All 30 MLB teams this season have gone through 130 to 140 Games, and now it’s the final stretch with less than a month to go. The season officially ends on October 1st, so that leaves everyone with three weeks, some teams with easier schedules than others.
American League
Starting in the American League, the Orioles are one game away from sweeping the Angels, then have games against the Red Sox, Cardinals, Rays, Astros, Guardians, Nationals, and then finish off at home against the Red Sox once again. This seems to be a fairly easy finish as they are only playing against one leader in the Astros (by only one game, however), though you can’t downplay the Rays or Guardians. The Red Sox and Nationals are more or less out of the playoff race, and are playing just above .500 ball or below on the season.
The American League West has turned up on its head since I last wrote a playoff piece, with the Texas Rangers dropping from first place all the way to third, and three games out of first. There was a moment where the Astros, Mariners, and Rangers were all tied up for first in August, but I feel like the Rangers are slowly digging themselves into a hole just as Seattle turned on the afterburners, and may just miss the playoffs, watching the Astros and Mariners move on once again. The Angels and Athletics will find themselves in fourth and last place, there’s no way about it, unless the Rangers implode, and somehow manage to pass the Angels and take fourth.
The American League Wild Card was indeed wild for a few weeks in August, but it seems as though things are a fair bit clearer, now. Instead of four AL East teams showing up, it looks as though it could be three AL West teams going to the playoffs with any mixture of the Astros, Mariners, and Rangers. The Mariners currently have a small lead as the second Wild Card, and the Rangers are only half a game back of the third Wild Card as of today, behind the Blue Jays all while the Astros sit in first place ahead of Seattle by only one game. The only other “locked” American League playoff contenders are the Orioles and Rays of the East, and Twins of the Central division.
National League
Moving over to the National League, the only locks for the playoffs this year in the National League are the Braves, who are already at 90 wins this season as of writing, but the Dodgers can probably say they’re going as well with 84 wins to their name. The Brewers are hanging onto a tight one and a half game lead over the Cubs in the Central, and even if the Brew Crew fend off the Cubs, Chicago could slide in with a Wild Card spot.
The East seems to be the strongest division in the National League as of writing, with three possible playoff teams right now, and two more or less locked in with the Braves and Phillies, while the Marlins are fighting to keep the last Wild Card position. No matter if the Cubs takes first place in the Central, they’re sitting pretty in the second Wild Card position as a backup to get into the playoffs. This is where the West comes into play, making things a bit hairy.
Over in the Wild Card race, the Marlins only hold a half game over both Arizona and the Reds currently, then you have the lingering Giants who are only two and a half games back of the final Wild Card position. This National League race between the Marlins, DBacks, Reds, and Giants will be one to watch. The Marlins are turning up the heat with a six game win streak and going 7-3 in their last 10 games as of writing, while the three teams behind them are nowhere near that intensity in terms of winning. The one team with the best chance to overtake the Marlins may just be the Reds, who’s last appearance in the playoffs during a full season was 2013; They lost the NL Wild Card in the shortened 2020 season, as well.
