After my last post regarding the leaders of the AL Wild Card (at the time), the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers, I went forward to make these predictions about the following four teams in the race (before the games this week). Even though the week is nearly over, I'll still write about the four contending teams as I would have before it started and leave my same predictions for the week. Their records on this post reflect their records before this week's games.
Cleveland Indians: 81-68, 0.5 games behind Texas/Tampa Bay for Wild Card. The Indians have been playing great ball and taking advantage of a weak September schedule, but don't count them out as serious playoff contenders just because they've been beating up on the White Sox and Twins all month. The Indians have emerged as one of baseball's biggest surprises this season, and with the offense clicking up and down the lineup and a strong resurgence of Ubaldo Jiminez, I predict that there will be October baseball in Cleveland this season.
Week ahead: 3 games at Kansas City, 4 games vs. Houston. Prediction: 4-3. Dropping 2 of 3 in Kansas City and taking 3 out of 4 at home against the Astros.
Baltimore Orioles: 79-70, 2.5 games behind Texas/Tampa Bay for Wild Card. The Orioles have had an extremely up-and-down season, at times the hottest hitting team in baseball and at other times hitting dreadful slumps. After dropping 3 of 4 at home to the Yankees in a few close, heart-breaking games they bounced back by winning the weekend series in Toronto. Unfortunately for the O's, they still have stops in Boston and Tampa Bay for 3 games with the Sox and 4 with the Rays, the two teams ahead of them in the AL East standings. The Orioles have been an exciting team to watch all year but pitching is the name of the game in late September/October, and so far the Orioles haven't proven that their starting pitching can keep them in close, playoff-like games.
Week ahead: 3 games at Boston, 4 games at Tampa Bay. Prediction: 4-3. Winning 2 of 3 in Boston and splitting the 4 games with the Rays.
New York Yankees: 79-71, 3 games behind Texas/Tampa Bay for Wild Card. The Bronx Bombers have lacked their power this season, but somehow have managed to stay in the race despite lengthy (and some season-ending) injuries to stars such as Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. Their pitching has come on strong as of late, especially Ivan Nova who has emerged as a star and won the August AL Pitcher of the Month award. After winning 3 out of 4 in Baltimore, the Yankees looked poised for an incredible comeback to possibly capture the second wild card position. However, they then traveled to Fenway and were swept by the Red Sox over the weekend, putting a damper on their plans to crash the postseason party. With a fairly light schedule over the next week, don't count the Yankees out just yet, but 3 games may just be a little too many to make up with two weeks remaining after the sweep in Boston.
Week ahead: 3 games at Toronto, 3 games vs. the Giants at home. Prediction: 4-2. Winning 2 of 3 in each series against the last-place Blue Jays and Giants.
Kansas City Royals: 78-71, 3.5 games behind Texas/Tampa Bay for Wild Card. The Royals are still playing meaningful games late into September, which may have a lot of people around the country surprised. Having not had a winning season since 2003, the Royals look destined to at least break that mark, if not make a late push into one of the remaining two wild card spots. After a rough 3-game sweep by the hands of the last-place White Sox in late August, the Royals have turned things around, going 15-8 since then and catapulting themselves right back into the playoff race. This week will pit them against two other wild card contenders (Indians and Rangers) and home before going on the road to play the lowly Mariners then White Sox over the last week of the season. If they can manage to survive the Indians and Rangers series' (and I believe they will), the Royals should be right in the mix heading in to the last week of the season.
Week ahead: 6 game homestand, hosting the Indians for 3 and then the Rangers for 3. Prediction: 4-2. Winning 2 of 3 in each of their final two home series'.
IN REVIEW
Based on the weekly predictions I made, here is what I expect the AL Wild Card standings to be after all games are complete on Sunday, September 22nd.
Tampa Bay Rays: 86-70 (+1 game)
Cleveland Indians: 85-71
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Texas Rangers: 83-72 (1.5 games back)
Baltimore Orioles: 83-73 (2 games back)
New York Yankees: 83-73 (2 games back)
Kansas City Royals: 82-73 (2.5 games back)
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