Tuesday night in baseball brought us some more clarity to the 2020 postseason picture.
First, Jose Ramirez's three-run, walk-off home run (CLE 5, CHW 3) clinched Cleveland's postseason spot. Ramirez is adding to his AL MVP resume this season, and he'll return with his ball club to the playoffs after it was eliminated from contention last year.
José Ramírez is the American League MVP.
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) September 23, 2020
We will not be taking questions at this time.#OurTribe | #JRaMVP pic.twitter.com/QAySe6MEoE
Then with a win over the Miami Marlins (ATL 11, MIA 1) the Atlanta Braves clinched the National League East. It's their third straight division title.
Step 1 ✅#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/2dj6N7MBjI
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 23, 2020
And finally, thanks to the Washington Nationals' doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Chicago Cubs secured their 2020 playoff berth. The Cubs will return to the playoffs after missing out on the action in October in 2019.
The #Cubs have officially clinched a spot in the postseason! #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/O3q0lmr7Cm
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 23, 2020
The three additions to this year's postseason picture join the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Yankees and Twins on the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the National League.
Things in the National League are more wide open than in the American League, with six teams still vying for the final four spots. This year's postseason is going to be unlike the traditional, 10-team format and instead, will be expanded to 16 teams.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday the league is "pressing ahead" with plans to have fans attend the NLCS and World Series in Arlington, Texas at the Rangers' Globe Life Field. The postseason this year will be held at various bubble locations in October following next week's Wild Card Series.
At the end of Tuesday's slate of games, the Athletics and Braves are the only two teams to have clinched division titles. The A's dethroned the Houston Astros to take the AL West crown on Monday, for their first division title since 2013.
All in all, it was another fun night from the final week of this sprint of a regular season. The best part from Tuesday's action? All three clubs clinched within minutes of each other.
In case you forgot it was September…..THREE TEAMS CLINCHED WITHIN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER.
— Cut4 (@Cut4) September 23, 2020
Congrats @Braves @Cubs @Indians! pic.twitter.com/qkg8PafGC1
The 2020 postseason will begin on Sept. 27.
