MLB Playoff Picture 2024: Phillies Clinch NL East; Updated Bracket, Standings

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The Philadelphia Phillies are NL East champions for the first time in more than a decade.

They clinched the division on Monday with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs, marking their return to the top of the NL East for the first time since 2011.

Philadelphia Phillies @PhilliesNL EAST CHAMPIONS pic.twitter.com/peQVT1C08I

That last division win came amid a stretch of five NL East titles from 2007 to 2011, highlighted by the Phillies’ 2008 World Series victory, and followed by a decade without a postseason appearance.

Philadelphia is not only back in the postseason, but it’s also looking to contend for the third title in franchise history.

Here’s a look at the playoff picture now that the Phillies have secured their spot atop the division.

Projected American League Playoff Matchups

First-round bye: No. 1 New York Yankees, No. 2 Cleveland GuardiansWild Card Series: No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers, No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Kansas City RoyalsProjected National League Playoff Matchups

First-round bye: No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers, No. 2 Philadelphia PhilliesWild Card Series: No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks, No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 New York MetsThe Phillies have earned themselves a first-round bye and a trip to the NLDS with their dominant regular season.

There’s still more on the line in the remainder of the regular season, though. They could could guarantee themselves home-field advantage throughout the entire postseason if they are able to beat out the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in Major League Baseball.

Current Standings

AL East

New York Yankees (92-64)*Baltimore Orioles (86-70, 6 GB)Boston Red Sox (78-78, 14 GB)Tampa Bay Rays (78-78, 14 GB)Toronto Blue Jays (73-83, 19 GB)AL Central

Cleveland Guardians (90-67)*Kansas City Royals (82-74, 7.5 GB)Detroit Tigers (82-74, 7.5 GB)Minnesota Twins (81-75, 8.5 GB)Chicago White Sox (36-120, 53.5 GB)AL West

Houston Astros (85-71)Seattle Mariners (80-76, 5 GB)Texas Rangers (74-82, 11 GB)Oakland Athletics (67-89, 18 GB)Los Angeles Angels (63-93, 22 GB)AL Wild Card

Baltimore Orioles (86-70, +4 Games)Kansas City Royals (82-74)Detroit Tigers (82-74)Minnesota Twins (81-75, 1 GB)Seattle Mariners (80-76, 2 GB)Tampa Bay Rays (78-78, 4 GB)Boston Red Sox (78-78, 4 GB)NL East

Philadelphia Phillies (93-64)**New York Mets (87-69, 5.5 GB)Atlanta Braves (85-71, 7.5 GB)Washington Nationals (69-87, 23.5 GB)Miami Marlins (57-99, 35.5 GB)NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers (89-67)** Chicago Cubs (80-77, 9.5 GB)St. Louis Cardinals (79-77, 10 GB)Cincinnati Reds, (76-81, 13.5 GB)Pittsburgh Pirates (73-83, 16 GB)NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63)*San Diego Padres (90-66, 3 GB)Arizona Diamondbacks (87-69, 6 GB)San Francisco Giants (77-79, 16 GB)Colorado Rockies (60-96, 33 GB)NL Wild Card

San Diego Padres (90-66, +3 Games)New York Mets (87-69)Arizona Diamondbacks (87-69)Atlanta Braves (85-71, 2 GB)*Denotes clinched playoff spot

**Denotes clinched division

The Phillies’ last two postseason runs ended in heartbreak.

Two years ago, they made it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009, pulling out to 1-0 and 2-1 series leads over the Houston Astros before losing in six games.

The Phillies then came within one win of another trip to the World Series after gaining a 3-2 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NL Championship Series, only to lose Games 6 and 7 to the NL West Wild Card team.

In order to make it back to the World Series this fall, they may need to face another NL East opponent in the NL Division Series. The Atlanta Braves, whom the Phillies have ousted from both the 2022 and 2023 NLDS, are vying with the New York Mets for the final wild-card spot in the NL.

The Braves would bring Cy Young favorite Chris Sale to the mound, while Francisco Lindor’s bat is putting his name in NL MVP contention for the Mets.

The Phillies will hope to counter both potential division opponents with one of the best starting rotations in the MLB.

Zack Wheeler is likely to get the start in Game 1 of the postseason after posting an NL-best 0.96 WHIP through 31 starts this season. Cristopher Sánchez stands to benefit from home-field advantage after ranking third in the NL with a 2.05 ERA at home.

Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez round out, arguably, the strongest rotation in the NL heading into the postseason, although both will need to bounce back before the postseason. The former has posted his highest ERA of the season in September, while the latter has struggled with consistency since returning from the IL at the end of August.

The Phillies’ pitching has often been more reliable than the team’s offense, which threatened to derail the hopes of a division title as scoring plateaued in earlier stretches of the season.

After last year’s World Series hopes fell apart when the Phillies scored a combined three runs in the final two games of the loss to the Diamondbacks, Philadelphia will need consistent offense from batters such as Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper in order to make a deeper run this postseason.

For now the Phillies’ focus will turn to securing the best record in the MLB and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

If they can establish pitching consistency and increase offensive momentum during this final stretch, the Phillies could enter the postseason as a favorite for a third straight trip to the NLCS.