We are about to come into the homestretch for the 2016 MLB playoffs. Once we get beyond Labor Day, the 162-game baseball season has just about one month left and with three division crowns and two Wild Card spots available in each league, the final month tends to be a scramble.
After Labor Day, each teams has about 25 games left to play. At least 80% of those games are within each team’s division. Thus, if a club is in a tight race and behind, it can be tough for them to make up much ground. Additionally, losing and winning streaks as well as series sweeps become huge. Here’s a snapshot of where teams are at in each league and an assessment of which one’s have the best shot at getting into the post season.
AL East
When it comes to the 2016 MLB playoffs, the AL East is a very interesting place to be. This is a division from which three of the six playoffs teams may come. Right now it is a race for first between the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles. In addition, despite the fact that they have gotten rid of a lot of their talent, the New York Yankees are also still in the mix.
Boston’s got the best hitting but their pitching is uneven. The Jays’ bats aren’t as solid as the BoSox, but their pitchers are performing well. Baltimore is mediocre in both areas, while, if the Yankee hitting could get hot, they’d have a shot at a Wild Card spot.
AL Central
The Cleveland Indians continue to lead the AL Central. One team you should not count out is the Kansas City Royals. It’s true they are in third, but this team has been winning a lot. They are three away from a Wild Card bid and 5.5 out of first. The Tigers are in second place, just two games out of the Wild Card and 4.5 out of first. But their pitching is worrisome.
Look for Cleveland to bet in the 2016 MLB playoffs and for the Royals to try to possibly capture the second Wild Card spot.
AL West
The AL West goes to the Texas Rangers. The question is can the Houston Astros or Seattle Mariners, both at 68-62, take one of the Wild Cards. Houston is on a tear. They could do it.
NL East
The Washington Nationals are clearly in control of the NL East. The Miami Marlins, with their solid pitching, have a good chance of getting in as a Wild Card. The New York Mets are behind the Marlins by just one game, but they don’t seem to have the depth and tenacity to win a Wild Card berth.
NL Central
The Cubs win, the Cubs win, the Cubs win the NL Central! They are 14 games ahead of their closest team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh is right behind St. Louis. At this point, both are ahead of the Marlins for the second Wild Card.
But this is a situation where each team may cancel the other out. Leaving it open for the Marlins in the East to win the second Wild Card spot.
NL West
Two teams from the NL West will be in the 2016 MLB playoffs. One is the 73-57 Los Angeles Dodgers and the other is the 71-59 San Francisco Giants. Both teams are too good not to make it. Plus, they get to play Colorado, Arizona, and San Diego a lot.
2016 MLB Playoffs- Final Take
Our final take on the 2016 MLB playoffs has the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals earning the Wild Cards, as the Blue Jays, Indians, and Rangers win their divisions. In the NL, we like the Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants as the Wild cards winners and the Nationals, Cubs and Dodgers as the division winners.
