MLB standings tables pack a lot into a few letters. This glossary explains each column and term you will see in division standings, Wild Card standings and the playoff picture. For how the standings are ranked and how the postseason field is set, see how MLB standings work.
Standings columns
W (wins) and L (losses)
The number of games a team has won and lost. Baseball has no ties in the standings: a game tied after nine innings goes to extra innings. A game stopped before it is official is either suspended and finished later, or replayed.
PCT (winning percentage)
Wins divided by games played (wins plus losses), shown to three decimal places. A 90-60 team has a .600 winning percentage. This is the number that decides the order of the standings.
GB (games behind)
How far a team trails the leader. It is the leader’s extra wins plus the team’s extra losses, divided by two. The leader shows a dash (—). A half game means the two teams have played a different number of games.
WCGB (Wild Card games behind)
Games behind measured against the team holding the last Wild Card spot in the league. Teams currently in a Wild Card position are often shown with a plus sign (+), meaning how many games they lead the first team outside the playoff field.
L10 (last 10)
The team’s record over its 10 most recent games, such as 7-3. A quick guide to current form.
STRK (streak)
The team’s current run of consecutive wins or losses. W4 means four straight wins, and L2 means two straight losses.
HOME and AWAY
The team’s record in games at its own ballpark and in games on the road.
RS, RA and DIFF
RS (runs scored) is the total runs the team has scored. RA (runs allowed) is the total its opponents have scored. DIFF (run differential) is RS minus RA. Run differential does not affect the standings or tiebreakers, but it is a useful sign of how strong a team really is.
Race and postseason terms
Division leader
The team with the best winning percentage in its division. At the end of the regular season, the division leader is the division winner.
Wild Card
One of the three postseason spots in each league for the best teams that did not win their division.
Seed
A team’s position, 1 through 6, in its league’s postseason bracket. Seeds 1 to 3 go to division winners and seeds 4 to 6 to Wild Card teams.
Bye
The top two seeds in each league skip the Wild Card Series and go straight to the Division Series.
Magic number
The combined number of leader wins and rival losses needed for the leader to clinch against that rival. In a 162-game season it is 163 minus the leader’s wins minus the rival’s losses.
Elimination number
The same count seen from the trailing team’s side. When it reaches zero, the team can no longer catch the team ahead of it for that spot.
Clinched
A team has secured a postseason spot, a division title or a bye, whatever happens in its remaining games. Standings tables usually mark clinched teams with a letter next to the name. The letters differ between publishers, so always check the table’s key.
Eliminated
A team can no longer reach the postseason, or can no longer win its division, even if it wins every remaining game.
Schedule and game-status terms
Interleague game
A regular-season game between an American League team and a National League team.
Doubleheader
Two games between the same teams on the same day, often used to make up a postponed game. Each game counts separately in the standings.
Postponed
A game called off before it starts, or before it becomes official, usually because of weather. It is rescheduled and does not count in the standings until it is played.
Suspended
A game stopped partway through and finished on a later date from the exact point where it stopped.
Delayed
A game whose start is pushed back, or that is paused in progress, usually for rain. It is expected to resume the same day.
Final
The game is over and the result counts in the standings.