*Photo from MLB.com*
There are just under two weeks to go in the regular season, so we'll look at where every playoff contender stands and just what needs to happen for them to get in.
*Photo from Athletics Nation*
Oakland Athletics(91-61)
Place: 8 GB AL West, in control of first AL WC
The A's are in a good spot right now. They probably won't catch the Astros, but if the season ended today, they would be hosting the AL wild card game. The Season doesn't end today, so they still have to keep pace, but continuing to win games ensures that any team in the second AL spot will have to travel to Oakland. 100 wins is in the realm of possibility, especially with the weak schedule they have in September.
*Photo from Sportsnaut*
Tampa Bay Rays(89-63)
Place: 10 GB AL East, in control of second AL WC
The Tampa Bay Rays have had a great season, attendance issues aside, and it was a team effort. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Charlie Morton anchor the rotation, and Austin Meadows and Tommy Pham are just two of the guys who have had superb seasons hitting wise. They may not catch the Yankees, but a wild card game of small market team vs small market team just has a lot of intrigue, doesn't it? They just have to keep pace to make that happen, but their schedule toughens up, as they are currently playing the Dodgers, and the Boston Red Sox travel to Tampa next week.
*Photo from Let's go Tribe*
Cleveland Indians(88-63)
Place: 5 GB AL Central, 0.5 WC
Many people left the Indians for dead in May when the Twins were over 10 games ahead of them. Well, they're back. The hitting wasn't as strong as recent years this season, but their pitching corps has been outstanding. Shane Bieber is enjoying a breakout season, Mike Clevinger has looked good, and Carlos Carrasco is back. Oh, there's also Aaron Civale, quietly becoming a solid back of the rotation piece for the Tribe. The best chance for a Cleveland entry into October is for them to win some games and for either Oakland or Tampa Bay to fall. The positioning is good for Cleveland too, only a half game back.
*Photo from NBC Sports*
Boston Red Sox(79-71)
Place: 19 GB AL East, 9 GB WC
Technically, the Red Sox are still mathematically alive in the playoff race, but there's probably only one outcome where they get in. That's if a miracle happens. It just doesn't make sense that a team with this much talent is stuck in the mud. As a Red Sox fan, all I can say is onto next year.
*Photo from NBC Sports*
Washington Nationals(83-68)
Place: 9 GB NL East, in control of first NL WC
Remember when the Nats had an awful start to the season? Seems like a long time ago. Since June, everything has meshed together, and the Nats have surged to the first NL wild card spot, led by Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto, and their incredible pitching from Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin. They probably won't catch the Braves in the east, but the first wild card spot isn't a bad spot at all, since they would be at home for the wild card game.
*Photo from Brew Crew Ball*
Milwaukee Brewers(82-69)
Place: 2.5 GB NL Central, tied for second WC
We all thought the Brewers were done when Christian Yelich went down. They have looked better since Yelich left, going on a roll and moving into a tie with the division rival Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot, and only a game behind Washington for the first one. The Brewers need to win and the Cubs and Cardinals to lose a few to win the NL central outright, and just the Cubs to lose to play in the wild card game. They could make it, you know.
*Photo from NBC Chicago*
Chicago Cubs(82-69)
Place: 2.5 GB NL Central, tied for second WC
The Chicago Cubs have been on a slide with Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez out, but they are just barely keeping pace. The lineup is still stacked, led most notably by Nicholas Castellanos, as they are destroying balls without prejudice. The pitching has been the weak link recently, as Yu Darvish has been their best pitcher lately. Think about that. They just need to play better to get a wild card spot and they could still get the NL central. Pay attention to these guys until the end of the month.
*Photo from SNY*
New York Mets(78-73)
Place: 14.5 GB NL East, 4 GB WC
The Mets have fell lately, but not because they aren't trying. Yes, there still is a chance for the Amazin' Mets to make the playoffs after all. The entire team has stepped up in this window, and Pete Alonso is now the frontrunner for NL rookie of the year. Watch these guys closely, something special could happen.
*Photo from Federal Baseball*
Philadelphia Phillies(77-72)
Place: 14.5 GB NL East, 4 GB WC
Everyone thought the Phillies would win the pennant after getting Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto. Instead, they've largely struggled this year, especially with consistency. They need everything to play up to their ability to make the wild card game. 4 games behind, but time is running out in the city of brotherly love.
*Photo from ESPN.com*
Arizona Diamondbacks(77-75)
Place: 21 GB NL West, 5.5 GB WC
The D-Backs have been in a free fall recently, losing precious postion. They now are 5 games back of a spot, so they need to win out and for 4 teams ahead of them to go into an irreparable slump. Regardless, Ketel Marte has had an MVP like season, so there is some hope next year if they ultimately falter this time around.
Comments
Post a Comment