Season Series Wins Could Have Huge Postseason Implications

Head-to-head matchups between division rivals have always been marquee events on the baseball calendar. For example, the Astros and Rangers season series is known as the Silver Boot Series – and they play for an actual silver boot trophy.

Not every intradivisional season series comes with fancy hardware or a catchy name, but matchups between division rivals like the Yankees and Red Sox, Dodgers and Giants, and Cubs and Cardinals have long been appointment viewing.

However, under the latest CBA between MLB and the MLBPA, head-to-head records between close competitors are more important than ever. Tiebreaker games (a.k.a. “game 163’s”) no longer exist.

Instead, ties in the standings are decided by a series of pre-set tiebreaking procedures.

If two teams have identical records at the end of the regular season – and their tie has an impact on the postseason picture – the team with the better head-to-head record comes out on top.

This means that a postseason berth, and even a division crown, can be decided by a season series. Just last year, the Astros beat the Rangers to claim the AL West title and earn a first-round bye – even though the two teams had identical 90-72 records.

It didn’t end up hurting the Rangers last year, but it’s only a matter of time before a team completely misses the playoffs because they lost a critical season series.

Indeed, winning the season series is pretty similar to gaining half a game on an opponent. I almost wonder if we should include tiebreaker information in the official standings.

After all, the standings will tell you the Dodgers have a three-game lead over the Padres. Yet, more accurately, they only have a 2.5-game cushion; in the case of a tie, the division will go to San Diego, who clinched the season series last week.

Season Series Matchups to Watch: Division Rivals

Unfortunately, you won’t see much about tiebreakers in the standings on MLB.com (or anywhere else, for that matter). That can make the postseason picture a little difficult to keep track of – especially in a season with so many close races.

Thankfully, Just Baseball has you covered with a breakdown of all the key season series matchups to watch down the stretch.

Let’s get started with the most critical head-to-head matchups remaining in each division:

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles – AL East

Orioles lead 6-4 with three games remaining (Sept. 24-26)

The Orioles only need one more win the clinch the season series against their division rivals.

Cleveland Guardians vs. Minnesota Twins – AL Central

Guardians lead 5-0 with eight games remaining (Aug. 9-11, Sept. 16-19)

The Guardians have gotten off to a great start in their season series against the Twins. Minnesota needs to win seven of their remaining eight matchups to take the series.

Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros – AL West

Mariners lead 6-4 with three games remaining (Sept. 23-25)

The Mariners are one win away from clinching the season series against the Astros. Could the AL West be decided by a tiebreaker two years in a row?

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves – NL East

Braves lead 4-2 with seven games remaining (Aug. 20-22, Aug. 29-Sept. 1)

The Phillies hold a comfortable 7.5-game lead over the Braves right now, but Atlanta has seven games left to play against Philly. This season series is still up for grabs.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks – NL West

Diamondbacks lead 5-4 with four games remaining (Aug. 30-Sept. 2)

The Dodgers may have already lost the tiebreaker to the Padres, but they still have a chance to gain a critical advantage over the Diamondbacks. L.A. needs to win the series in Arizona over Labor Day weekend to claim the season series.

More Undecided Divisional Season Series

It’s hard to imagine teams like the Red Sox, Royals, Rangers, Mets, Cardinals, and Pirates making a serious run for their respective division crowns. Still, let’s acknowledge the top three teams in each division just to cover all our bases:

• Yankees vs. Red Sox – BOS leads 5-4 with four games remaining (Sept. 12-15)
• Orioles vs. Red Sox – BAL leads 5-1 with seven games remaining (Aug. 15-18, Sept. 9-11)
• Guardians vs. Royals – KCR leads 4-2 with seven games remaining (Aug. 26-28, Sept. 2-4)
• Mariners vs. Rangers – SEA leads 5-1 with seven games remaining (Sept. 12-15, 20-22)
• Phillies vs. Mets – PHI leads 4-2 with seven games remaining (Sept. 13-15, 19-22)
• Brewers vs. Cardinals – MIL leads 6-1 with six games remaining (Aug. 20-22, Sept. 2-4)
• Brewers vs. Pirates – tied 5-5 with three games remaining (Sept. 24-26)

Season Series Matchups to Watch: NL Wild Card Race

San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

The season series is tied 5-5 with three games remaining (Sept. 27-29)

The Padres and D-backs are neck and neck in the standings, and their even head-to-head record isn’t helping. These two teams will meet up for what should be a thrilling final head-to-head matchup over the last three days of the regular season.

