2024 MLB playoff picture: Standings updated as Phillies secure bye and Rays are eliminated | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

The Philadelphia Phillies have secured a bye for the National League Wild Card Series after their 9-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays have also been eliminated from the race for the postseason.

Here's a look at the current playoffs, projected based on the standings as of Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Expected matches in the American League playoffs

• Bye in the first round: * No. 1 New York Yankees, * No. 2 Cleveland Guardians
• Wild Card Series: * No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers; * No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Kansas City Royals

Expected playoff games of the National League

• Bye in the first round: * No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers, * No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies
• Wild Card Series: * No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks; * No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 New York Mets

The Phillies have been close to winning the World Series each of the last two years. In 2022, the Phillies reached the World Series but lost to the Houston Astros in six games. In 2023, Philadelphia lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series, losing in seven games.

Philadelphia is in position to make it to the Fall Classic again. The team has a chance to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs (including the World Series). After defeating the Cubs, the Phils (94-65) had a winning percentage of .591, just .001 behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-64).

Both teams have a good chance of finishing strong.

The Phillies finish the regular season on the road against the Washington Nationals (69-89). LA ends the year with a three-game series at the Colorado Rockies, who have 60 wins.

Meanwhile, in the American League East, the faint playoff hopes of the Rays and Red Sox have been dashed.

Tampa Bay has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, but this year has been a bad one for the team, which has not been able to overcome its batting problems (second to last in the American League in OPS, runs and home runs).

The Red Sox have now missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons after winning the 2018 World Series. The Sox were 10 games over .500 at the All-Star break but stumbled in the second half, even falling below .500 for the year several times in September before recently snapping a four-game winning streak.

As the final week of the regular season approaches, there is a lot left to decide in MLB, including the final two playoff teams in each league and the top two seeds in the AL and NL.