The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, last season’s ALCS teams, are guaranteed losing records for the first time since 1987. Toronto has been eliminated from playoff contention; Seattle is out of the Wild Card race but can still win the AL West.
Toronto lost 4-2 to Baltimore on Wednesday and has one three-game series left against Cincinnati; its best possible finish is 80-82. Seattle is seven games behind the White Sox for the final Wild Card spot and four behind AL West co-leaders Houston and Texas. Its remaining four games are against the Angels; a sweep could potentially put Seattle atop the division, though its best possible record is 78-84.
The article notes that the postseason format has expanded since the 1987 benchmark: one Wild Card spot per league was introduced in 1995, a second in 2012, and a third in 2022, when the best-of-three Wild Card Series began.
