As Major League Baseball’s season heads towards the homestretch, fans wondering about their team’s playoff fate in this new, expanded postseason format will need more information beyond their team’s record.
For the first time in a full season, teams’ head-to-head performances against division and league foes will determine who reaches the playoffs in the event of a tie after 162 games.
Gone is the Game 163 tiebreaker, used to separate division or wild-card winners. Now, three division winners and three wild cards in each league will be determined, if necessary, by a tiebreaker system.
Whether for a division title or wild card, it goes like this:
- Head-to-head record
- Intra-division record
- Inter-division record
- Last half of intra-league games
- Last half of intra-league games plus one (and continuing until the tie is broken).
OK, so we’re not about to get into all of that – at least not until the final days of the season. But knowing how your team did against its biggest rivals for division titles, wild card berths and even home field advantage will only grow more important as October draws near. And keep in mind, the division winners with the two best records will receive a first-round bye.
With that, a look at each contender’s most relevant head-to-head records, in order of current seed:
(thru Aug. 16 games)
American League tiebreakers
(* indicates games still remain against that team. Clinched season series in bold italic).
Houston Astros
5-2 vs. Yankees
12-7 vs. Mariners
New York Yankees
2-5 vs. Astros
8-5 vs. rays*
8-4 vs. Blue Jays*
11-5 vs. Orioles*
Cleveland Guardians
6-5 vs. Twins*
8-5 vs. White Sox*
1-2 vs. rays*
3-1 vs. Blue Jays*
2-1 vs. Orioles*
1-5 vs. Yankees
0-0 vs. Mariners*
Seattle Mariners
7-12 vs. Astros
5-2 vs. Blue Jays
2-5 vs. Rays
4-2 vs. Orioles
4-2 vs. Yankees
3-4 vs. Twins
0-0 vs. Guardians*
1-2 vs. White Sox*
Tampa Bay Rays
6-4 vs. Blue Jays*
5-8 vs. Yankees*
10-9 vs. Orioles
2-4 vs. Twins
1-2 vs. Guardians*
2-4 vs. White Sox
5-2 vs. Mariners
0-0 vs. Astros*
Toronto Blue Jays
4-8 vs. Yankees*
4-6 vs. rays*
3-6 vs. Orioles*
3-4 vs. Twins
2-5 vs. Guardians
4-2 vs. White Sox
2-4 vs. Astros
Baltimore Orioles
6-3 vs. Blue Jays*
9-10 vs. Rays
5-11 vs. Yankees
3-4 vs. Twins
1-2 vs. Guardians*
3-1 vs. White Sox*
0-0 vs. Astros*
2-4 vs. Mariners
Twins
5-6 vs. Guardians*
6-4 vs. White Sox*
4-3 vs. Mariners
4-2 vs. Rays
4-3 vs. Orioles
4-3 vs. Blue Jays
1-2 vs. Yankees*
White Sox
5-8 vs. Guardians*
4-6 vs. Twins*
2-4 vs. Blue Jays
4-2 vs. Rays
1-3 vs. Orioles*
3-4 vs. Yankees
2-1 vs. Mariners*
National League tiebreakers
Los Angeles Dodgers
2-2 vs. Mets*
2-1 vs. Cardinals*
8-2 vs. Padres*
10-3 vs. Giants*
4-2 vs. Braves
3-4 vs. Phillies
2-1 vs. Brewers*
New York Mets
9-6 vs. Braves*
11-4 vs. Phillies*
5-2 vs. Cardinals
2-1 vs. Brewers*
2-2 vs. Dodgers*
2-4 vs. Padres
4-3 vs. Giants
St. Louis Cardinals
8-7 vs. Brewers*
2-5 vs. Mets
1-3 vs. Braves*
3-4 vs. Phillies
1-2 vs. Dodgers*
3-0 vs. Padres*
4-3 vs. Giants
Atlanta Braves
6-9 vs. Mets*
6-6 vs. Phillies*
3-1 vs. Cardinals*
3-3 vs. Brewers
2-4 vs. Dodgers
3-4 vs. Padres
3-1 vs. Giants*
Philadelphia Phillies
4-11 vs. Mets*
6-6 vs. Braves*
4-3 vs. Cardinals
4-2 vs. Brewers
4-3 vs. Dodgers
4-3 vs. Padres
1-2 vs. Giants*
San Diego Padres
2-8 vs. Dodgers*
8-5 vs. Giants*
4-2 vs. Mets
4-3 vs. Braves
3-4 vs. Phillies
0-3 vs. Cardinals*
4-3 vs. Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
7-8 vs. Cardinals*
3-3 vs. Braves
3-4 vs. Padres
2-4 vs. Phillies
1-4 vs. Giants
1-2 vs. Dodgers*
San Francisco Giants
3-10 vs. Dodgers*
5-8 vs. Padres*
4-1 vs. Brewers
2-1 vs. Phillies*
1-3 vs. Braves*
3-4 vs. Cardinals
