The magic number is a term used in organized baseball usually used in reference to a team's clinching the top spot in their division. The number refers to the number of either wins they must achieve or losses by the team immediately behind them in order for them to clinch. For example, if a team's magic number is two, then if they win their game and the team behind them loses theirs, then they will clinch the division. If they win and the other team wins, or if they lose, but the other team loses two, then the magic number is reduced to one. If playing against each other, then the leading team's magic number is reduced by two for each game that they win.
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