Everything You Need to Know Heading into the Final Weekend of MLB Season
We have arrived at the final three days of the 2020 MLB season, and as expected, the expanded postseason format has paved the way for a wild finish.
Entering play on Friday, there are still five playoff spots up for grabs.
The American League is essentially set, with the only thing left to be decided is the No. 2 spot in the AL West where the Houston Astros hold a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels.
The National League, on the other hand, still has six teams battling for four slots. The NL Central champion still needs to be crowned, the No. 2 spot in the NL East is still in play, and six teams total are still in the mix for a postseason berth.
Ahead you'll find an updated playoff bracket and a refresher on this year's postseason format, a rundown of the notable statistical races in both leagues, and a deep dive into the five most impactful series of the final weekend.
Let's go!
Updated Bracket and 2020 Playoff Format Refresher
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American League
(1) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (8) Toronto Blue Jays
(2) Minnesota Twins vs. (7) Cleveland Indians
(3) Oakland Athletics vs. (6) Houston Astros
(4) Chicago White Sox vs. (5) New York Yankees
National League
(1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (8) San Francisco Giants
(2) Atlanta Braves vs. (7) Cincinnati Reds
(3) Chicago Cubs vs. (6) Miami Marlins
(4) San Diego Padres vs. (5) St. Louis Cardinals
2020 Playoff Format
The 2020 expanded playoff format will see 16 of the 30 MLB teams competing in the postseason. The regular season wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 27 and the playoffs will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The playoff field will be made up of the six division winners, six division runners-up and two wild-card teams from each league with the best remaining records.
A Wild Card Series has been added to kick off the postseason, with all 16 teams playing in a best-of-three series hosted by the higher-seeded team. Division winners will be seeded No. 1-3, second-place finishers will be seeded No. 4-6, and the wild-card teams will be the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds.
After the Wild Card Series concludes, the remainder of the postseason will unfold as usual with a best-of-five Division Series, best-of-seven Championship Series and best-of-seven World Series, with the one notable difference being neutral site locations.
Petco Park (San Diego) and Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) will host the ALDS and Globe Life Field (Arlington) and Minute Maid Park (Houston) will house the NLDS. After that, Petco Park gets the ALCS and Globe Life gets the NLCS and World Series.
AL Statistical Races (Hitters)
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Batting Average
1. DJ LeMahieu, NYY: .355
2. Tim Anderson, CWS: .338
3. Jose Abreu, CWS: .325
LeMahieu is hitting .364 with six multi-hit performances in his last 13 games, putting him in the driver's seat in the AL batting title race. He would be the first modern era player in MLB history to win a batting title in both leagues.
Home Runs
1. Luke Voit, NYY: 21
2. Jose Abreu, CWS: 19
3. Jose Ramirez, CLE: 17
Ramirez is the hottest hitter in baseball right now. He has 10 home runs in September, including four in his last five games, so don't sleep on him in this race. Voit used a stretch of six home runs in six games earlier this month to reach 20 on the year, but he's hit just one in his last seven games.
RBI
1. Jose Abreu, CWS: 57
2. Luke Voit, NYY: 49
3. Jose Ramirez, CLE: 46
Abreu has at least one RBI in 31 of the Chicago White Sox 57 games this season, including seven of his last nine games. He led the league with 123 RBI last season, and he has all but locked up a second straight AL RBI title.
WAR
1t. Jose Abreu, CWS: 2.8
1t. DJ LeMahieu, NYY: 2.8
3t. Alex Verdugo, BOS: 2.2
3t. Tim Anderson, CWS: 2.2
The fact that Abreu has also posted a career-high 5 DRS at first base this season, to go along with everything he's done offensively, has helped boost his WAR total. Meanwhile, LeMahieu has once again been the most valuable player on the Yankees' roster after a 5.9-WAR season in 2019.
