The 12 teams in the 2025 MLB playoff bracket are set, and the march to the World Series is on right now.
18 teams saw their seasons come to an end on Sunday, September 28. For some, it was merciful, while others, such as the New York Mets, harbored playoff aspirations until the final day. Across the East River and into the Bronx, the New York Yankees are one of the 12 teams chasing October glory.
Look at each bracket with us, and then, as a bonus, we will size up the contenders to win the whole thing in 2025.
2025 MLB Playoff Bracket: AL
Cleveland caught and surpassed Detroit to win the AL Central, but they are the three seed, meaning these teams will play again in a best-of-three series. The division title was crucial, as it came with home-field advantage.
The Yankees lost the tiebreaker to Toronto, and will be the number four seed despite being tied for the best record in the AL. They face their rivals from Boston in the Bronx.
The winner of the Yankees/Red Sox series will stay within the AL East to face Toronto in the ALDS. As for the winner of the Cleveland/Detroit series, they will face Seattle.
2025 MLB Playoff Bracket: NL
The defending champion Dodgers will play in the Wild Card series this year, hosting Cincinnati, who clinched the sixth seed on the final day of the season. Philadelphia awaits the winner of that series.
On the other end of the bracket, San Diego and the Cubs will meet in Chicago for their series. A trip to Milwaukee for Game 1 of the NLDS will be on the other side.
Postseason Outlook
American League
The two best teams in the AL at the moment appear to be the Yankees and Blue Jays. Had the Yankees clipped the Jays on the last day, they would be the favorite to return to the World Series. Playing Boston in the first round, however, is a dicey proposition. These are short series and the Red Sox have the starting pitching to snatch two games. Either way, the Yankees’ path back to the World Series would be more difficult than last year.
Detroit has melted down late, so Cleveland is a likely favorite in their series. There is nothing worse than going into the playoffs ice-cold. The caution here is that anything can happen in a three-game series; Detroit might luck into two wins, but if they do not come back to life, they will not go much further.
At the moment, Seattle also appears to be a formidable opponent. This is a franchise seeking its first trip to the World Series ever. Don’t expect them to be an easy out.
National League
Whether the six seed was Cincinnati or the Mets, neither team was likely to be long for the postseason. The Dodgers are not the Baseball Death Star everyone expected, but losing at home in the Wild Card round would be unthinkable.
The Padres/Cubs series should be a real fight. Both teams have a legitimate claim to move on to the NLDS, in which case they would get the Brewers. Speaking of, yes, the Brewers have the best record in baseball, but I know some are wondering if this team, which has not been to the World Series since they were an AL team in 1982, has what it takes to get there. Franchise history has not been kind in terms of postseason goals, but this is probably their best shot to get there in ages.
Should the Dodgers play the Phillies, that will be a very interesting series. Does Los Angeles flip “it” back on like a light switch, or will the more consistent Phils mash their way to the NLCS?