And who knows? If the Dodgers continue to struggle, this series could end up deciding the NL West.

Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets

The season series is tied 5-5 with three games remaining (Sept. 24-26)

Who would have guessed the Braves and Mets would be this close in the standings so late into the season? A late-September matchup will decide this intradivision season series.

San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets

Mets lead 3-0 with four games remaining (Aug. 22-25)

The red-hot Mets of mid-June swept the Padres the first time these two teams met this year. The Mets only need to win one game at Petco Park to clinch the season series.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets

The season series tied is 2-2 with three games remaining (Aug. 27-29)

After wrapping things up with the Padres, the Mets will head to Phoenix for three games against the Diamondbacks. Whoever wins the series will gain a valuable edge in a close NL Wild Card race.

San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals lead 2-1 with four games remaining (Aug. 26-29)

The Cardinals are on the outside of the NL Wild card race looking in. Taking at least two more games from the Padres will clinch them the season series and boost their postseason chances.

Season Series Matchups to Watch: AL Wild Card Race

Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox

Orioles lead 5-1 with seven games remaining (Aug. 15-18, Sept. 9-11)

The Orioles only need to win two more games against the Red Sox to clinch the season series.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins

Orioles lead 3-0 with three games remaining (Sept. 27-29)

The best the Twins can do is tie this season series if they sweep the Orioles over the final three games of the season. If Minnesota can pull that off, a tie between these two teams would be broken by their respective intradivision records.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Houston Astros

Astros lead 3-0 with four games remaining (Aug. 22-25)

The Astros are one win away from taking the season series against the Orioles. Houston is currently 8.5 games back of Baltimore, so this one probably doesn’t matter, but the ‘Stros will take any advantage they can get.

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Red Sox lead 5-4 with four games remaining (Sept. 12-15)

Yankees versus Red Sox is one of the sport’s most famous rivalries. This intradivision season series will come down to a four-game set in the Bronx in September.

New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals

Yankees lead 3-1 with three games remaining (Sept. 9-11)

The Yankees can take the season series over the Royals with one more win. Kansas City needs to sweep when the two teams meet at Yankee Stadium in September to gain the tiebreaker.

New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners

The season series tied is 2-2 with three games remaining (Sept. 17-19)

The Mariners host the Yankees at T-Mobile Park in mid-September. The winner of the three-game set will clinch the season series.

Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros

The Red Sox and Astros have not played yet this season. They will play six games from Aug. 9-11 and Aug. 19-21.

These two clubs will face off in a pair of exciting series during the dog days of summer.

Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals

Twins lead 5-2 with six games remaining (Aug. 12-14, Sept. 6-8)

The Twins need two more wins against their division rivals to put this season series away.

Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox

Twins lead 2-1 with three games remaining (Sept. 20-22)

If the Twins win their final three-game set against the Red Sox, they’ll take the season series. The Red Sox, on the other hand, need a sweep to come out ahead of the Twins. If Boston takes two of three, the series will end in a tie.

Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros

Royals lead 3-0 with four games remaining (Aug. 29-Sept. 1)

The Royals are one win away from clinching their season series against the Astros.

2024 MLB Postseason Tiebreaker Tracker

National League Season Series Tiebreakers

Six NL season series with significant postseason implications have already been decided, as of August 8. This only includes the top three teams in each division and the top five teams in the Wild Card race.

• The Padres hold the NL West/Wild Card tiebreaker over the Dodgers.
• The Padres hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Braves.
• The Braves hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks.
• The Cardinals hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Braves.
• The Mets hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Cardinals.
• The Cardinals and Diamondbacks split their season series (tie broken by intradivision records).

American League Season Series Tiebreakers

Ten AL season series with significant postseason implications have already been decided, as of August 8. This only includes the top three teams in each division and the top five teams in the Wild Card race.

• The Orioles hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Royals.
• The Orioles hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Mariners.
• The Red Sox hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Royals.
• The Red Sox hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Mariners.
• The Yankees hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Astros.
• The Twins hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Yankees.
• The Twins hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Astros.
• The Twins hold the Wild Card tiebreaker over the Mariners.
• The Royals and Mariners split their season series (tie broken by intradivision records).
• The Astros hold the AL West/Wild Card tiebreaker over the Rangers.