MLB Playoff Picture 2021: Bracket, Odds, Wild-Card Standings Entering Last Week

Three spots in the Major League Baseball postseason will be up for grabs during the final week of the regular season. 

The Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox already clinched their respective American League divisions, and the Houston Astros are five games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. 

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox enter Monday in the two AL wild-card positions, but one loss could alter where they stand. The Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics are all still alive in the wild-card hunt. 

Over in the National League, most of the attention is on the National League East. Atlanta leads Philadelphia by 2.5 games and they play a three-game series that starts on Tuesday. The NL East winner will face the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. 

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are locked into the postseason field, but where they start their World Series journey is still to be determined. The Giants need to hold on to a two-game lead to force the Dodgers into the wild-card game.

The St. Louis Cardinals will play the second-place team in the NL West. They are one win away from locking up the second NL wild-card spot. 

Wild-Card Standings

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

American League

New York Yankees (89-67)

Boston (88-68)

Toronto (87-69)

Seattle (86-70)

Oakland (85-71)

National League

Los Angeles Dodgers (100-56)

St. Louis (87-69)

Cincinnati (81-75)

Philadelphia (81-75)

World Series Odds

Bryan Woolston/Associated Press

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

Los Angeles Dodgers (+340; bet $100 to win $340)

Houston (+450)

Milwaukee (+700)

Tampa Bay (+750)

Chicago White Sox (+750)

San Francisco (+850)

New York Yankees (+1300)

Atlanta (+1400)

Boston (+2200)

St. Louis (+2500)

Toronto (+3000)

Philadelphia (+5000)

Seattle (+20000)

Oakland (+50000)

Cincinnati (+100000)

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).

21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details

Yankees-Blue Jays Series Has Massive Wild-Card Implications

Jim Mone/Associated Press

The AL wild-card race has the potential to become much clearer by Thursday night. 

The Yankees and Blue Jays face off in a three-game set at Rogers Center, and the Mariners play host to the Athletics in a three-game series. 

Boston should be the biggest winner in the wild-card race when it comes to scheduling because it closes with the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. 

New York can effectively end the wild-card hunt during its trip north of the border. It holds a one-game lead on Toronto and both contenders from the AL West will not have a chance to catch up if it sweeps the Blue Jays. 

The Yankees may face a tough time in Toronto since the Blue Jays swept them in their last series at Yankee Stadium earlier this month. 

Toronto is expected to throw Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jose Berrios and Robbie Ray against Jameson Taillon, Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber. 

Berrios and Ryu picked up wins in the Bronx in their last series, while Ray has not faced the Yankees since late May. 

Berrios used eight strikeouts over 6.1 innings to outduel Nestor Cortes Jr. in his last start versus New York, and Ryu bested Taillon in the series opener. 

New York managed to score eight runs across that four-game series, and that has to be a concerning sign for the team despite entering off a series sweep over the Red Sox. 

The Oakland-Seattle series is still relevant to the wild-card hunt, but both teams need Toronto to win two of three games to have a decent chance going into the weekend. 

A sweep would be ideal for either Oakland or Seattle, but if one side only wins two games, that one will have a fighting chance ahead of its final three regular-season contests. 

Atlanta, Philadelphia Face off for NL East Crown

Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

Atlanta and Philadelphia are much different squads than they were in their last series in late July.

Since then, Atlanta acquired a handful of power bats at the trade deadline who helped it surge into first place. 

Philadelphia rearranged the back end of its starting rotation in the last two months, but it has struggled to find consistency, especially against some of the weaker teams in the majors. 

Atlanta holds a 2.5-game lead over the Phillies after it beat the San Diego Padres and the second-place team fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. 

The Phillies will throw their best punch in the series opener on Tuesday, as Zack Wheeler goes up against Charlie Morton.

Philadelphia's No. 2 starter Aaron Nola opposes Max Fried—who pitched a complete game in his last outing—in Wednesday's matchup. 

The Phillies hold a 9-7 advantage in the season series, but Atlanta won five of the last nine meetings. 

Joe Girardi's team needs to get off to a fast start in Atlanta to put pressure on the first-place side. If Wheeler fails to come up with a win, the Phillies will leave Atlanta 1.5 games out at best. 

Atlanta has held the NL East lead since August 15, and it has been able to fend off the threat from Philadelphia so far. 

If Atlanta avoids a sweep at home and then beats the already-eliminated New York Mets three times to end the season, it will win the division.

If the Phillies win three games in Atlanta, it will be in the driver's seat ahead of their regular-season finale with the Miami Marlins.