The MLB wild card race is heating up, and it looks like both the National and American League teams may not be decided until the final day of the regular season! While most of the division champions have already been decided, the race to win the wild-card spots in the both divisions are still up for grabs. With no margin for error, the final two weeks of the season are going to be must-see action for baseball fans as teams battle for the right to play October baseball.
American League update
The New York Yankees are in the driver's seat in terms of making the postseason.
The Yankees trail the Boston Red Sox by three games in the AL East divisional race. However, they hold a four-game lead over the rest of the AL in the wild-card standings. This week will be crucial for the Yankees as they prepare for a huge three-game series against the Minnesota Twins.
The Minnesota Twins, who currently hold the second wild-card spot, are four games behind New York. While winning this series is important for both teams, it is a bit more important for the Twins, who have the L.A. Angels and Seattle Mariners right on their tail!
The Angels came to life in the second half of the season and are just 2.5 games out of a wild-card position. L.A. had a great chance to catch Minnesota this week, but they have been sliding at the worst time.
The Halos are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Seattle is also skidding at a bad time. The Mariners are just 4.5 games behind the leaders as they prepare to start a six-game homestand. Seattle has lost their three games and is 5-5 in their last 10 games overall.
National League four-team race down the stretch
Unlike the American League, where every team outside of the Oakland A’s, Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox really do have a legitimate shot at making the postseason, the National League is a four-horse race.
The Arizona Diamondbacks currently hold the No. 1 spot in the NL wild-card position, followed by the Colorado Rockies. The only two teams left that can ruin it for the Dbacks or Rockies are the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. The Brew Crew trails the Rockies by 2.5 games, while the Cardinals are four off the pace.
Every other team in the National League is simply playing out the string and waiting for next season to arrive.
Below is a look at the current wild-card standings for each league as of September 18. The top two teams in the wild-card standings will meet up in a one-game playoff to determine which team will make it to the divisional round of the postseason.
AL Standings
- N.Y. Yankees +4
- Minnesota Twins - EVEN
- L.A. Angels (2)
- Seattle Mariners (4½)
- Kansas City Royals (5)
- Texas Rangers (5)
- Baltimore Orioles (5½)
- Tampa Bay Rays (5½)
- Toronto Blue Jays (8½)
NL Standings
- Arizona Diamondbacks +5
- Colorado Rockies - EVEN
- Milwaukee Brewers (2½)
- St. Louis Cardinals (4½)
