Not a lot has changed in the MLB ever since I did my last postseason picture update but I am going to walk you through what it looks like now. The season now only has a little over two weeks left and we are going to be looking at what teams are in as of now and who still has some work to do if the want to make the playoffs.
AL East
The Tampa Bay Rays are still in control of this division and they will end up winning it easily. They have a 8.5 game lead over the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays and it would take a total collaps for them to lose that lead with only two weeks left. The Rays will win this division.
AL Central
The AL Central is the same way as the AL East with the Chicago White Sox having an 11 game lead over the Cleveland Indians. This division will be won by the White Sox easily.
AL West
Last week, I said that the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics could have made this division interesting but the Houston Astros extended their lead. The Astros are now seven games ahead of the Athletics and they will easily will this division.
AL Wild Card
With the three divisions in the American League pretty much decided, the Wild Card race is crazy. There are five teams that still have a legitimate chance to claim one of the two spots up for grabs. Right now, the Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox hold the two spots with the Yankees 0.5 games behind. The Blue Jays and the Red Sox have the two easiest schedules remaining out of the five teams and it should give them a path into the playoffs. I think that they will both hold onto the Wild Card spots and the Blue Jays will have the better record over the Red Sox.
NL East
The NL East is the second closest division in baseball and the Atlanta Braves currently hold a three game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. It could get even closer in the next week with the Braves having to play the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. I think that this division will get really close by the end of the season and I could definitely seeing either the Phillies or the New York Mets (5.5 games out) sneaking in. I think that it is either going to be the Phillies or the Braves in the end and I see the Braves pulling it out but they probably won't clinch until the final weekend of the season.
NL Central
The Milwaukee Brewers are 12.5 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals which is the biggest division lead in baseball. There is not much here to explain because the Brewers will win this division.
NL West
The most interestin division entering the season and it has lived up to the hype. Many people believed that it was going to be a race between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers but it has been the Dodgers and the Giants who are battling it out. Currently, the Giants have a one game lead over the Dodgers and it is going to come down to the wire. They do not play each other anymore and the Giants have an easier schedule the rest of the way. I really have no idea who is going to pull this division out but I am going to say the Giants since they have controlled the division for most of the year.
NL Wild Card
The second place finisher of the NL West will easily get the first Wild Card spot but the second spot is down to 5 teams. Currently, the St. Louis Cardinals hold the spot and they will be playing the San Diego Padres this weekend, who are 0.5 games behind them. The Cincinnati Reds are one game behind, Phillies are 2.5 behind, and the Mets are 5 behind. The Padres have the hardest schedule remaining in the whole MLB so it will take a miracle for them to win it and the Reds and Phillies have the easiest schedule among this group. It is going to be a close race, but I believe the Reds will pull through for the last spot.
Playoffs if Season Ended Today:
American League
Wild Card Game: Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Divisional Round: BOS/TOR vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros
National League
Wild Card Game: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Divisional Round: STL/LAD vs. San Francisco Giants
Atlanta Braves vs. Milwaukee Brewers
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