The 2024 MLB postseason field is beginning to take shape. On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees became the first two teams to secure postseason berths. The Brewers clinched the NL Central title, the Yankees merely a postseason spot. Two more teams clinched spots Thursday. Here are the latest postseason clinchers.
Dodgers clinch postseason spot
The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to the postseason for the 12th consecutive season. They clinched a berth with Thursday's win over the Miami Marlins (LA 20, MIA 4), the same day superstar Shohei Ohtani recorded the first 50-50 season in MLB history. The Dodgers still have work to do to secure their third straight NL West title. For now, they've merely locked up a spot in the tournament. Los Angeles can be no worse than the third wild-card team. They have a four-game lead in the NL West with nine games remaining.
In the addition to the division title, the Dodgers are also in position to get a Wild Card Series bye, which is given to the teams with the two best records in each league. Pending the outcome of Thursday night's games, the Dodgers are 2 1/2 games up on the Brewers for the No. 2 seed and a half-game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the No. 1 seed.
With a postseason berth secured, the Dodgers will now try to get their starting rotation in order. Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone, the only pitchers on the team who've thrown more than 90 innings, are both done for the season with arm trouble. Yoshinobu Yamamoto returned from his shoulder injury two weeks ago and Clayton Kershaw is working his way back from a toe issue.
The Dodgers, maybe moreso than any other team, could use that Wild Card Series bye to get as healthy as possible and get their starting pitching in order. The offense, led by 50-50 threat Shohei Ohtani, is one of the highest scoring in baseball, and trade-deadline pickup Michael Kopech has stabilized the bullpen. Either the Dodgers will have enough starting pitchers in the postseason and they'll have a chance, or they won't and they're in trouble.
Guardians clinch playoff berth
The Cleveland Guardians became the second American League team to clinch a playoff berth this season on Thursday when they beat the Twins in an extra-innings walkoff win. The Guardians will be returning to the playoffs after missing out last season. This will mark their third appearance in October in their last five attempts and their first for rookie manager Stephen Vogt.
To be clear: the Guardians have thus far clinched only a playoff spot. They are well positioned to win the American League Central, but that effort will require some additional results to go their way first. When the Guardians do secure the Central -- and it seems like a fait accompli -- it'll mark their fifth division title in a decade.
The Guardians are also in position to clinch a first-round bye, a reward given to the top two teams in both leagues. Cleveland has competition with the Yankees for the top overall spot in the AL. It's possible that jockeying for the No. 1 seed will continue into the season's final weekend based on how things have gone as of late.
To reach this point, the Guardians had to overcome a rotation that has battled injury and underperformance throughout the year: only one member of their Opening Day starting five remains, with that being Tanner Bibee. Otherwise? Shane Bieber was injured and required season-ending surgery after two starts; Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen struggled to gain traction and are now working through their issues in the minors; and Carlos Carrasco was recently designated for assignment.
Cleveland can credit a number of players for helping them make a serious push for the AL's best record anyway, including star third baseman José Ramírez, shutdown closer Emmanuel Clase and the rest of a top-notch (if somewhat anonymous) bullpen, smooth-fielding second baseman Andrés Giménez, and outfielder Steven Kwan.