NL Statistical Races (Hitters)
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Batting Average
1. Juan Soto, WAS: .351
2. Freddie Freeman, ATL: .338
3t. Trea Turner, WAS: .335
3t. Donovan Solano, SF: .335
Two of the most disciplined hitters in baseball, Soto and Freeman both have more walks than strikeouts and an on-base percentage over .450 on the year. That said, that nine-point cushion for Soto might not be enough to hold off the red-hot Freeman who is hitting .371/.486/.730 in September.
Home Runs
1. Marcell Ozuna, ATL: 17
2t. Mookie Betts, LAD: 16
2t. Adam Duvall, ATL: 16
2t. Manny Machado, SD: 16
Ozuna has slugged nine home runs in September, including a two-homer game on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Duvall leads the majors with 11 home runs this month, and he has already turned in a pair of three-homer games this year. Does he have one last power surge in him?
RBI
1. Marcell Ozuna, ATL: 53
2. Freddie Freeman, ATL: 51
3. Manny Machado, SD: 47
How good has the Atlanta offense been this year? Travis d'Arnaud (34, 16th) and Adam Duvall (33, t-17th) also rank among the top 20 in the National League in RBI. Ozuna and Freeman are tied for the MLB lead with 30 RBI in September.
WAR
1. Mookie Betts, LAD: 3.2
2. Manny Machado, SD: 2.9
3t. Freddie Freeman, ATL: 2.6
3t. Dansby Swanson, ATL: 2.6
On top of hitting .293/.363/.567 with 16 home runs, 39 RBI, 45 runs scored and nine steals, Betts is also once again playing Gold Glove caliber defense (9 DRS, 5.2 UZR/150) in right field. It's no surprise to see the most complete player in the National League atop this list.
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AL Statistical Races (Pitchers)
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ERA
1. Shane Bieber, CLE: 1.63
2. Dallas Keuchel, CWS: 1.99
3. Chris Bassitt, OAK: 2.57
Bieber put the finishing touches on what will almost certainly be a Cy Young campaign on Wednesday, allowing two hits and one unearned run while striking out 10 in five innings against the White Sox. Keuchel made his final start of the season on Thursday, allowing four hits and one earned run in six innings to drop his ERA under 2.00.
WHIP
1. Kenta Maeda, MIN: 0.75
2. Shane Bieber, CLE: 0.87
3. Marco Gonzales, SEA: 0.91
Maeda has been one of the biggest surprises of 2020 after joining the Minnesota Twins in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has allowed just 40 hits and 10 walks in 66.2 innings this season, holding opponents to a .168 batting average. He made his final regular season start on Wednesday.
Strikeouts
1. Shane Bieber, CLE: 122
2. Lucas Giolito, CWS: 97
3. Gerrit Cole, NYY: 94
Bieber became the fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 100 strikeouts this year. His 14.2 K/9 also surpass the 13.8 K/9 mark that Gerrit Cole posted with the Houston Astros last season to set a new MLB record for a qualified starting pitcher. Tyler Glasnow (14.3 K/9) currently leads that category, but at 57.1 innings pitched he won't reach the 60 needed to qualify this year.
WAR
1. Shane Bieber, CLE: 3.3
2. Hyun-Jin Ryu, TOR: 3.0
3t. Gerrit Cole, NYY: 2.1
3t. Dallas Keuchel, CWS: 2.1
3t. Lance Lynn, TEX: 2.1
3t. Zach Plesac, CLE: 2.1
It's a bit surprising that Bieber does not have a larger lead here. Ryu moved into the No. 2 spot with seven scoreless innings on Thursday. Lynn was second going into the day before he allowed 12 hits and nine earned runs in 5.2 innings against the Houston Astros.
NL Statistical Races (Pitchers)
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ERA
1. Trevor Bauer, CIN: 1.73
2. Dinelson Lamet, SD: 2.07
3. Corbin Burnes, MIL: 2.11
After pitching on short rest on Wednesday and allowing just four hits and one earned runs in eight innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, there's a chance Bauer makes one more start on short rest again on Sunday if the Reds are still hunting for a playoff berth. Corbin Burnes made his final start on Thursday, and Dinelson Lamet is lined up for his regular season finale on Friday against the San Francisco Giants.
