds.