MLB playoffs 2025 tracker: Blue Jays take AL East, Guardians win AL Central, Mets eliminated as Reds clinch — final playoff bracket, seeding and schedule after wild finish

And we’ve reached the finish line of the 2025 MLB regular season after 162 games. The postseason field is set. Here’s what happened Sunday that helped set the stage for the October field:

The Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, clinching the AL Central title and a historic comeback for the Cleveland Guardians. With that result, the Guardians secured the No. 3 seed, the Red Sox got No. 5, and the Tigers landed at No. 6 in the American League.
The New York Mets were eliminated with their loss to the Marlins. The Cincinnati Reds also lost Sunday, but they held the tiebreaker and therefore clinched the final NL wild card with New York’s loss.
The Toronto Blue Jays clinched the AL East title, the AL’s No. 1 seed and a bye to the division series with their victory over the Rays. The New York Yankees settled for the top wild card and the No. 4 seed. Both teams won Sunday, but the Jays held the tiebreaker going into the day.

What’s the playoff bracket?

(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)

American League

Wild card: No. 6 Detroit Tigers vs. No. 3 Cleveland Guardians
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Seattle Mariners

Wild card: No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays

National League

Wild card: No. 6 Cincinnati Reds vs. No. 3 L.A. Dodgers
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies

Wild card: No. 5 San Diego Padres vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers

Which of these MLB stars will lead his team to a World Series title? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)

What’s the schedule, TV times for the postseason?

Wild card Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30 (best of three)

AL: Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
NL: Padres at Cubs, 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC
AL: Red Sox at Yankees, 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
NL: Reds at Dodgers, 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN

Wild card Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1

AL: Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
NL: Padres at Cubs, 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC
AL: Red Sox at Yankees, 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
NL: Reds at Dodgers, 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN

Wild card Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*

AL: Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
NL: Padres at Cubs, 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC
AL: Red Sox at Yankees, 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
NL: Reds at Dodgers, 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN

Division series (best of five)

ALDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*

NLDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*

Championship series (best of seven)

ALCS

Game 1: Sunday, Oct 12
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*

NLCS

Game 1: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*

World Series (best of seven)

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*

(*if necessary)

How the teams got here

American League:

No. 1 Blue Jays: Won the AL East; clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

No. 2 Mariners: Won the AL West; clinched a bye to the ALDS.

No. 3 Guardians: Won the AL Central with a historic comeback; will host the Tigers in the wild-card round.

No. 4 Yankees: Clinched the top AL wild card; will host the Red Sox in the wild-card round.

No. 5 Red Sox: Clinched the second AL wild card; will face the Yankees in the wild-card round.

No. 6 Tigers: Clinched the third AL wild card; will face the Guardians in the wild-card round.

National League:

No. 1 Brewers:Won the NL Central with MLB’s best record; clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

No. 2 Phillies: Won the NL East; clinched a bye to the NLDS.

No. 3 Dodgers: Won the NL West; will host the Reds in the wild-card round.

No. 4 Cubs: Clinched the top NL wild card; will host the Padres in the wild-card round.

No. 5 Padres: Clinched the second NL wild card; will face the Cubs in the wild-card round.

No. 6 Reds: Clinched the third NL wild card; will face the Dodgers in the wild-card round.

Former Clemson star Dexter Lawrence almost takes a wild interception to the house

Dexter Lawrence gave New York Giants fans a thrill on Sunday when the veteran defensive tackle nearly found the end zone in a 21-18 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The former Clemson standout picked off Justin Herbert late in the first quarter, rumbling 37 yards before the Chargers’ quarterback dragged him down just shy of the goal line. At 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds, Lawrence flashed surprising speed on the return, reaching 17.35 miles per hour according to Next Gen Stats.

Had he scored, it would’ve been the ultimate “big man touchdown”, and his teammates were already celebrating as if it might happen. Instead, New York’s offense finished the job, helping the Giants secure a tight win.

Now in his seventh season, Lawrence has become one of the league’s most consistent defensive linemen. He’s earned three straight Pro Bowl trips and was on track for another All-Pro nod last season before an elbow injury cut his year short. Even in 12 games, he posted career highs with nine sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Across his career, the 27-year-old has piled up more than 300 tackles and 30 sacks since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2019.

Clemson remains voteless in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll after the Tigers’ Week 5 bye https://t.co/pM6r3oIpO8 pic.twitter.com/HcBkYnqhpQ

— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) September 28, 2025

Meanwhile, another former Tiger was making headlines on Sunday. Trevor Lawrence helped guide Jacksonville to a 21-18 upset win over the Chargers, giving Clemson fans plenty to smile about with two of their NFL stars making big plays.

Dexter Lawrence almost took the INT back for a TD 😅

LACvsNYG on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/vKqLQyTTvp

— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Sexy Dexy nearly takes an interception back for a touchdown

OKC Thunder jersey history No. 44 – Charlie Brown Jr. (2021)

The Oklahoma City Thunder (and the Seattle Supersonics before them) have 51 jersey numbers worn by the players who have suited up for the franchise since its founding at the start of the 1967-68 season. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Thunder Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And while those Supersonics jerseys may not remain part of the franchise history should a new team be established in Seattle as was the case with the return of the Charlotte Hornets, they are part of the Thunder’s history today.

For this article, we continue with the 42nd jersey number in the series, jersey No. 44, with 15 players in total having donned the jersey in the history of the franchise.

The 14th of those players who did so in the Oklahoma City Thunder era, guard alum Charlie Brown Jr. After ending his college career at St. Joseph’s, Brown would go unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft, instead signing with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native also played in the G League before signing with OKC in 2021. His stay with the team would span just nine games before he was cut.

During his time suiting up for the Thunder, Brown wore only jersey No. 44 and put up 4.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

Listen to “Havlicek Stole the Pod” on:

Spotify: https://tiny.ee/CdKp

iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47

YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder jersey history No. 44 – Charlie Brown Jr. (2021)

Who does Team Europe think will take it deep at victory party? Several names emerged

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Let the celebration for Team Europe begin after its

A post shared by Mark fulcher (@fooch97)

Another possible dark horse? Perhaps Jon Rahm, who earlier in the week told the media, “I don’t drink a lot, but luckily I have a bigger tank to put it in.”

McIlroy wasn’t done cracking jokes and for his next one-liner he supplied one of the more humorous moments of the press conference. “Fitzy has to fill in his stat sheet from today,” McIlroy said and laughter ensued.

Before long the press conference concluded and the players made their way to the practice putting green outside where bottles of champagne were waiting to be consumed and to be sprayed at one another and their adoring fans. The night was young and the party was just starting.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: European team to celebrate Ryder Cup win but who will be MVP of party?

What NBCU and YouTube TV said about carriage dispute

NBCU said in a statement to USATODAY that Google has “refused the best rates and terms in the market,” and that may mean it would have to yank its channels from YouTube TV.

“Google, with its $3 trillion market cap, already controls what Americans see online through search and ads — now it wants to control what we watch,” the NBCU statement said.

As for the other side:

“NBCUniversal is asking us to pay more than what they charge consumers for the same content on Peacock, which would mean less flexibility and higher prices for our subscribers,” Google said on the YouTube Official Blog..

What sports are on NBC?

NBC is a major football provider, including Big Ten and Notre Dame home games, and is the home of “Sunday Night Football,” typically the highest rated TV show of the week during the fall.

The familiar Peacock is also back in the NBA business. After helping raise the game’s profile in the 1990s, the biggest basketball stars in the world will have games on NBC for the first time in 23 years starting in October.

it may not be on the immediate horizon, but the Miami Dolphins are scheduled to play on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 16, hosting Cincinnati on Dec. 21, though that game is subject to getting flexed out of that timeslot.

NBC Universal also presents Premier League soccer and owns the Golf Channel.

YouTubeTV network disputes history

In many cases, these disputes are settled. Back in August, YouTube TV and Fox were in a similar situation, which was settled with a short-term deal at the deadline. In February, Google was at odds with Paramount, which features CBS, but that was quickly fixed. In 2021, Disney’s channel lineup, which includes ABC and ESPN’s networks, were blacked out due to an expired carriage deal that was resolved after a few hours.

USA TODAY reporter Greta Cross contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge preferred to think ahead about the Yankees’ Wild Card Series against Boston and not dwell on any of the losses that cost New York a second straight AL East title.

“The games in March, April are just as important as the ones — game 162 — so nothing we can do about it now besides turn the page and get locked in on October,” the New York captain said.

