The Dodgers are now guaranteed a major postseason advantage if the NL West is won

The Los Angeles Dodgers still haven't secured the National League West title, but if they do, they'll be guaranteed a spot in the top two.

That's because the Milwaukee Brewers are playing a direct duel against the Milwaukee Brewers, who can at best draw level with the Dodgers in the standings as long as there are still games on the schedule. Milwaukee also doesn't hold a tiebreaker against the San Diego Padres, who are also mathematically still alive for a division title.

Should the Dodgers win the NL West and secure a spot in the top two, they would be guaranteed a first-round bye and a berth in the NL Division Series. The Dodgers' postseason tickets for potential NLDS and NL Championship Series games at Dodger Stadium will be available to the general public Wednesday morning.

With the NL West still undecided, it's plausible that the Dodgers end up slipping into the Wild Card Series as non-division winners, even if they're tied or have a better record than the Brewers.

Still, the Dodgers will be playing baseball for the 12th consecutive year in October. During that span, they have won the NL West division in ten years, with the only exception so far being 2021, when the then-franchise record of 106 wins was narrowly beaten by the San Francisco Giants.

In 2016, the Dodgers became the first team in MLB history to win the NL West four consecutive years since the divisional era began in 1969. This record was eventually extended to eight consecutive NL West titles.

Overall, the Dodgers trailed only the Atlanta Braves (14) and New York Yankees (nine), posting their longest division title streak since 1969.

This year also marks the 11th consecutive full season in which the Dodgers have won at least 90 games.

Dodgers postseason scenarios

Aside from the fact that the Dodgers are still playing for a division title, it's still unclear which side of the NL postseason round they'll end up on.

Considering they can still finish with the best record in the Netherlands, which would push the Philadelphia Phillies into second place, the Dodgers would then face the winner of a Wild Card Series matchup between the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams meet. The Dodgers could end up being the No. 4 team themselves.

And if they slip to No. 2 in the NL standings, the Dodgers will end up on the other side of the postseason. It would require facing the No. 3 or 6 team in the NLDS.

One consolation for the Dodgers if they fail to win the NL West is that they won't finish higher than fourth place and would therefore have home field advantage in a Wild Card Series.

Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to click the notification bell to watch player interviews, enter shows and sweepstakes, and stay up to date on all the Dodgers news and rumors!