These are the MLB wild card races to watch in the coming weeks as the season winds down. It will be a fun time to be a baseball fan. Therefore here are some races and teams to watch.
There are more wild card spots this year with the new postseason format. It means that more teams will have a chance. Fans will see plenty of drama, huge moments, and of course controversy. The divisions seem to be locking down making the wild card standings fun to watch.
Wild Card Races
The AL wild card race has more competition with at least seven teams involved. Also, the AL East seems to be featured a lot in this race. The Blue Jays currently have the lead for the top spot. They have a powerful offense and tough pitching making them tough to beat. The Mariners and Rays are holding the other two spots. Both teams have played good baseball all season, but they do have some competition.
Moreover, the Orioles who have been a big surprise are only a game behind the Rays for the last spot. They will be facing each other quite a bit in the next few weeks in important series that could change the standings. Twins and Guardians are still in the mix and playing good baseball. Even the Red Sox are still in the race even considering how bad they have played since the break.
NL Wild Card Race
The Atlanta Braves may not have a shot at catching the Mets for the NL East but the defending champions can seal the top spot in the wild card. It will be hard for the others to catch them. The Padres and Phillies are still holding the other two spots. Since acquiring Juan Soto and Josh Bell, the Padres have struggled and even had a five-game losing streak. Fans are hoping that this is not a repeat of last year when the Padres fell apart in the end.
Also, the Giants and Brewers still have a chance with less than two games separating them from the other three. The Brewers looked poised to take the NL Central in the first half, but they have struggled since then. Therefore, if one of them gets hot in the next month then it could really change the standings. The NL West could play a big part in the outcome as there are multiple teams fighting for spots.
There are other factors that can affect a suddenly chaotic playoff and wild card race. As the Yankees and Padres struggle to win games that they should. The Dodgers can’t stay healthy with key players like Walker Buehler suffering big injuries. Also, it will be interesting to see how the new playoff format will work out. Stay tuned for more on the MLB postseason.
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