If there is a pen and paper next to you, get it ready.
Wednesday marks the last day of the MLB regular season, with the new wild card play-in games scheduled for Friday, Oct. 5. As of Monday night, the playoff picture continues to be as foggy as a cool New England morning — especially in the AL.
The Yankees and Orioles are tied for the lead in the AL East. New York hosts the Red Sox while Baltimore heads to Tropicana Field to take on the Rays. They can be tied on Monday and possibly even on Wednesday, but in the end, one team will be the division champ, and the other (most likely) the first wild card team.
In the event the Yanks and O’s tie for the AL East crown, they will play a tiebreaker game on Thursday afternoon, in Baltimore. Why at Camden Yards, you ask? Per MLB’s tiebreaker scenarios, the team with the better head-to-head record would host the game. Since the teams tied, it moves down to the second tiebreaker — divisional record. After the Orioles swept the Red Sox on Sunday, they clinched that better record over New York, and secured potential home-field advantage in the if-necessary divisional tiebreaker game.
The AL Central is starting to look clearer. Because both the Tigers and White Sox have been eliminated from the wild card standings, so only one of these two teams will play past this week. Detroit needs only a win or White Sox loss to clinch the Central, meaning it looks like the Tigers will be ready for the postseason.
Out west, the Athletics won’t go away from the Rangers for the division title, staying only two games back of Texas. Oakland is a game behind the No. 1 wild card spot and has a three game lead over both the Rays and Angels. One A’s win gets them into the playoffs — but in which seed?
Confused yet?
In the event Baltimore and New York tie for the AL East, and Oakland has an identical record with those two for the highest wild card, there would be double the bonus baseball! The Yankees and O’s would play for the division in Baltimore with the winner getting the division and a bye to the ALDS. The loser would then have to rely on those handy scenarios to see where their travel agent would have to take them next. The Yankees own that tiebreaker over Oakland, and the A’s own it over Baltimore.
Phew — and that’s only half of baseball.
The NL is much clearer in terms of the tiebreakers; the Reds and Giants are already division champions. The Nationals are a win away from clinching their own title, and the Braves are already the No. 1 wild card. The only spot left is just about wrapped up as well, as the Cardinals can punch their playoff ticket with a win and a Dodgers loss, two wins or two Dodger losses. In the event those two tie, their play-in game would take place at Chavez Ravine, with the winner having to travel the following day to — most likely — Atlanta for the next play-in game.
Alrighty then. Looks like everything’s been covered. Three days of baseball, five teams left mathematically eligible for the postseason and four division titles up for grabs. Ready for October?
