With six days left of the Major League Baseball regular season, five of the six divisional races are locked up. However, the wildcard berths remain up for grabs in both leagues.
The American League East has easily been the best division in 2016. While a disappointing year for the Tampa Bay Rays has left them 27 games out of first place, the other four teams will all finish with at least 81 wins each, good for a .500 winning percentage and all remain in playoff contention.
After two straight years of last-place finishes, the Boston Red Sox have run away with the division the past two weeks. After an 11-game winning streak that started Sept. 15 and ended Tuesday, the Red Sox have pulled well ahead of the pack and lead the second-place Toronto Blue Jays by five games, as well as owning a stellar 92-65 record.
The Cleveland Indians, led by an excellent pitching staff that collectively owns the seventh-best ERA in the league, have locked up the AL Central with ease. Despite losing left fielder Michael Brantley for the season, the Indians have received key contributions from rookie outfielder Tyler Naquin (.892 OPS) and shortstop Francisco Lindor (.301 AVG) en route to their first playoff berth since 2013 and a 91-66 record thus far.
The defending champion Kansas City Royals have struggled to an 80-77 record, and while they still remain in the hunt for a wildcard mathematically, all signs point to them being left out of the playoff picture come October.
In the AL West, the Texas Rangers are the top team in the division by an impressive 9 1/2 games over the Seattle Mariners. The third-place Houston Astros, after a surprising and possible fluke of a 2015 season, have struggled all season and are on the outside looking in.
The Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles are both currently in the lead for the two wildcard berths in the American League, but several teams behind them are still well in contention. The Detroit Tigers are only one game behind the second wildcard berth, held by the Orioles. Seattle and Houston are two and 2.5 games out, respectively.
Over on the NL side, every division has been clinched and only three teams remain in the race for the wildcard.
The Washington Nationals held a comfortable lead over the New York Mets for most of the season and hold a 92-65 record. However, the Nationals have been decimated by injuries in recent weeks. All-star catcher Wilson Ramos tore his ACL and is out for the season. Another all-star, Daniel Murphy, has been sidelined recently nursing a sore buttock. Pitcher Stephen Strasburg is unlikely to pitch in the National League Division Series. Even 2015 National League MVP Bryce Harper is nursing a thumb injury and is putting up pedestrian numbers this season.
While the Nationals are glad to be back in the playoffs, it remains to be seen how they will perform without several key members of the roster.
The Chicago Cubs have been far and away the top team in the MLB this season. After clinching the NL Central way back on Sept. 15, the Cubs have since surpassed the 100-win milestone and have a league-best 101-56 record this year.
The NL West has been clinched by the injury-riddled Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite a record-setting 28 players spending time on the disabled list this season, the Dodgers hold a seven-game advantage over the fading San Francisco Giants.
The Mets and Giants currently own the two wildcard berths in the National League. The St. Louis Cardinals trail by only one game and could conceivably earn a playoff berth depending on how the rest of the season plays out.
While it’s not a sure thing the Cubs will win the World Series, they have been easily the best and most consistent club this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they finally capture their first World Series since 1908. Needless to say, this postseason will be an interesting one.
A version of this article appeared in print on Sept. 29, 2016, on page 14 with the headline: MLB postseason: who’s in, who’s out?