WHIP
1. Trevor Bauer, CIN: 0.79
2. Dinelson Lamet, SD: 0.87
3. Jacob deGrom, NYM: 0.92
Bauer has allowed 41 hits and 17 walks in 73 innings, limiting opposing hitters to a .159 batting average that leads all qualified starters. Lamet sits second on that list with a .166 opponents' batting average, and he has been virtually untouchable of late, but he'll need some help from Bauer on Sunday to come out on top here.
Strikeouts
1. Trevor Bauer, CIN: 100
2. Jacob deGrom, NYM: 94
3. Aaron Nola, PHI: 90
Bauer racked up 12 strikeouts on Wednesday to become the first NL pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts on the year. deGrom will make his final start on Saturday against a hapless Washington Nationals team, so there's a good chance he'll move into the lead. This one likely boils down to whether Bauer makes another start on Sunday.
WAR
1t. Zack Wheeler, PHI: 2.9
1t. Antonio Senzatela, COL: 2.9
3t. Trevor Bauer, CIN: 2.8
3t. Max Fried, ATL: 2.8
It's hard to argue with the value that Fried has provided to an injury-plagued Atlanta Braves team this year, so it's nice to see that also show up in his WAR total. His 56 innings pitched leave him short of qualifying for the ERA title, but he's gone 7-0 with a 1.96 ERA on the year. Wheeler will have an opportunity to move into sole possession of the top spot in his final start of the year on Saturday.
No. 5 Most Impactful Series: Miami Marlins vs. New York Yankees
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Can the Miami Marlins hold on and make their first postseason appearance since 2003 and just the third playoff trip in franchise history?
They snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday that has trimmed their cushion for the No. 2 spot in the NL East standings to just a game, and their 29-28 record would put them right in the thick of the wild-card spot should they fall to No. 3 in the division race.
After Sixto Sanchez pitched on Wednesday and Pablo Lopez started on Thursday, it will likely be Sandy Alcantara, rookie Trevor Rogers and Jose Urena on the mound for this pivotal three-game matchup with the New York Yankees.
The Marlins actually have a better record on the road (18-13) than they do at home (11-15), so the fact that the series will be played at Yankee Stadium is not the worst turn of events.
Third baseman Brian Anderson has an .871 OPS with five home runs and 18 RBI in September for the Marlins, and Sandy Alcantara has been pitching like an ace of late with four straight quality starts.
For the Yankees, it's all about holding off the Toronto Blue Jays for the No. 2 spot in the AL East. They currently have a two-game edge in the standings and can't mathematically catch the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot, so their position is a fairly comfortable one.
No. 4 Most Impactful Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays
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Despite already locking up their first AL East title since 2010, the Tampa Bay Rays still have plenty to play for with the No. 1 overall seed in the American League up for grabs. They currently have a two-game cushion over the Minnesota Twins for that spot.
On the other side, the Philadelphia Phillies are fighting for their postseason life.
With a 28-29 record, they sit one game behind the Miami Marlins for the No. 2 spot in the NL East standings and a half-game back of the San Francisco Giants for the second NL wild-card spot.
The Phillies will have Zack Wheeler (10 GS, 2.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) and Aaron Nola (11 GS, 3.06 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) lined up to start on Saturday and Sunday, while the Rays will likely be focused on lining up their postseason rotation.
Charlie Morton will take the ball on Friday for Tampa Bay, likely followed by Ryan Yarbrough on Saturday and either Josh Fleming or a bullpen game on Sunday.
Rookie Alec Bohm is hitting .365/.426/.521 for the Phillies in September, and he has moved into a crucial role in the lineup with Rhys Hoskins likely done for the year with an elbow injury.
Fellow rookie Randy Arozarena has a 1.092 OPS with seven home runs in 56 plate appearances this month for the Rays, as he too has stepped into a key middle-of-the-order lineup spot.
