MLB Playoff Image 2024: Phillies Clinch NL East; Up to date Bracket, Standings

The Philadelphia Phillies are NL East champions for the primary time in additional than a decade.

The Phillies clinched the division on Monday with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs, marking their return to the highest of the NL East for the primary time since 2011.

That final division win got here amid a stretch of 5 NL East titles from 2007 to 2011, highlighted by the Phillies’ 2008 World Sequence victory, and adopted by a decade and not using a postseason look.

Now the Phillies aren’t solely again within the postseason. They’re trying to contend for the third title in franchise historical past.

This is a take a look at the playoff image 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 Guardians
• Wild Card Sequence: No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers, No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Kansas Metropolis Royals

Projected Nationwide League Playoff Matchups

• First-round bye: No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers, No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies
• Wild Card Sequence: No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks, No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 New York Mets

The Phillies have earned themselves a first-round bye and a visit to the NLDS with their dominant common season.

There’s nonetheless extra on the road within the the rest of the common season. The Phillies may may assure themselves dwelling subject benefit all through the whole thing of the postseason if they’re able to beat out the Los Angeles Dodgers for the very best report within the MLB.

1. New York Yankees (92-64)*
2. Baltimore Orioles (86-70, 6 GB)
3. Boston Crimson Sox (78-78, 14 GB)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (78-78, 14 GB)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (73-83, 19 GB)

1. Cleveland Guardians (90-67)*
2. Kansas Metropolis Royals (82-74, 7.5 GB)
3. Detroit Tigers (82-74, 7.5 GB)
4. Minnesota Twins (81-75, 8.5 GB)
5. Chicago White Sox (36-120, 53.5 GB)

1. Houston Astros (85-71)
2. Seattle Mariners (80-76, 5 GB)
3. Texas Rangers (74-82, 11 GB)
4. Oakland Athletics (67-89, 18 GB)
5. Los Angeles Angels (63-93, 22 GB)

1. Baltimore Orioles (86-70, +4 Video games)
2. Kansas Metropolis Royals (82-74)
3. Detroit Tigers (82-74)
4. Minnesota Twins (81-75, 1 GB)
5. Seattle Mariners (80-76, 2 GB)
6. Tampa Bay Rays (78-78, 4 GB)
7. Boston Crimson Sox (78-78, 4 GB)

1. Philadelphia Phillies (93-64)**
2. New York Mets (87-69, 5.5 GB)
3. Atlanta Braves (85-71, 7.5 GB)
4. Washington Nationals (69-87, 23.5 GB)
5. Miami Marlins (57-99, 35.5 GB)

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

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

1. San Diego Padres (90-66, +3 Video games)
2. New York Mets (87-69)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (87-69)
4. Atlanta Braves (85-71, 2 GB)

*Denotes clinched playoff spot

**Denotes clinched division

The Phillies’ final two postseason runs resulted in heartbreak.

Two years in the past, Philadelphia made it again to the World Sequence for the primary time since 2009, pulling out to 1-0 and 2-1 sequence leads over the Houston Astros earlier than shedding in six video games.

The Phillies then got here inside one win of one other journey to the World Sequence after gaining a 3-2 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks within the 2023 NL Championship Sequence, solely to lose Video games 6 and seven to the NL West Wild Card group.

To be able to make it again to the World Sequence this fall, the Phillies could have to face one other NL East opponent within the NL Division Sequence. The Atlanta Braves, whom the Phillies have ousted from each the 2022 and 2023 NLDS, are vying with the New York Mets for the ultimate Wild Card spot within the NL.

The Braves would deliver Cy Younger favourite Chris Sale to the mound, whereas Francisco Lindor’s bat is placing his title in NL MVP competition for the Mets.

The Phillies will hope to counter each potential division opponents with the most effective beginning rotations within the MLB.

Zack Wheeler is more likely to get the beginning in Sport 1 of the postseason after posting an NL-best 0.96 WHIP by means of 31 begins this season. Cristopher Sánchez stands to profit from dwelling subject benefit after rating third within the NL with a 2.05 ERA at dwelling.

Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez spherical out arguably the strongest rotation within the NL heading into the postseason, though each might want to bounce again earlier than the postseason. Nola has posted his highest ERA of the season in September, whereas Suárez has struggled with consistency since coming back from the IL on the finish of August.

The Phillies’ pitching has typically been extra dependable than the group’s offense, which threatened to derail the group’s hopes of a division title as scoring plateaued in earlier stretches of the season.

After final 12 months’s World Sequence hopes fell aside when the Phillies scored a mixed three runs within the ultimate two video games of the loss to the Diamondbacks, Philadelphia will want constant offense from batters like Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper with a view to make a deeper run this postseason.

For now the Phillies’ focus will flip to securing the very best report within the MLB and residential subject benefit all through the postseason. If the group can set up pitching consistency and improve offensive momentum throughout this ultimate stretch, the Phillies may enter the postseason as a favourite for the group’s third straight journey to the NLCS.