What's at stake in final week of MLB regular season? Where things stand with six games left

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After nearly six months of daily play, the final week of Major League Baseball's regular season has arrived. It's shaping up to be a compelling few days, too, with four division titles yet to be decided and 20 teams -- or two-thirds of the league -- still alive in some capacity or another.

Below, CBS Sports has laid out where each of those 20 teams reside in the playoff race with seven days to go. We've also outlined every team's remaining schedule while providing commentary on their chances of making it to October.

Let's get to it.

AL East

Toronto Blue Jays (90-66)

Playoff position: Clinched a playoff berth, two games up in AL East
Schedule: 3 vs. Red Sox, 3 at Rays
What they're playing for: Division title, top seed in AL

The Blue Jays enter the final week in good position to secure their first division crown since 2015. Not only do they possess a straight-up two-game lead over the Yankees, but they won the head-to-head series with the Yankees by an 8-5 margin. That means Toronto technically has a three-game advantage, since the Yankees would need to win the division outright to win it at all. Do note that the Blue Jays will close out their schedule with a three-game set against a Rays team that has already been eliminated from playoff contention and won't have anything at stake.

New York Yankees (88-68)

Playoff position: Two games back in the AL East, four games up on a wild card spot
Schedule: 3 vs. White Sox, 3 vs. Orioles
What they're playing for: Divisional title, top seed in AL, playoff berth

The Yankees own the second best record in the AL, but they'll have to settle for the top wild card berth unless they're able to gain the advantage over the Blue Jays. As noted above, Toronto possesses the tiebreaker, meaning the Yankees will need to gain three games in six attempts -- and without any further head-to-head matchups at their disposal. That's mathematically doable, especially given that their remaining schedule takes place at home and against two losing clubs, but the more likely reality has the Yankees heading into October as an overqualified wild card team.

Boston Red Sox (85-71)

Playoff position: Five games back in the AL East, one game up on second wild card spot
Schedule: 3 at Blue Jays, 3 vs. Tigers
What they're playing for: Playoff berth, seeding

The Red Sox are five games back in the AL East with three head-to-head contests left against the Blue Jays. A sweep would leave the Red Sox two back with three to play, but the Blue Jays have already clinched the head-to-head series and the tiebreaker that comes with. That means the Red Sox would need a perfect week and the Blue Jays to go winless in order to claim the division crown -- and that's without factoring in the Yankees. In other words, the Red Sox are playing for a playoff berth and seeding.

AL Central

Detroit Tigers (85-71)

Playoff position: One game up in the AL Central
Schedule: 3 at Guardians, 3 at Red Sox
What they're playing for: Division title, playoff berth

The Tigers were 10 games up in the division as recently as Sept. 3, suggesting they were all but assured of winning the AL Central. That's no longer the case. The Tigers will enter the season's final week not only fighting for the division, but fighting for a playoff spot, period. They'll have to overcome a tough schedule, too, with six road games against fellow playoff hopefuls. If things continue to go south for the Tigers this week, they'll have no one to blame but themselves.

Cleveland Guardians (84-72)

Playoff position: One game back in the AL Central, tied for final wild card spot
Schedule: 3 vs. Tigers, 3 vs. Rangers
What they're playing for: Division title, playoff berth

The Guardians, meanwhile, are playing with house money. No one expected them to be in position to win the AL Central back on July 31, when they traded longtime ace Shane Bieber to the Blue Jays. An X-factor in the Guardians favor this week? They own the season series against both the Tigers (6-4 with three to play) and the Astros, the team they're tied with in the wild card race.

Kansas City Royals (78-78)

Playoff position: Six games back of a wild card spot
Schedule: 3 at Angels, 3 at Athletics
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

The Royals are technically still in the race, but only by the thinnest of margins. What they're actually playing for this week is securing a winning record for a second consecutive year.

AL West

Seattle Mariners (87-69)

Playoff position: Three games up in AL West, three games back for top seed
Schedule: 3 vs. Rockies, 3 vs. Dodgers
What they're playing for: Division title, top seed in AL

The Mariners swept the Astros over the weekend, breaking a tie atop the AL West and clinching the head-to-head seasonal series. In all likelihood, the Mariners are going to secure their first division crown since 2001 -- especially since they'll open the week with three games at home against the lowly Rockies. Another sweep could leave Seattle in position to make a real run at the top seed in the AL, thereby securing home-field advantage up until the World Series.

Houston Astros (84-72)

Playoff position: Three games back in the AL West, tied for the final wild card spot
Schedule: 3 at Athletics, 3 at Angels
What they're playing for: Division title, playoff berth

The weekend didn't go the way the Astros wanted it to, but they'll need to move on quickly to assure they make it to October. Houston enters the final week tied with the Guardians for the last wild card spot. The schedule benefits the Astros, and they should be able to create separation during the Tigers-Guardians series. They'll need to, given that the Astros lack the tiebreaker advantage against both of those clubs. If they're going to get in, they'll need to win outright.

Texas Rangers (79-77)

Playoff position: Five games back of the final wild card spot
Schedule: 3 vs. Twins, 3 at Guardians
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

The math does not favor the Rangers' chances of making it to October. They do have the tiebreaker advantage over the Guardians and Tigers, however, so the scenario to watch for here has the Rangers winning out and benefitting from the Astros and one of those Central teams cratering. Again, it's not likely to happen, but that's what it would take.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies (92-64)

Playoff position: Clinched NL East, three games back of top seed
Schedule: 3 vs. Marlins, 3 vs. Twins
What they're playing for: Seeding, first-round bye

The Phillies have already secured the division title. The question for them is if they can overtake the Brewers for the top seed -- both in the NL and in all of MLB. The Phillies lost their season series against the Brewers, meaning they'll need to make up four games this week to guarantee home-field advantage throughout the entire postseason. That's a tall order unlikely to be fulfilled. They need a combination of two wins or Dodgers losses to secure the No. 2 seed in the NL and a bye in the wild card series.

