As the summer crawls along and October feels closer with each passing day, a number of MLB teams have focused their persistent gaze on the postseason. With division races as tight as ever and big names being thrown into the trade market pool, it's fair to say that in four of the six MLB divisions, it's still anybody's game. Let's take a peek at the AL races.
In possibly the most scrutinized division in baseball, the AL East, the streaking Yankees find themselves 2.5 games up on their archrival Boston Red Sox. The Yanks are 9-1 in their last 10 games and boast the second best record in baseball.
The AL Central race is equally riveting, as three teams find themselves in what should be quite a race down the stretch. The Detroit Tigers currently hold a two-game lead over the Chicago White Sox and a three-game lead over the Minnesota Twins. No ballclub appears to being grabbing this division very winnable division -- the poor play that has befuddled the Central is an adequate reason as to why the Tigers have the lowest winning percentage of any division-leading team.
Out West the race boils down to two teams -- the division-leading Angels and their 2.5 game back counterpart, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have been a pleasant surprise this season, featuring a plethora of quality starters and capable bats in the middle of the order. Both teams are playing well as of late: the Angels are 8-2 in their last 10 while the Rangers are 7-3.
Although the AL Wild Card race is not as exciting as the National League's, there is an opportunity for a surprise team to steal a postseason ticket. While the Red Sox currently lead the Wild Card race with a 2.5 game lead over Texas, the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and Minnesota Twins all find themselves with 9 games of a faltering Boston squad who are just 4-6 since the All-Star break.
Be sure to check-in tomorrow for the NL Focus!
