How Does the MLB Playoff Picture and the Indians Line Up if the Season Ended Today?

The Cleveland Indians have 20 more games left in the 2020 regular season with still a great chance to reclaim the AL Central title which they fell short of a season ago to the Minnesota Twins.

The Tribe this season will be in the posteason, as with the expanded playoffs the Indians have currently a 99.9% percent change to make postseason, 7.4% to win the World Series.

In other words, the team will play October baseball.

But who would the Tribe play if the season ended today, and what would that matchup look like?

Royals at Indians Pitching Matchups at Progressive Field

The breakdown in the American League might shock you, as the recent slide by the New York Yankees has them sitting as the 8th team, meaning they would match up with the #1 seed the Tampa Bay Rays.

As far as the Tribe goes, they currently are the fourth team in the American League, they would host the number five-seed the Toronto Blue Jays, oddly enough the team they beat for the ALCS back in October 2016.

No. 1 Rays vs. No. 8 Yankees
No. 2 White Sox vs. No. 7 Twins
No. 3 Athletics vs. No. 6 Astros
No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Blue Jays

If the Indians maintain their hold on the number four-seed as the higher seed, they would be the home team for all three (if necessary) games.

Of course there's been rumblings about the postseason being played in neutral locations, but for now the games would take place at Progressive Field.

Fact or Fiction 40 Games into the Indians 2020 Season

The breakdown for the rest of the postseason would play out like this:

Division Series (best-of-five, with traditional 2-2-1 home/road format): Winner of 1-8 vs. Winner of 4-5; Winner of 2-7 vs. Winner of 3-6. Home-field advantage goes to the higher seed.

League Championship Series (best-of-seven, with traditional 2-3-2 home/road format): Winner of 1-4-5-8 vs. Winner of 2-3-6-7. Home-field advantage goes to the higher seed.

World Series (best-of-seven, with traditional 2-3-2 home/road format): AL champion vs. NL champion. Home-field advantage goes to the team with the superior regular-season record.

The current National League playoff seeds are as follows:

No. 1 Dodgers vs. No. 8 Giants
No. 2 Braves vs. No. 7 Rockies
No. 3 Cubs vs. No. 6 Phillies
No. 4 Padres vs. No. 5 Cardinals

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For more from Matt Loede, follow him on Twitter @MattLoede. Follow CBI on Twitter @IndiansonSI