As the 2016 MLB regular season nears the end, the playoff picture is starting to become clearer and clearer. With about 14 games left in the season, teams that are on the bubble are running out of time while those that have clinched or are about to do so are getting ready for their first playoff series. As the postseason picture becomes more apparent and teams fall to the wayside, some teams are starting to let GMs and managers go, while others are considering what they will do to address issues related to performance and last season. There’s also other news in MLB, including that concerning one former NFL quarterback. Here’s our weekly report.
AL East
In the AL East, the Boston Red Sox appear to be both the beats and the best. The team from Beantown has won five straight, which includes their four-game sweep of the Yankees this weekend, and their win last night in Baltimore against the second place Orioles. The Sox are now four games ahead of two bird teams- the Orioles and Blue Jays. No one has clinched a playoff spot in the American League yet, but Boston is very close, as they continue to get solid pitching and timely hitting.
Rest of the AL
It looks like as far as the 2016 MLB regular season is concerned that the Cleveland Indians will win the Central and the Texas Rangers the West. Who will be the two Wild Card teams? Everything points to the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. However, the Detroit Tigers still have an outside shot. Two other teams that are also possible, but not probable, are the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. It’s a good possibility that three of the five AL playoff teams will come from the East.
NL Playoffs
One team in the majors has clinched their division and that’s the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have dominated the National League for most of the 2016 MLB regular season. The two other clubs that look to be division winners are the Washington Nationals in the East and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the West.
Three teams look to be likely Wild Card, the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants. Of those three, it is the Giants who appear to be struggling most. They have lost three straight. The Cards are on a three-game winning streak. That’s the longest active winning streak in the NL.
Heisman Trophy Baseball Player
The Mets signed former college football star and NFL player Tim Tebow recently. Last night, he made his minor league debut in the instructional league at Port St. Lucie’s Tradition Field in Florida. The Mets are already selling Tebow baseball shirts with his number 15 on them. Tebow has not played organized baseball since his junior year in high school. At 29 years old, the former NFL quarterback was the oldest of the 57 players in the instructional league camp. The camp, which runs for three weeks, includes a few 17-year-old kids with the second-oldest player being 25. Tebow was the first round draft pick by the Denver Broncos in 2010.
2016 MLB Regular Season: This Next Week
As the 2016 MLB regular season continues, We expect the National League division winners to be decided within the next few days. Look for the Giants to continue to implode, as they take themselves out of the playoff mix. The toughest Wild Card team may be the St. Louis Cardinals. There’s a lot of pressure on the Chicago Cubs to take it all, and they may just do so. Plus, Boston’s David Ortiz will continue to set new marks for players 40+ and for guys in their final baseball season.
