MLB Playoff Picture and Bracket: Final standings and postseason matchups as regular season concludes

The MLB regular season has concluded and the final standings are in. The twelve best teams will now fight it out in the playoffs to determine the best baseball club in the league.

The MLB playoff bracket is divided into two different halves for the two leagues. Both the AL and NL have similar trajectories with a first round, the Wild Card series, involving three Wild Card entries and the division winner with the best record.

The top two division winners get a bye into the second round, called the Division Series. The Division Series winners then play the Championship Series before the World Series is played out at the end of October and early November.

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American League playoffs bracket

The Baltimore Orioles secured the best record in the league by quite some margin and have a home advantage for the AL playoffs. Along with them, the Houston Astros will be playing in the Division Series after the defending champions secured another AL West title in incredible fashion on the final day.

The Minnesota Twins are the AL Central's representatives and will be facing the third Wild Card, Toronto Blue Jays, who had a better record in the regular season. The Tampa Bay Rays, who led the AL East for the most part of the season, will head to ALWS against the Texas Rangers, who return to the postseason after a long spell.

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National League playoffs bracket

Atlanta Braves have been the record-breaking team and quite fittingly took MLB's best record. They have a bye into the NLDS along with another consistent team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Certainly, these two teams are the favorites to make it to the NL Championship Series.

The Milwaukee Brewers, winners of the NL Central, will face the sixth-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks in one of the NLWS. At the same time, the other fixture will pit the defending NL pennant holders, Philadephia Phillies, against the Miami Marlins.