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2024 MLB playoffs: Cleveland Guardians clinch top-2 seed; What to know, schedule

ryan lewis, akron beacon journal
·2 min read

CLEVELAND — The Guardians will be skipping the Wild Card Series.

With a win over the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday night, first-year manager Stephen Vogt and the Guardians have clinched one of the top two seeds in the American League playoff picture, which will give them a bye through the three-game Wild Card Series and home field advantage in the American League Division Series.

All that remains unsettled is to see who gets the No. 1 seed, the Guardians or the New York Yankees. The No. 1 seed will face the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 Wild Card Series. The No. 2 seed will face the winner between the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds. The only benefit of being the No. 1 seed over No. 2 would be potential home field advantage in the American League Championship Series.

The Guardians clinched a playoff spot last Thursday and then secured the AL Central division title over the weekend in St. Louis.

Latest MLB standings in American League

As of 6:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Sept. 24.

AL East:

  1. New York Yankees: 92-64

  2. Baltimore Orioles: 65-70

  3. Boston Red Sox: 79-78

  4. Tampa Bay Rays: 78-79

  5. Toronto Blue Jays: 73-84

AL Central:

  1. Cleveland Guardians: 90-67

  2. Detroit Tigers: 83-74

  3. Kansas City Royals (82-74)

  4. Minnesota Twins (81-75)

  5. Chicago White Sox: 36-120

AL West:

  1. Houston Astros: 85-72

  2. Seattle Mariners: 81-76

  3. Texas Rangers: 74-82

  4. Oakland Athletics: 67-89

  5. Los Angeles Angels: 63-93

When does the MLB postseason start?

The MLB regular season ends Sunday, Sept. 29. The postseason begins with the Wild Card Series on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

When do the Guardians play in the 2024 playoffs?

The Guardians are scheduled to open their playoffs Saturday, Oct. 5, at Progressive Field with Game 1 of the ALDS. Game 2 is slated for Monday, Oct. 7.

Sep 21, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; The Cleveland Guardians pose for a photo on the field after the Guardians clinched the AL central division title after a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; The Cleveland Guardians pose for a photo on the field after the Guardians clinched the AL central division title after a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

2024 MLB playoff schedule for the American League

  • Wild card: Oct. 1-3, best-of-three series

  • ALDS: Oct. 5-12, best-of-five series

  • ALCS: Oct. 14-22, best-of-seven series

  • World Series: Oct. 25-Nov. 2, best-of-seven series

When is the 2024 World Series?

The World Series is scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 25, with Game 2 the next night. Games 3-5 are scheduled for Oct. 28-30. If necessary, Games 6 and 7 are Nov. 1-2. Fox will televise all World Series games.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians clinch top-2 seed in American League playoffs 2024