The final weekend of the regular season is already here, with so much left to play for in the next three days. This year, because of the 60-game season and the 16-team playoff format, there has been less time for teams to pull away from others and more postseason spots available.
In the National League, eight teams remain in contention for the four open positions. Six American League teams have clinched playoff berths, with four teams vying for the final two slots. But the new best-of-three wild-card series, in which the lower seed hosts all three games, adds a new layer of excitement for the next three days—teams are competing for the top four seeds in each league, which would allow them to play three home games before heading to the bubble.