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There was a time not too long ago when it seemed like the postseason field might well be settled by this point.

Well, so much for that.

Instead, the MLB regular season enters its final weekend with a tremendous amount still at stake, as some teams surge toward the finish line and others try to hold on for dear life. Two divisions (the AL East and AL Central) and both Wild Card races hang in the balance. On the AL side, there are four teams fighting for three berths, while on the NL side, there are three clubs battling for the final ticket to October. 

In other words, the next three days are going to be bananas. (And remember: Every game on Sunday will start at roughly 3 p.m. ET.)  So before the madness begins, let’s take a team-by-team look to prepare you for the drama ahead. (Each team’s weekend opponent is listed in parentheses.)

The Guardians (vs. TEX) and Tigers (at BOS) are the only teams that enter this weekend with all three of these results in play: 1) Division title, 2) Wild Card berth, or 3) No postseason berth at all. Cleveland is on the brink of setting a record for the largest deficit overcome to capture a division crown, because while the teams are tied in the standings, Cleveland holds the tiebreaker. In other words, the Tigers need to win one more game than the Guardians this weekend to snatch back the AL Central title. 

It’s entirely possible that both teams make the playoffs and even face each other in the Wild Card Series, with the division winner as the No. 3 seed and the runner-up as the No. 6 seed. Both the Guardians and Tigers are one game ahead of the Astros and also hold the tiebreaker over Houston, so both teams need a combination of two wins or Astros losses to clinch a playoff spot.

The Blue Jays (vs. TB) and Yankees (vs. BAL) both have clinched playoff berths, and they are tied atop the AL East standings, with the Blue Jays holding the tiebreaker. Whichever team comes out on top will be either the No. 1 or 2 seed in the AL alongside the Mariners, while the other will be the No. 4 seed and host a Wild Card Series.

Seattle (vs. LAD) enters the weekend a game behind both Toronto and New York and doesn't have the tiebreaker with either AL East squad.

The Red Sox (vs. DET) are out of the AL East race but are two games ahead of the Astros for the final AL Wild Card berth and also hold the tiebreaker over Houston. Therefore, just one Boston win or Houston loss locks up a playoff spot for the Sox, who could finish as either the No. 5 or No. 6 AL seed.

The Astros (at LAA) are in a somewhat dire situation. Not only are they a game out of the final spot, but they would lose a tiebreaker to each of the three teams they could catch (the Guardians, Tigers or Red Sox). Even if Houston wins out, it would need one of Cleveland or Detroit to lose at least two games OR for Boston to lose out.

Shifting over to the NL side, the Mets (at MIA) are the only team that controls its destiny for the third and final Wild Card spot, which would mean the No. 6 seed in the playoff field. If New York wins out, it heads to October and would play the Dodgers in the Wild Card Series. With that said, even one loss puts the club in danger, because it would lose a tiebreaker to both the Reds (at MIL) and D-backs (at SD). Basically, the Mets need to win at least as many games as Cincinnati AND no worse than one fewer game than Arizona to survive.

On the flip side, the Reds need to win one more game than the Mets. They also hold the tiebreaker over the D-backs. So if, for example, Cincinnati wins two of three in Milwaukee, it would eliminate Arizona and grab a spot with two or more losses by New York. The D-backs, on the other hand, are hoping for a miracle; even sweeping the Padres would leave them needing both the Mets and Reds to lose at least twice.

Got all that? Then buckle up and get ready for the show.

-- Andrew Simon

Pharrell Williams is no stranger to legendary moments and achievements: He's won 13 Grammy Awards for his excellence as a musician and producer, and he has also been a significant disruptor in the fashion arena.

Pharrell has also thrown out the first pitch before a Yankees game and collaborated with the team on a Billionaire Boys Club capsule. And now, this true renaissance man has added 2025 Postseason Hype Man to the many hats he already wears.

Williams stars alongside Virginia choir Voices of Fire and a 25-piece orchestra from the University of Miami in MLB's epic "October Hits Different" music video, which perfectly encapsulates the talent, passion and unity that defines sport at the highest level. Watch the video here and just try not to get pumped up for the epic month that lies ahead.

"These performers have been working their whole lives for this stage," Pharrell says in the video, "and when they step up, the crowd loses its mind.

"It's postseason. Time to let these maestros of the diamond shine."

-- Bryan Horowitz

Six teams are fighting for three open playoff spots. That means multiple fanbases will have a bitter taste in their mouths come Sunday night. 

But hey, even if you’re one of those fans left wandering aimlessly Sunday, take a morsel of solace knowing some fans in the past have had it worse. As in, "My team won how many games, and it’s STILL not playing in October?!" 

In the past 40 years, 13 teams won at least 93 games and were still left out of the postseason. The MLB Vault YouTube channel is diving deep today into that unlucky baker’s dozen, a group that even includes five clubs that won 96-plus games (and one that won more than 100!) and were left cleaning out their lockers at the end of September. 

It’s essentially a mathematical impossibility in today’s expanded Wild Card era for a team that good to miss out on playoff baseball. The winningest club to miss the playoffs so far in the current 12-team format, dating back to 2022, are last year’s 89-win D-backs.

So if your squad is one of those final clubs on the outside looking in by Sunday, watch that video for a little comfort. Unlike those most unlucky teams, a few more wins is probably enough to get your squad into October next season.

-- Matt Kelly

The numbers are in, and Shohei Ohtani is still on top. The Dodgers superstar has MLB’s most popular player jersey for the third straight season, leading sales from the Fanatics network of sites since Opening Day. The NL MVP favorite is followed by Yankees superstar Aaron Judge at No. 2.

A pair of Ohtani's Dodgers teammates joined him in the top five: Freddie Freeman at No. 3 and Mookie Betts at No. 4. Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, who became the third pair of teammates to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season, were next at Nos. 5 and 6. Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, who will retire after this season, made the cut at No. 12.

Other prominent names in the top 20 include four first-time finishers: Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who ended his sophomore campaign with a sub-2.00 ERA; Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran; Cubs breakout star Pete Crow-Armstrong -- who went deep to join the 30-30 Club on Friday afternoon -- and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who is two homers shy of Judge’s AL record of 62.

-- Betelhem Ashame

The vote for the Roberto Clemente Award, considered one of baseball's most prestigious individual honors for Major Leaguers, ends Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET.

There are plenty of worthy candidates, but if you need help deciding, visit MLBTogether.com/clemente21 (in both English and Spanish) to follow up on each nominee's cause or community involvement.

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