The American League bracket is nearly set, and the final weekend is mostly about sorting out one last division race.
The Yankees have already locked up the top wild-card slot at 92-67, and the Red Sox clinched the second spot after beating the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon. That leaves the third wild-card position to the winner of the AL Central race - either the Cleveland Guardians or the Chicago White Sox.
The standings in the wild-card picture are otherwise mostly settled. Behind New York and Boston, the White Sox sit at 82-77, while the Rangers are 79-80, the Orioles 78-81, the Blue Jays 77-82, the Twins 75-84, the Tigers 74-85, the Mariners 74-85, the Royals 68-91, the Athletics 63-96 and the Angels 61-98. All of those clubs are already eliminated.
In the Central, Cleveland holds a one-game edge at 83-67 with three games left, while Chicago is 82-77 with three to play. The wrinkle is the season series: the White Sox won it 7-6, which gives them the tiebreaker. If the two teams finish with the same record, Chicago takes the division.
That sets up the final decision in the American League playoff field, with one club going home as the division winner and the other claiming the third wild-card berth.
The other remaining playoff spot belongs to the AL West champion. The Astros and Rangers are both out of wild-card contention, but one of them will still reach the postseason by winning the division and grabbing the No. 3 seed. Houston owns the tiebreaker, giving it the slight edge over Texas.
A nor’easter has also caused some scheduling changes this weekend, with a few series moving games to dodge the storm. Even so, the biggest races in the AL picture are still intact as the season heads into its last three games for several teams.
In Other News...
Astros Deadline Gamble Just Added New Drama To The AL West Race
The Astros went to the deadline with one clear move, picking up Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays in exchange for Spencer Arrighetti, but the addition has quickly come with some extra baggage. Varsho has struggled at the plate, and now he is expected to land on the injured list because of wrist cysts, with surgery even being considered.
For the Rangers, the timing matters because they are still locked in a tight AL West race with Houston and both clubs are trying to patch together pitching in the stretch run. A deal that was supposed to give the Astros a boost instead has introduced more uncertainty, and with only a few games left, every bit of roster drama can ripple through a division chase that has stayed this close. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Finally Have A Little Life In The Playoff Race
A badly needed win gave the Rangers a little breathing room in a playoff race that had started to feel like it was slipping away. Kumar Rocker steadied the game with five innings of one-run ball, Jordan Montgomery finished it off for a save, and Josh Jung and Corey Seager supplied the power with home runs that gave Texas enough offense to stop the bleeding.
There is still a long road ahead, but at least the math has not gone completely stale. Fangraphs still gives the Rangers a 28.7% shot at the postseason, which means this is less about comfort than survival, and every clean outing or timely swing matters a whole lot more now than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Rotation Mystery Shows How Far Texas Is Pushing This Race
Jacob deGrom is lined up to start Fridays series opener against the Twins, a sign the Rangers are still leaning on their biggest arm as the division race tightens and the calendar starts dictating more of the conversation than usual. With Texas trying to squeeze every edge out of a crowded schedule, the club is managing its rotation carefully and keeping an eye on who can take the ball when the margin for error keeps shrinking.
The final two games of the series are still unsettled, which says plenty about where this race stands and how much the Rangers are willing to juggle to stay in it. Several pitchers availability is still shaping what comes next, and until those decisions are finalized, the rotation remains part strategy, part chess match, with Texas trying to protect both the present and what comes after. [Read more 🡒]