Written by E Sarmiento at iSportsTimes.com
It’s shaping up to be a wild last two and a half weeks before the wildcard phase begins on October 4.
There’s a lot of baseball to be played and when the dust settles, the standings may encounter a few shakeups from the top. Teams vying for the wildcard slots are in a tight race, and we’re not sure who ends up where by the time the playoffs begin.
American League
The American League is still a free-for-all in some aspects, although the Texas Rangers may have the AL West locked up. Current AL Central leaders Cleveland Indians are six games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, and are also taking it easy. Everywhere else is mayhem.
AL East
The division that has the closest gap between teams and where the wildcard teams can probably be found, as the Red Sox’s current position can change in the coming days. The Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays are two games behind Boston, and both teams are currently surging, closing the gap atop the AL East. You can’t disregard the New York Yankees either, going 7-3 in their last 10, although their lineup is riddled with injuries, which might hurt their final push for a wildcard spot.
AL Central
The Indians seem to be resting its starters for a deep run into the playoffs, and seemingly can afford to do so, as the Tigers are sputtering to the finish line, going 5-5 in their last 10 games. Although mathematically still in the running, the Tigers need a solid push to qualify for a wildcard berth.
AL West
The Seattle Mariners are 8-2 in their last 10 games, ripping off seven straight wins against the Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Rangers aren’t scared though, having almost a 10-game lead.
AL Prediction: The Orioles will steal the top seed and leave the Boston Red Sox duking it out for a wildcard spot with the Blue Jays. Cleveland Indians head into the playoffs alone, leaving the Tigers in AL Central. Rangers in, Seattle competing for a spot in the wildcards. It’s bedlam as Boston, Toronto, New York and Seattle fight it out for the two spots. It’ll be Boston and Toronto in the wildcard berths by October.
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