Imagine it or not, we’re on the cusp of September, and meaning postseason races are heating up with only one month remaining within the common season.
Naturally, it is a good time to take inventory of the place the contenders stand. So right here’s a have a look at the playoff image because it stands now, together with which groups are in place to be taking part in in October and which groups are inside putting distance:
Within the AL West, the Astros have confirmed that their dynastic run over the previous eight years isn’t over regardless of dropping Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker final offseason.
Houston is clinging to a two-game lead over the Mariners thanks to 5 wins in seven video games since being swept in Detroit. Seattle, in the meantime, has been streaky of late, dropping 5 straight earlier than successful 4 of the subsequent six. The golf equipment, who’ve at occasions had some chippy moments, will meet for what might be an enormous collection in Houston from Sept. 19-21.
Over within the NL West, the Dodgers briefly misplaced their grip on first place over the Padres earlier this month, however Los Angeles regained its footing and has gained 4 straight video games. That successful streak coincided with the Padres dropping three of 4. The result’s a two-game lead for the Dodgers, who management their very own future since they’ve already gained the season collection towards San Diego.
Intrigue within the East, cushion within the Central
The AL East has undergone a sea change over the previous couple of months, with the Blue Jays surging to the highest of the division whereas the Yankees slid into third place behind Boston. The Purple Sox are pink scorching, coming off a four-game sweep of the Orioles and wins in seven of their final eight video games to climb considerably within the standings — they’re simply 3 1/2 video games behind Toronto.
The present leaders within the three remaining divisions are perched comfortably atop the standings — the Tigers lead the AL Central by 8 1/2 video games regardless of being swept by the A’s, the Brewers lead the NL Central by 6 1/2 over the Cubs and the Phillies have a five-game lead over the Mets within the NL East.
Regardless of being swept by the Mets earlier this week, the Phillies rebounded with a blowout win over the Braves whereas the Mets misplaced to the Marlins. The rivals will meet for the ultimate time this season for 4 video games at Residents Financial institution Park from Sept. 8-11.
Historic rivals neck-and-neck in AL
The Purple Sox at the moment lead the AL Wild Card race by the slimmest of margins over the Yankees, with only a half-game separating the archrivals thanks largely to Boston’s three wins in a four-game set within the Bronx final week. The Mariners at the moment occupy the third Wild Card spot, two video games behind New York.
The Mariners don’t have any head-to-head matchups remaining towards both the Purple Sox or the Yankees. And Seattle at the moment doesn’t personal the tiebreaker towards both membership — the Mariners break up the season collection with Boston however Boston has a greater intradivision report; and Seattle misplaced the season collection to New York after going 1-5 towards the Yanks.
The Yankees and Purple Sox, nevertheless, have yet one more head-to-head collection remaining, from Sept. 12-14, at Fenway Park.
There are three golf equipment inside 5 video games of an AL Wild Card spot — the Royals (3 video games again), Rangers (4 1/2) and Guardians (5).
NL race tightens on the prime whereas Reds attempt to preserve shut
Within the NL, there’s only one membership inside 5 video games of the third Wild Card place — the Reds are 4 video games again of the Mets. The Cubs’ lead over the Padres for the highest Wild Card spot has been reduce to 1 after Chicago was swept in San Francisco. And the Mets are three behind San Diego.
The Cubs and Mets will meet within the penultimate collection of the common season, from Sept. 23-25 at Wrigley Subject. Chicago and San Diego break up their six-game season collection and every has the identical intradivision report, however the Padres maintain the subsequent tiebreaker, which is interdivision report.
And the Mets had been swept by the Padres in three video games at Petco Park final month, however they’ll meet for an additional three-game collection at Citi Subject from Sept. 16-18.
With the Tigers dropping 4 straight and the Blue Jays persevering with to surge, Toronto (78-56) has leap-frogged Detroit for the perfect report within the AL and the league’s No. 1 general seed. The Jays are only a half-game forward of the Tigers for that distinction as Toronto opens an enormous collection towards the crew with baseball’s greatest report, the Brewers, on Friday.
The highest seed within the NL is at the moment held by these Brewers, who’re 5 1/2 video games away from the Dodgers and Phillies, every of whom have equivalent data at 77-57. If Milwaukee can keep MLB’s greatest report via the season’s closing month, it’ll have house subject benefit all through the postseason, together with the World Sequence.
Solely 4 video games separate the highest seed within the AL (Blue Jays) and the No. 3 seed (Astros), with the highest two seeds on the finish of the common season qualifying for byes within the first spherical of the playoffs. At the moment, Toronto and Detroit are in place for first-round byes, although Houston is nicely inside putting distance with one month to go.
On the NL facet, the Brewers have a cushty cushion of their quest for a primary spherical bye, however the Dodgers and Phillies are in a useless warmth for the second Wild Card spot to clinch a bye within the first spherical. Los Angeles and Philadelphia will face off for the ultimate time this season from Sept. 15-17 at Dodger Stadium.
HOME FIELD IN WILD CARD ROUND
Why is it vital to win a division title and at the least safe a No. 3 seed in every league? As a result of whereas the No. 3 seed doesn’t get a bye within the first spherical, it does get to host the best-of-three Wild Card Sequence towards the No. 6 seed.
Proper now, the No. 3 seeds belong to the Astros within the AL and the Phillies within the NL (whereas the Phils have the identical report because the Dodgers, Los Angeles at the moment holds the intradivision report tiebreaker).
If the season was to finish at the moment, Houston would host the Mariners within the Wild Card spherical and Philadelphia would host the rival Mets.
