The Los Angeles Dodgers still have not clinched the National League West title, but if they manage to do so, that will come with a guaranteed finish as a top-two seed.
That’s due to holding a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Milwaukee Brewers, who at best can only tie the Dodgers in the standings with remaining games on the schedule. Milwaukee also does not hold a tiebreaker against the San Diego Padres, who mathematically are still alive for a division title as well.
Should the Dodgers win the NL West and thus secure a top-two seed, it would guarantee them a first-round bye and spot in the NL Division Series. Dodgers postseason tickets for potential NLDS and NL Championship Series games at Dodger Stadium went on sale to the general public Wednesday morning.
With the NL West not yet decided, it’s plausible the Dodgers end up slipping to the Wild Card Series as a non-division winner even if they are tied or have a better record than the Brewers.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers are playing October baseball for the 12th consecutive season. During that span they have won the NL West division in 10 years, with the only exception thus far coming in 2021 when a then-franchise record 106 wins was narrowly edged by the San Francisco Giants.
In 2016, the Dodgers became the first team in MLB history to win the NL West four years in a row since the Divisional Era began in 1969. That record ultimately was extended to eight consecutive NL West titles.
Overall, the Dodgers trailed only the Atlanta Braves (14) and New York Yankees (nine) for the longest streak of division titles since 1969.
Meanwhile, this year is also the 11th consecutive full season the Dodgers have won at least 90 games.
Dodgers postseason scenarios
In addition to the Dodgers still playing for a division title, what side of the NL postseason bracket they will fall on is not yet settled.
Considering they can still finish with the best record in the NL, which would bump the Philadelphia Phillies to No. 2, the Dodgers would then face the winner of a Wild Card Series matchup between the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams. The Dodgers may also end up as the No. 4 team themselves.
And if they slip to No. 2 in the NL standings, that puts the Dodgers on the other side of the postseason bracket. It would call for playing the No. 3 or 6 team in the NLDS.
One consolation for the Dodgers if they fall short in winning the NL West is they can’t go past the fourth seed and thus would have home-field advantage in a Wild Card Series.
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