New York Mets (80-76)

Playoff position: Tied for final wild card spot
Schedule: 3 at Cubs, 3 at Marlins
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

The Mets have stumbled to an 18-29 record since Aug. 1, transforming them from a postseason lock to a bubble team. New York is tied with the Reds for the final wild card spot as of Monday morning, and that could prove to be a problem given Cincinnati possesses the tiebreaker. The Mets aren't aided by the schedule, either, since all six of their remaining games are on the road.

Miami Marlins (76-80)

Playoff position: Four games back of last wild card spot
Schedule: 3 at Phillies, 3 vs. Mets
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

Give the Marlins credit for sticking in the race until the final week, even if the odds are stacked against them making it into the tournament. Not only are they behind three other teams, necessitating a complicated series of outcomes for them to prevail, but they have to overcome the Phillies and Mets to hold up their end of the bargain.

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers (95-61)

Playoff position: Clinched division, three games up for top seed
Schedule: 3 at Padres, 3 vs. Reds
What they're playing for: Top seed in MLB

The Brewers have already locked down the NL Central crown. All that remains for them to accomplish is securing the top overall seed in MLB, thereby guaranteeing themselves home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Brewers enter Monday with a three-game edge over the Phillies, but really it's a four-game advantage given that they took the head-to-head season series. In turn, it's far more likely than not that the road to the World Series runs through Milwaukee.

Chicago Cubs (88-68)

Playoff position: Clinched playoff berth, three games up for top wild card
Schedule: 3 vs. Mets, 3 vs. Cardinals
What they're playing for: Seeding

Compared to most of the other teams in this piece, the Cubs face muted stakes. They cannot catch the Brewers in the NL Central, and they're three games up on the Padres for the top wild card spot. Obviously the Cubs would rather be the top wild card than not. Beyond that? If Chicago's clubhouse needs motivation, then it can embrace playing spoiler to the Mets and Cardinals.

Cincinnati Reds (80-76)

Playoff position: Tied for the final wild card spot
Schedule: 3 vs. Pirates, 3 vs. Brewers
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

The Reds, who haven't made the playoffs in a full-length season since 2013, enter the final week tied with the Mets for the NL's last playoff spot. On paper, anyway, things would seem to favor Cincinnati's chances. Not only do the Reds possess the tiebreaker advantage over the Mets, but their six remaining games are at home against teams who may not have anything left to play for (depending on if the Brewers have clinched the top seed by then).

St. Louis Cardinals (76-80)

Playoff position: Four games back of last wild card spot
Schedule: 3 at Giants, 3 at Cubs
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

As with the Marlins above, the Cardinals would need one heck of a wild week to leapfrog over several other teams and find themselves in the tournament. Add in how the Cardinals would need to take care of their business on the road, against two other potential playoff teams, and the chances of everything breaking just right are slim, albeit not none.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers (88-68)

Playoff position: Clinched playoff spot, three games up in NL West
Schedule: 3 at Diamondbacks, 3 at Mariners
What they're playing for: Division title

This is the rare season in which the Dodgers are not competing for the top spot in the NL. Instead, they'll spend their final week attempting to secure the division title. The Dodgers have a three-game advantage over the Padres by the letter of the law, though they also possess the tiebreaker edge that spiritually gives them a four-game lead. This one seems in the bag, but their schedule does create room for drama -- be it of their own or one of their opponents'.

San Diego Padres (85-71)

Playoff position: Three games back in the NL West, three games back of the top wild card spot
Schedule: 3 vs. Brewers, 3 vs. Diamondbacks
What they're playing for: Seeding

The Padres are as locked in as a team can be without actually being locked in. They're a little too far back to chase down either the Dodgers (for the division crown) or the Cubs (for the top wild card), and they're also too far up to worry about losing their handle on the second wild card spot. Strange things happen in this sport, but it would be a stunner if anything changes for the Padres.

Arizona Diamondbacks (79-77)

Playoff position: One game back of the final wild card spot
Schedule: 3 vs. Dodgers, 3 at Padres
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

Credit the D-backs for still being in the race following a deadline selloff that saw them trade away several key members of their roster. In theory, they could be playing the Dodgers and Padres at the right time, since both clubs are mostly locked in to their spots. The D-backs lack the tiebreaker advantage against the Reds, but they should hold one against the Mets if this remains close the rest of the way -- do note that those clubs split their season series, meaning it would come down to their intradivisional records. The Mets are 24-25 against the East with three games to go (versus the Marlins), while the D-backs are 25-21 against the West with six left. Stay tuned.

San Francisco Giants (77-79)

Playoff position: Three games back of final wild card spot
Schedule: 3 vs. Cardinals, 3 vs. Rockies
What they're playing for: Playoff berth

The Giants are behind three other teams for the NL's last playoff spot, but you can squint and see how they might make this week interesting: first by potentially knocking out one of the other teams jockeying for the slot, and then by fattening up against the Rockies. Unfortunately for San Francisco, there are no guarantees that a 4-2 or 5-1 week would enable the Giants entrance to October. Rather, the Giants are going to have to handle their business and hope for help elsewhere.