There is a little more than a month left in the MLB season, and the playoff race is starting to settle into a more manageable shape. Especially in the era of the expanded playoffs, the wild card is always an interesting race. The AL is a bit of a dumpster fire, as we might see a sub-500 team make the playoffs. As of now, it looks like seven teams are fighting for one spot. Here are the contenders for the AL Wild Card and how they stand right now.
Even without Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger in the lineup, the Yankees have continued to win games with stellar pitching outings. That pitching staff has picked up their offense, which has been abysmal lately, in a big way. If the Yankees can continue this pace without multiple All-Star bats, what might they look like in October when those guys come back? They are also battling for a hotly contested AL East crown.
If you told Red Sox fans that they would be a wild-card contender in June, they probably would’ve laughed in your face. A 21-4 month can do wonders, and that’s what the Sox did in July. They catapulted from one of the worst teams in the AL to being in contention, not just for a playoff spot, but for a division lead. They have a ways to go if they want to catch the Rays, but it’s not impossible. As of now, they are very solidly in the second wild-card spot. As a side note, Payton Tolle is an absolute monster on the mound, and not a guy that anyone wants to face in October.
The Orioles seem to be in this spot more because of the general incompetence of the AL rather than their own success. They did take 3-4 from the league-best Rays over the weekend, but as is every other team below them, the Orioles are a sub-500 team. They currently sit at 61-64, and not a lot that they have done this season has inspired a lot of confidence. Pete Alonso, however, has continued to live up to the back of his baseball card, tallying yet another season with an OPS over .800. Perhaps if certain guys in their lineup get hot, they could hold onto this spot, but it doesn’t seem likely to me.
The Rangers have had injury issues all year. Like the Yankees and Red Sox, they are fighting for a division lead as well as a wild card spot. Unlike those teams, their division is not one of the best in baseball. The West has been rough to look at all year, and the Rangers are another team in that division that has displayed stunning levels of mediocrity. They have the players to compete when they are healthy and playing well, especially in their starting pitching ranks.
The Tigers are where everyone thought they would be after trading away their two best starting pitchers: in a playoff spot. They couldn’t sustain much positive momentum heading into the trade deadline, making the Tarik Skubal trade decision easy for their front office. Since then, they have stayed the course of relative mediocrity, but in an AL as weak as this, they have been good enough for a playoff spot. They have gotten a boost from some starting pitching coming back from injury, the likes of Jackson Jobe and Troy Melton. They need more production from their outfield overall to keep this spot.
The Twins surprised a lot of people when they bought at the deadline. They clearly think they have a shot at being a contender this season. They added to their bullpen, which has been arguably their biggest issue this season. Recently, though, they have not gotten enough from their starting pitching. Joe Ryan going down with injury has not helped. This young team can bop with the best of them, and be careful when throwing them fastballs, as they are one of the best teams against the heater in baseball.
Toronto did a bit of a mix of buying and selling at the deadline this year. It has seemed to work out alright for them, as they have been playing slightly better baseball as of late. The Blue Jays’ issue has been their offense; what helped them to a World Series a year ago has turned into one of the worst units in the sport. It has put a tremendous amount of pressure on their pitching staff, which has been pretty good for the most part, especially AL Cy Young contender Dylan Cease. If they could get anything going on offense, they could jump up the board here.
Cleveland has faded a bit after being in contention for the AL Central for most of the season. They have slid down into fourth place as the White Sox continue to dominate. Maybe treading water for so long without their stars took some wind out of the sails, or maybe their lack of offense has caught up to them. They still have one of the scariest one-two punches in their rotation with Parker Messick and Gavin Williams. Like a couple of other teams here, if they want to salvage a playoff spot, they will need any sort of contribution from the bats.
Time is running out for the Mariners to turn into who we all thought they were. Many thought they would be a powerhouse in the AL this season. That has simply not been the case. They haven’t been terrible, but being two games back in this abysmal AL playoff race is such a letdown from their preseason aspirations. Their offense has slumped at the worst times, and it hasn’t been enough all season, even with a very good pitching staff. There is still a little time, and they are only two games back. This is a team that has the talent to surge, but will they?
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