Updated 2025 MLB Playoff Bracket, Standings After Dodgers Win NL West, Cubs-Padres Set

The 2025 MLB postseason picture gained some clarity on Thursday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the National League West with an impressive 8-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs are also officially set to face off in an NL Wild Card series.

For the Padres, it’ll mark just the second time in franchise history that they’ve made the playoffs in back-to-back years. It previously happened in 2005 and 2006. The four postseason berths since 2020 is one fewer than the franchise had in its first 50 years of existence from 1969 to 2019.

Projected NL Playoff Matchups (Based on Current Standings)

• First-round bye: Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. No. 6 New York Mets; No. 4 Chicago Cubs vs. No. 5 San Diego Padres

Projected AL Playoff Matchups (Based on Current Standings)

• First-round bye: Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Cleveland Guardians vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers; No. 4 New York Yankees vs. No. 5 Boston Red Sox

1. Philadelphia Phillies (93-65)*
2. New York Mets (81-77)
3. Miami Marlins (77-81)
4. Atlanta Braves (75-84)
5. Washington Nationals (65-94)

1. Milwaukee Brewers (96-63)*
2. Chicago Cubs (89-69)*
3. Cincinnati Reds (81-78)
4. St. Louis Cardinals (78-81)
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (69-90)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (90-69)*
2. San Diego Padres (87-72)*
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (80-79)
4. San Francisco Giants (78-81)
5. Colorado Rockies (43-115)

NL Wild Card (Top 3 Teams Make Playoffs)

1. Chicago Cubs
2. San Diego Padres
3. New York Mets
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Arizona Diamondbacks

1. Toronto Blue Jays (90-68)*
2. New York Yankees (90-68)*
3. Boston Red Sox (87-71)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (77-82)
5. Baltimore Orioles (75-84)

1. Cleveland Guardians (86-72)
2. Detroit Tigers (85-73)
3. Kansas City Royals (79-79)
4. Minnesota Twins (69-90)
5. Chicago White Sox (58-100)

1. Seattle Mariners (89-69)*
2. Houston Astros (85-74)
3. Texas Rangers (80-79)
4. Athletics (75-84)
5. Los Angeles Angels (71-87)

1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Houston Astros

*Denotes clinched playoff spot

Playing in the same division as the Dodgers makes it hard to get to the top of the mountain in the NL West, but the Padres have maintained a high level of success against them over the years.

The two rivals fought back and forth throughout the summer for the top spot in the division. They have met in the playoffs in each of the last three times the Padres have made the field, with the Dodgers winning twice.

This season hasn’t gone exactly the way San Diego was expecting coming into the year. Dylan Cease has his second-worst ERA (4.55) since his rookie year in 2019. Jackson Merrill followed up his breakout rookie year by being a below-average hitter in 2025. Luis Arráez’s slap-hitting approach hasn’t been working as well as it once did. The aging cliff appears to have come for Yu Darvish, who has a 5.51 ERA.

Yet the Padres continue to be among the best teams in the NL because Fernando Tatis Jr. has turned into one of the best all-around players in MLB. There were never any questions about his bat, but he ranks among the top defensive right fielders in the sport.

Manny Machado is still a well above-average hitter. Nick Pivetta, who signed a four-year, $55 million deal as a free agent, is going to get down-ballot Cy Young votes this season with a 2.81 ERA after posting an ERA over 4.00 in each of his first eight years in MLB.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller acted aggressively at the trade deadline to solve some of the issues with this roster. He made a big swing by acquiring Mason Miller and J.P. Sears from the Athletics for a package headlined by top prospect Leo De Vries.

The Padres could become even more dangerous in the playoffs depending on the health of Michael King. Their star right-hander has only appeared in 13 games this season due to shoulder and knee injuries, but he has a 3.57 ERA when he has pitched.

King, who has a $15 million mutual option on his contract for next season, could be pitching in October to secure a lucrative long-term deal. He has had playoff success before, striking out 12 in seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS last year.

There’s more than enough talent on this Padres roster for them to make a deep playoff run after making it into the field.

The first game of the series with the Cubs will take place on Tuesday.