2021 MLB Playoffs: Wild Card, World Series, Full Postseason Dates Announced

Major League Baseball announced its 2021 playoff schedule Wednesday with postseason play set to begin Oct. 5 leading up to Game 1 of the World Series on Oct. 26.

Here's the complete slate, via Kyle Glaser of Baseball America:

Although no MLB teams have officially clinched a playoff berth so far, the field is starting to come into focus heading into the final month of the regular season.

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros all have at least a 94 percent chance of making the postseason, per FanGraphs.

Barring a collapse by one of those clubs, that would leave just one berth available for a group that includes the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays.

In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers are the virtual locks with a 99.9 percent chance or better to reach the playoffs, according to FanGraphs.

The NL East is still up for grabs, with the Atlanta Braves holding an edge over the Philadelphia Phillies (4.5 games back) and New York Mets (6.5) but facing a difficult schedule down the stretch that could allow their division rivals to make a charge.

A wild-card spot is also available, with the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals and the aforementioned NL East clubs still involved in that race.

Regardless of how the field shakes out, the reigning World Series champion Dodgers will again be the team to beat in October.

Los Angeles owns MLB's second-best record at 79-47, behind only the NL West-rival Giants (81-44), and made a blockbuster deal before the trade deadline to acquire two major pieces, second baseman Trea Turner and starting pitcher Max Scherzer from the Washington Nationals.

A postseason rotation that could feature Scherzer, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias, combined with one of the league's deepest offenses that will become even more dangerous if Cody Bellinger returns to form in September, will be incredibly tough to beat.

That said, Los Angeles still faces some pressure to chase down San Francisco for the division title during the stretch run in order to avoid the wild-card game.