The series is in Tampa Bay where the Rays are 17-9 on the year, while the Phillies are just 9-16 away from home.
No. 3 Most Impactful Series: San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants
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The San Diego Padres are firmly locked into the No. 4 seed in the National League, so this matchup is all about the San Francisco Giants' push for a postseason berth.
The two teams will play a double-header on Friday, followed by a night game on Saturday and an afternoon game on Sunday, so a lot of baseball is going to be jammed into roughly 48 hours.
With a 28-28 record, the Giants currently hold the No. 8 seed in the NL playoff picture, but there is a tight four-team race for the two wild-card berths.
The Padres swept a three-game set and outscored the Giants 15-2 last time the two teams met earlier this month, and San Diego holds a 5-1 season series edge with a plus-19 run differential on the year.
Logan Webb pitched 5.1 innings on Wednesday and Kevin Gausman started the series finale against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, so the Giants rotation for the final series is up in the air.
Tyler Anderson, Johnny Cueto and Drew Smyly are next up in the rotation order, and they could also sneak in an opener game at some point with Trevor Cahill pitching bulk innings. After a recent bout of elbow tightness cost him a start, the Giants likely won't go to Gausman on short rest unless absolutely necessary.
The Padres will throw Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack in the Friday double-header, but they could save Zach Davies for Game 1 of the postseason after Mike Clevinger left his Wednesday start with right biceps tightness.
Can the rebuilding Giants exceed expectations all the way to the playoffs?
No. 2 Most Impactful Series: Cincinnati Reds vs. Minnesota Twins
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The Minnesota Twins have already locked up a playoff spot, but they could still finish anywhere from first to third in the AL Central standings.
With a 23-5 record at home this season, compared to 12-17 away from Target Field, there is no team in baseball with more riding on home field advantage in the Wild Card Series.
Kenta Maeda made his final start of the year on Wednesday, lining him up to be the Game 1 starter in the postseason. That means Jose Berrios, Michael Pineda and Rich Hill will likely start the final three games of the season, and that could be how they follow Maeda in October.
This is undeniably a bigger series for the Cincinnati Reds.
After a disappointing start to a season that began with lofty expectations, the Reds have gone 9-2 in their last 11 games to vault back into the postseason picture.
Trevor Bauer threw a gem on short rest on Wednesday, and he could pitch again in the regular season finale on Sunday if the Reds are still jockeying for position.
In the meantime, Tyler Mahle is currently penciled in as the Friday starter and he has quietly posted a 3.57 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 56 strikeouts in 45.1 innings on the year. Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray would follow if the team doesn't turn to Bauer on short rest, or decides to have him waiting in the wings in the bullpen on Sunday.
If they can sneak into the postseason, the Reds starting pitching will make them an extremely tough draw.
No. 1 Most Impactful: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers
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The NL Central could have anywhere from two to four postseason representatives, depending on how the wild-card race shakes out, and the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals are two of the teams in the hunt.
The Chicago Cubs have already clinched a playoff berth and they have a 2.5-game lead over the Cardinals for the division title, but the Cardinals, Brewers and Reds are all within two games of each other in the battle for the No. 2 division slot and a wild-card berth.
The season series between the Cardinals and Brewers is knotted up at 3-3 after St. Louis scored a 4-2 victory on Thursday to kick off a busy weekend of action between the two teams.
The two teams will play a double-header on Friday, with Brandon Woodruff and Brett Anderson currently slated to start on Saturday and Sunday. Josh Lindblom will start one of the games on Friday, while swingman Brent Suter will make his third start of the season in the other after tossing three shutout innings in each of his first two starts earlier this month.
The Cardinals are slated to throw Jack Flaherty and Daniel Ponce de Leon on Friday and veteran Adam Wainwright on Saturday, with Austin Gomber the leading candidate to start the regular-season finale unless they turn to Kwang Hyun Kim on short rest.
Both teams could wind up in the playoffs if they split the next four games and some outside factors break in their favor, but one way or another this series will have a sweeping impact on the NL playoff picture.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.
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