MLB Final Week: What's on the Line for Yankees, Dodgers, and More

We are down to the final week of the MLB season! It started nearly six months ago, close to 200 days. We've been through a lot to make it to this point.

And after so long, we still haven't decided even half of the playoff field. Several races may come down to the final day, and others have a chance to get interesting if one team falters. All we can ask from an entertainment standpoint is to have games that matter on the final day of the season, hopefully portending exciting playoffs.

Let's look at everything still up for grabs in the final seven days. We'll start with two divisions that are decided then hit the divisions that still need winners and both wild card races.

Divisions Locked Up

NL East

• Philadelphia Phillies 92-64

The Phillies have a 12-game lead, almost twice as much as any other team. They have clinched the division and are fighting for the top record in all of baseball.

Philadelphia plays two weaker teams to end the year, hosting both the Marlins and the Twins for three games apiece. With Milwaukee playing a tougher schedule, Philly has a chance to jump into the top slot, giving them reason to keep on the gas even with the division wrapped up.

NL Central

• Milwaukee Brewers 95-61

Speaking of those Brewers, they clinched the division yesterday and have a three-game lead on Philadelphia. All Milwaukee needs to worry about is winning enough games to secure the top seed in the playoffs. They have a little bit tougher finish, traveling to San Diego then hosting the Reds.

They are guaranteed a bye in the Wild Card Round, so even if Milwaukee were to falter, at least they get a week of rest and can't be knocked out in the first round.

Still Wide Open

AL East

• Toronto Blue Jays 90-66
• New York Yankees 88-68
• Boston Red Sox 85-71

It's a three-way dance in the AL East, with the Blue Jays leading the division by two games over the Yankees and Boston five back. The Red Sox are only a wild card team in reality, but they have an outside chance in the East.

The Blue Jays and Red Sox play a series against each other from Tuesday through Thursday in Toronto. That series could either knock Boston out of playoff contention or go a long way toward locking in their playoff spot; it's one of the most important remaining series this season.

Otherwise, Toronto hosts Tampa Bay, a team that is eliminated but not necessarily an easy opponent. Boston has a second tough opponent, finishing the season at home against the Tigers in a series that could also decide the final wild card spot.

The Yankees get the easy schedule: they host both the White Sox and Orioles. New York has every chance to jump to the top of this division by simply taking care of business and hoping for the best with the Blue Jays playing a tough series.

AL Central

• Detroit Tigers 85-71
• Cleveland Guardians 84-72

These teams play a three-game series from Tuesday through Thursday that will go a long way toward deciding the division champion. Cleveland was double-digit games back much of the season and still looked highly unlikely to get into the division race even a few weeks ago, but they were on a streak of 15 wins in 16 games before Sunday's loss, putting them right back in the hunt.

The team that doesn't win the division might miss the playoffs altogether, as Cleveland is tied for the last wild card and just one back of the division; wouldn't that be something for Detroit to miss the postseason after all this time at the top?

I mentioned above that the Tigers and Red Sox end the season against each other in Boston, a tougher finish. The Guardians' last series is at home against Texas, a team that is likely to be eliminated from playoff contention by the time they meet, so Cleveland might have the advantage. So much will come down to the three head-to-head matchups.

AL West

• Seattle Mariners 87-69
• Houston Astros 84-72

The Mariners held tough but couldn't pass Houston for much of the second half of the season. They finally had the chance to do the dirty work themselves and swept the Astros in Houston this weekend. Seattle now controls their own destiny over the final week.

They play all six games at home to finish things up, first hosting the moribund Rockies and then the Dodgers, who might have their playoff status locked in before the series starts. It could be an easier finish for the Mariners.

Houston gets easier opponents also, but they have to go on the road for all their games. The first three are at the Athletics, and the Astros then finish in Anaheim against the Angels. Both of those AL West foes have been eliminated from playoff contention and are 10-plus games under .500.

NL West

• Los Angeles Dodgers 88-68
• San Diego Padres 85-71

Three games separate the teams at the top of the NL West. They both want to win division, of course, but a wild card is likely for the team that comes in second, and even the division champ won't get a first-round bye and will be forced to play in the wild card round (though they will play at home).

The Dodgers are on the road for all six to finish the year, facing two teams still in playoff contention. They start with three in Arizona before ending in Seattle against a Mariner team that might have to fight until the end.

San Diego gets all six at home but also has tougher opponents. They first must face the Brewers, who not only have the best record in baseball but are fighting hard to keep it. The Padres' final series is against Arizona, a team currently just one back in the wild card despite selling at the trade deadline.

Wild Cards

American League

• New York Yankees 88-68
• Boston Red Sox 85-71
• Cleveland Guardians 84-72
• Houston Astros 84-72

We talked about each of these teams in the context of their division, but there is a lot to determine in the wild card as well. The Yankees are in the best position both because they own the top wild card and because they finish with an easy schedule; New York's playoff spot is pretty secure.

The other berths will be a fight right down to the end, as only two of Boston, Cleveland, and Houston can make the postseason. No one has an easy path either, so it may turn into a war of attrition of who can navigate the final week; every game will matter. Detroit might factor in here also if the Guardians win the AL Central.

The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals are both technically alive, but they are five and six back, respectively, and would need to jump at least two teams above them. It's highly unlikely that either Texas or KC will be in position to compete until the end.

National League

• Chicago Cubs 88-68
• San Diego Padres 85-71
• New York Mets 80-76
• Cincinnati Reds 80-76
• Arizona Diamondbacks 79-77

The Cubs are locked into a wild card spot, out of the division race but having already clinched the playoffs. They would do well to keep the top spot because the first wild card hosts the second wild card in a three-game series in the first round of the playoffs; better to play at home than away.

San Diego has a small chance to both win their division and sneak into the top wild card, but the most likely outcome is that they hold steady as the second wild card and travel to Chicago in the first round.

Then things start getting interesting. The Mets, Reds, and Diamondbacks are each within one game of each other for the final wild card spot.

New York plays six on the road against the Cubs and Marlins, one tougher series and one that might be a little easier. It's the same story for the Reds, who host the Pirates then travel to Milwaukee. Arizona has the toughest road of them all, hosting the Dodgers before visiting San Diego.

The three probably only have a shot at that final wild card, so every game is of super importance. In the American League, at least there are two spots for three teams. Here, we only have one spot for the three, making it even more of a potential bloodbath to the final day.

The San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and Miami Marlins are all either three or four games back and still technically alive. It's unlikely any of the three will make the playoffs because they would have to not only make up the difference but would also have to jump every team in front of them.