With Major League Baseball’s postseason looming large, the Los Angeles Dodgers are pursuing a third consecutive World Series championship.

Nevertheless, the extent to which several of the sport’s most prominent figures will be able to feature in the playoffs remains uncertain.

The Dodgers have reestablished themselves among the elite franchises in the major leagues, and they will face a number of formidable contenders in October, among them the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays.

All three clubs are capable of concluding the regular season with 100 victories or more.

Los Angeles is performing impressively despite the fact that the health of four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani remains a source of concern.

The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves have likewise secured their places in the postseason.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, a three-time AL MVP, is contending with a right calf strain that will consign him to the injured list until at least the final day of the regular season this Sunday.

Although the 12-team playoff field is largely settled, a handful of long-shot contenders remain in the hunt for the postseason, and particular matchups continue to shift.

Here is a selection of developments to monitor as the season draws to a close.

No team can secure a playoff berth on Monday, as the majority of the league is scheduled for a day of rest.

In the American League, a single game carried significance, as the Toronto Blue Jays suffered a 4-3 defeat to the Orioles in Baltimore.

This loss left the Blue Jays 3 1/2 games adrift of the Chicago White Sox in the race for the final AL wild card, while Baltimore finds itself 4 1/2 games back.

Both the Blue Jays and the Orioles could be eliminated as early as Tuesday.

There is a fair amount of mediocrity in the AL Central and West divisions this season, which has produced some fascinating pennant races and could result in a sub-.500 team reaching the postseason.

The Cleveland Guardians (81-75) hold a slender edge over the Chicago White Sox (80-76) in the AL Central, whereas the Texas Rangers (78-78) sit only marginally ahead of the Houston Astros (77-79) in the AL West.

Meanwhile, in the National League, the playoff bracket is all but set in stone.

The Chicago Cubs (87-69), San Diego Padres (87-69) and Philadelphia Phillies (86-70) are vying for position in the wild-card race but will in all likelihood secure a postseason berth.

The sole team remaining within striking distance is the Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74), who trail by four games.

MLB's most prestigious accolades are unlikely to generate much suspense this season.

Both MVP races feature pronounced frontrunners, with Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong surging to a commanding lead for the NL accolade, while Houston’s Yordan Alvarez represents the likely selection in the AL, though Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero has likewise delivered an outstanding campaign.

Alvarez retains an opportunity to achieve a coveted Triple Crown.

He paces the AL with a batting average of .313, yet his 40 home runs trail Caminero by one, and his 99 RBIs fall nine short of Baltimore’s Pete Alonso.

In the race for the Cy Young Award, Milwaukee's hard-throwing Jacob Misiorowski and New York's ace Cam Schlittler have emerged as the frontrunners in the NL and AL, respectively.

The Rookie of the Year races also appear all but decided, with Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart, thanks to a 110-RBI season, leading the NL, while Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle is the favorite in the AL.

Twelve teams qualify for MLB’s postseason, comprising six from each of the AL and NL.

The three division winners in each league are assigned seeds No. 1 through No. 3, ranked according to win-loss record.

Subsequently, the three wild-card teams receive seeds No. 4 through No. 6, likewise ranked by win-loss record.

The two franchises boasting the finest records in both the American League and National League secure automatic passage to the Division Series.

The remaining eight clubs contest the Wild Card Series, a best-of-three affair commencing on Tuesday, September 30.

In each league, the sixth seed travels to take on the third, whilst the fifth seed visits the fourth.

The higher seed enjoys home advantage throughout all three contests.

The winners then advance to the best-of-five Division Series, followed by the best-of-seven League Championship Series and a best-of-seven World Series between the winners of the AL and NL.

Wild Card Round: spanning September 29 through October 1 (NBC/Peacock)

The Division Series is slated to span October 3–10, with American League contests televised on TBS and National League matchups carried by FOX and FS1.

Championship Series: Oct. 11–20 (AL contests aired on TBS, NL contests aired on FOX/FS1)

The World Series is slated to unfold from October 23 to 31, with FOX providing the broadcast coverage.

The Dodgers (+220) are the frontrunners to secure a third consecutive World Series championship, whilst the Brewers (+600), Yankees (+800) and Rays (+800) are regarded as the principal challengers.

For comprehensive coverage of Major League Baseball by the Associated Press, consult the following link.