Five more clubs could lock in a trip to the 2026 MLB postseason this Wednesday, but what Seattle fans need to know is our Mariners are about to play spoiler, kingmaker, or both in the American League. It’s September 23rd, and the playoff picture is getting wild, with our M’s right in the middle of some serious AL Central drama.
The Postseason Push: Who’s In, Who’s Almost There
Six teams have already punched their ticket to the playoffs: the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Boston Red Sox. That’s a solid group already set to duke it out. But today, the Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres are all on the verge of clinching their own postseason berths depending on how the balls bounce.
The Cubs, for instance, had a rough go on Tuesday, blowing a chance to secure a spot with a loss to the Miami Marlins. Now they’ve got two shots today: either snagging a redemption win over the Marlins or having the Colorado Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Phillies need a win against the Milwaukee Brewers, plus either a Rockies victory or a San Diego Padres win against the Los Angeles Dodgers to get in. And the Padres themselves are in with a win over the Dodgers and a Rockies victory. This whole thing is a domino effect, right?
How Our Mariners Could Blow Up the AL Central
Here’s where it gets interesting for us, Emerald City faithful. The Cleveland Guardians are desperate for a win over the Red Sox. But that’s not all: they also need either the New York Mets to beat the Texas Rangers OR the Houston Astros to beat our very own Seattle Mariners. So yeah, our M’s are directly involved in whether the Guardians get to celebrate tonight!
And it gets even wilder for the AL Central. The outcomes of both the White Sox and Guardians games are gonna determine who wins that race to the top of the AL Central. The division winner could snag an AL top seed and a Wild Card-round bye. Wanna know how that happens? If the Guardians beat the Red Sox, our Mariners defeat the Astros, AND the Mets win over the Rangers. Let that sink in. A Mariners victory against the Astros could literally help hand an AL Central champ a bye in the Wild Card round and home-field advantage! It’s not just about the Guardians’ win; it’s about what our team does.
Other Teams Teetering on the Brink
It’s not all about clinching, though. Some teams are staring down the barrel of elimination today. The Toronto Blue Jays are in a tough spot: they need to win both games of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, AND they need the White Sox to lose to the Royals OR the Guardians to lose to the Red Sox, just to keep their hopes alive. The Orioles are also one loss away from being out of it completely, especially if they split that doubleheader with the Blue Jays.
So yeah, while the Mariners themselves aren’t clinching anything tonight, their game against the Astros is gonna be appointment viewing. Can they play spoiler for the Astros and help decide who gets that sweet AL bye? You better believe we’ll be glued to that screen to see if Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh can help stir up some chaos. Go M’s!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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