Despite beating the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Sunday to finish the season with an eight-game winning streak and a 94-68 record identical to last year’s mark, the Yankees lost out on the division championship to Toronto. The Blue Jays also were 94-68 and held the tiebreaker because they won the season series 8-5.

New York will host the Red Sox in a best-of-three playoff series starting Tuesday, with all three games in the Bronx. The winner advances to a Division Series opening in Toronto next weekend.

“Yankees-Boston is going to be awesome every time of the year and now even more,” Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez said. “Our goal is get out of there in two games and bring the postseason back here in Fenway.”

New York’s Max Fried (19-5) and Boston’s Garrett Crochet (18-5) start the opener in a matchup of top lefties.

“It’s such a historic rivalry, so it’ll be a fun series to be a part of,” said the Yankees’ Ben Rice, whose pair of solo homers Sunday included a go-ahead drive in the eighth inning.

Boston went 9-4 against the Yankees this season, including 5-2 in the Bronx. Crochet was 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA against New York, striking out 39 and walking four in 27 1/3 innings.

“One of the game’s best, obviously, and just turned in a phenomenal season,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ve seen him a few times. He’s had success against us. We’ve dinged him a little bit, too, and hopefully that familiarity serves us well going in Tuesday.”

Even before the matchup was locked in, fans at Fenway Park started chanting “Yankees suck!” in the late innings of Boston’s 4-3 win over Detroit. The second-place Yankees earned home field for all three games because of a better record than the third-place Red Sox (89-73).

All three games are at night, and Yankee Stadium is likely to be boisterous.

“We got a rowdy crowd out there, a rowdy group that has been behind us all year long,” Judge said. “Even in our tough times in the summer, they still were showing out numbers supporting us, so they’re definitely going to be excited for a Yankees-Red Sox postseason matchup.”

Boston was 30-35 through late May before starting to turn around its season with a six-game winning streak that included a three-game sweep in the Bronx. The Red Sox went 59-38 following the slow start.

New York and Boston have split 24 postseason games. The Yankees won the 1999 and 2003 AL Championship Series (the latter on Boone’s 11th-inning walk-off homer against Tim Wakefield), and the Red Sox won the 2004 ALCS, 2018 Division Series and 2021 wild-card game.

“It’s New York against Boston,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s going to be big.”

Carlos Rodón (18-9) will start Game 2 for the Yankees and rookie Cam Schlittler (4-3) is likely in Game 3. Boston will start Brayan Bello (11-9) in the second game and probably Lucas Giolito (10-4) in Game 3.

New York started the season 35-20, slumped during a 25-34 stretch, then closed 34-14.

“We just started to come together and realize our potential as a group. I think we got a little bit settled down in the bullpen,” Boone said. “A month and a half ago we were teetering on, when it wasn’t going great, even being out of the picture a little bit, so to right the ship and then really solidify our position and then have a real shot at the East here all the way to the last day, hopefully is something that serves us well, has kept us sharp, has kept us really locked in.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

September 2025

MLB playoffs 2025 tracker: Blue Jays take AL East, Guardians win AL Central, Mets eliminated as Reds clinch — final playoff bracket, seeding and schedule after wild finish

What’s the playoff bracket?

American League

National League

What’s the schedule, TV times for the postseason?

Wild card Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30 (best of three)

Wild card Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1

Wild card Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*

Division series (best of five)

Championship series (best of seven)

World Series (best of seven)

How the teams got here

American League:

National League:

Former Clemson star Dexter Lawrence almost takes a wild interception to the house

OKC Thunder jersey history No. 44 – Charlie Brown Jr. (2021)

Who does Team Europe think will take it deep at victory party? Several names emerged

Close finish at Kansas leaves Denny Hamlin feeling ‘massive disappointment’

Raiders lose LT Kolton Miller to ankle injury

Will NBC get dropped by YouTube TV? What to know about latest television carrier dispute

What NBCU and YouTube TV said about carriage dispute

What sports are on NBC?

How can I watch NBC if YouTube TV cuts it?

YouTubeTV network disputes history

Ravens vs. Chiefs: Takeaways from Baltimore’s 37-20 loss to Kansas City in Week 4

Historically poor start

Bye George

Xavier Worthy

Spread it around

Special Teams

Quentin Lake responds to Colts DB taking a shot at the Rams’ fanbase and crowd noise

Red Sox and Yankees meet in high-profile Wild Card Series starting Tuesday