Four teams enter Game 162 with playoff places at stake: Houston takes the AL West with a win or Rangers loss; the Rangers need a win and Astros loss. Philadelphia claims the NL’s final wild card with a win or Arizona loss; the Diamondbacks need both a win and a Phillies loss.
Houston plays the Athletics and Texas faces the Twins; the Astros hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rangers, who are already eliminated from wild-card contention and can reach the postseason only by winning the division. Philadelphia plays the Rays, while Arizona faces the Padres.
Ten teams had already clinched postseason berths and 16 were eliminated; only the AL West and NL’s final wild-card spot remained undecided. The Rays and Guardians had secured AL byes, while the Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox were set as AL wild cards. The Brewers, Dodgers, Braves, Padres and Cubs were seeded first through fifth in the NL; Philadelphia or Arizona would take No. 6.
