The Clinching Scenarios for the 2022 MLB Postseason -

By Zachary Lichter

The 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) Postseason is one week away from Friday, and as of Monday six teams have already clinched their spot in the postseason. The 2022 MLB Postseason will look different from other past postseasons. For starters, the bracket has been extended to twelve teams, with six teams from both the American (AL) and National Leagues (NL). Also the top two teams from the American and National Leagues will get a first-round bye.

The Wild Card round will now be a best of three series, when in previous postseasons there would’ve been a single elimination game to determine which two teams would face the top seeded team in the AL or the NL. This was all part of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players association (MLBPA). The rest of the postseason will still look the same, with a best-of-five-game series in the League Division Series and a best-of-seven-game series in both the League Championship Series and the World Series.

“One immediate positive thing that has happened with the expansion of postseason brackets was the increase in teams going ‘all-in’ and trying to make the final push into the playoffs,” said sophomore political science major and sports management and philosophy minor Matthew Cutrona. “During the trade deadline, a lot of teams, notably the Philadelphia Phillies, decided to trade for players that will help them now, signaling that they want to compete in the postseason. While MLB might see less of that moving forward, it was something nice to see recently. Something to note is that there will be less teams to eclipse 100 losses compared to last season, which is a positive sign. “

So far, three teams from the National League have clinched their spots in the postseason, beginning with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who clinched the NL West on Tuesday, September 13. They would then clinch home-field advantage in the postseason on Sunday. The New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves would then both secure their playoff berths. The race between the Mets and the Braves is still tight on who will clinch the NL East. The only division left in the National League to clinch a spot in the postseason is the NL Central. As of Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals have a six-and-a-half-game lead against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I believe that it will take till the series against the Brewers (9/27-9/29) to determine if they clinch a spot in the postseason, specifically if they clinch the NL Central,” Cutrona said. “This series will be the second biggest series down the stretch in the National League, aside from the Mets and Braves which is the biggest series in all of baseball because of what is at play. The Cardinals are simply better than the Brewers in all aspects, ever since the Brewers decided to trade their All-Star Closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline, coupled with their lack of power in the lineup (besides Willy Adames, who is amazing), the Brewers have lost their potential everyone believed they had on Opening Day.”

As far as the American League goes, the Houston Astros were able to clinch a playoff berth on Sunday, September 19 and the AL West the following day. The New York Yankees were able to seal their playoff berth on Thursday, September 22 and later the AL East on September 27. The Cleveland Guardians were able to clinch the AL Central on Sunday. The AL Wild Card spots are still pending, as there is about a week left in the season and three spots are still vacant. As far as the National League goes, there are only four spots left in the postseason. There is still a week left of baseball, and there is a lot to keep an eye on as the 2022 MLB regular season comes to a close.