Astros-Tigers-Guardians tiebreakers, explained: How AL Central, Wild Card standings will be decided with same records

Billy Heyen

Astros-Tigers-Guardians tiebreakers, explained: How AL Central, Wild Card standings will be decided with same records image

The American League playoff races are coming down to the wire.

That includes in the AL Central Division and the AL Wild Card's third and final spot, all of which are connected.

The Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros are all fighting for those positions. The AL West has already been won by the Seattle Mariners, so the Astros can only hope for the Wild Card spot, while whoever doesn't win the Central between the Guardians and Tigers also has to chase that last spot.

The regular season concludes Sunday after each team plays its final two games.

Here's how all the tiebreakers work in the AL if these teams finish with the same record:

Who holds the Astros-Tigers tiebreaker?

The Detroit Tigers hold the tiebreaker with the Houston Astros based on head-to-head record.

If the Tigers and Astros finished tied with the same record and are the two teams in the running for the third and final AL Wild Card spot, Detroit would get in and Houston would go home.

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Who holds the Astros-Guardians tiebreaker?

The Cleveland Guardians hold the tiebreaker with the Houston Astros based on head-to-head record.

If the Guardians and Astros finished tied with the same record and are the two teams in the running for the third and final AL Wild Card spot, Cleveland would get in and Houston would go home.

Who holds the Tigers-Guardians tiebreaker?

The Cleveland Guardians hold the tiebreaker with the Detroit Tigers thanks to a head-to-head record advantage.

If they tie atop the AL Central Division, Cleveland takes the division title and Detroit has to hope for the Wild Card.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle