What to watch during the final week of MLB's regular season

Right around Labor Day, it looked as if Major League Baseball's playoff races would be a big snooze fest.

September had other ideas.

The standings in both the American League and National League have tightened in a hurry, and a lot of the action over the final few days of the season has centered around teams in Ohio.

Here's a look at some things to watch as MLB's regular season comes to an end and October baseball arrives:

There are 12 teams that qualify for MLB's postseason, including six teams from both the AL and NL. The three division winners in each league get seeds No. 1 through No. 3, ranked by win-loss record. Then the three wild-card teams get seeds No. 4 through No. 6, also ranked by win-loss record.

The top two teams with the best record in both the AL and NL automatically advance to the Division Series. The other eight teams play in the Wild Card Series, which is a best-of-three format beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 30. In both the AL and NL, the No. 6 seed will travel to face the No. 3 seed while the No. 5 seed goes to No. 4. The higher seed hosts all three games.

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: Sept. 30-Oct. 2 (ESPN)

Division Series: Oct. 4-11 (NL on TBS, AL on FOX/FS1)

Championship Series: Oct. 12-21 (NL on TBS, AL on FOX/FS1)

World Series: Oct. 24-Nov. 1 (FOX)

In the National League, the Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres have already qualified for the postseason. The Padres clinched on Monday with a win over the Brewers. Only one spot remains available and that will be decided between the Mets and Reds.

The American League field is set with the Blue Jays, Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians playing October baseball.

The Phillies (+425) are the favorite to win the World Series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. After that, it's the Dodgers (+500), Mariners (+550), Brewers (+750), Blue Jays (+800) and Yankees (+800).

The Blue Jays opened the season at +6000 odds.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh celebrates after the team's win in a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies to clinch a playoff spot, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Bradgley Rodriguez celebrates after the third out during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh carries a trident after hitting a solo home run, his 57th of the season, against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Washington Nationals catcher Jorge Alfaro, left, watches as New York Mets' Juan Soto hits a three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan celebrates after his leadoff home run against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) and outfielder Noelvi Marte (16) bump shoulders after defeating the Chicago Cubs, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Swensen)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote Thursday on social media, “Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

A social media post from U.S. Southern Command on the capture said that Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to make the capture while Noem’s post noted that, like in previous raids, a U.S. Coast Guard tactical team conducted the boarding and seizure.

Noem posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

The Veronica is the sixth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products, and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

Noem, in her social media post, said that the raid was carried out with “close coordination with our colleagues” in the military as well as the State and Justice departments.

“Our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law,” Noem added.

As with prior posts, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Last week, Trump met with executives from oil companies to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro's capture.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)