The Seattle Mariners’ path to the top seed in the American League depends on finishing ahead of the AL East champion, according to Major League Baseball’s playoff rules.
Seattle trails the Toronto Blue Jays by one game as of Friday morning, and the Blue Jays own the tiebreaker after winning the season series against the Mariners.
That means Seattle must end the season with at least one more win than Toronto to secure the No. 1 seed.
If both teams finish with the same record, the Blue Jays would hold the advantage and Seattle would drop to the No. 2 seed.
The New York Yankees, who are also in the race for the AL East crown, present the same challenge.
Both the Yankees and Blue Jays won their respective season series against Seattle, giving them tiebreaker advantages.
For the Mariners, the scenario is simple but difficult: they need to win their remaining games and hope the Blue Jays falter.
Even if the Yankees finish tied for the division lead, Seattle must still have a better record than both teams to leap into the top spot.
The stakes are significant. The No. 1 seed in the American League ensures home-field advantage through the AL playoffs and a first-round bye, creating a more favorable postseason path.
But the tiebreaker rules mean the Mariners cannot simply keep pace with Toronto or New York — they must surpass them outright.
Seattle has already clinched its division and is guaranteed no worse than the No. 2 seed, but whether the postseason begins at home as the league’s top seed or as the runner-up depends on the outcome of the final games.
©2025 Cox Media Group
