Looks like Cleveland and Chicago should make the playoffs. None of the other contenders are good enough to win sufficient remaining games.
I am in “wait until next year mode” when Jays four injured starters should be back. They have been on the DL for much of 2026.
The NL Wildcard situation will come down to the wire. It seems like the 3 teams are locked in with Cubs, Phillies, and Padres, but the order is compeltely up in the air, only 1 game separating the 3 with 9 to play. I am glad the Cubbies fininsh with Boston, who may not have much to play for in the final series of the regular season. They seem locked into the 2nd WC and will travel to play the Yankees. I’m hoping they are playing backups and scrubs to set themselves up for the playoff series.
It’s a 2 game lead with 9 left for everyone. There are still enough games left for someone to make that up. The Tex/Tor series alone has the ability to catapult one of those teams.
Not only has Chi (with everyone, thankfully) been struggling, but with a week left they don’t even know who their starting pitchers are. And they’re now relying on Pham, who literally has one hit all season, to help them. It’s the desperation time of the season.
CHW 0.0
CLE 0.0
Hou -1.0
TEX -2.0
TOR -2.0
BAL -3.0
CHW & HOU hold divisional tie breakers
TOR has tiebreaker over CLE, loses tie to TEX, CHW, currently leads BAL 6-4, tied 3-3 HOU haven’t looked at next. Next 6 games for TOR are TEX & BAL so should have clarity.
TEX has tie breaker over CLE, TOR, BAL but not CHW or HOU
BAL probably needs to almost win out with 3 teams to pass.
If White Sox and Guardians just go 5-4, Jays need to go 7-2 to catch Guardians or 8-1 to catch White Sox for final WC. That’s pretty daunting for a .500 club.
Either the White Sox or Guardians need to tank.
The White Sox and Guardians going 5-4 is also pretty daunting!
Plus, how teams perform under pressure is an unknown.
Maybe, maybe not - remaining SOS of teams, CHW and CLE have easiest on paper
.566 - BAL (NYY, MIL, TOR)
.484- TOR (CIN, BAL, TEX)
.473 - HOU (ATL, ATH, SEA)
.471 - TEX (NYM, DET, TOR)
.460 - CLE (BOS, ATH, KCR)
.425 - CHW (COL, KCR, DET)
The White Sox had a play I’d never seen before yesterday. The White Sox were in the field and the bases were loaded. The batter swings and misses, but the ball gets away and the runner on third scores. So the White Sox challenge the play that the batter actually got hit by the pitch, which turned out to be the case. It’s still a strike because the batter swung despite getting hit, and the runner had to go back to third on the hbp dead ball.
I’ve definitely seen the swinging strike dead ball hit batter before, but that was the first time I ever seen a challenge to get it.
Looking like both AL Central Teams will make the post season
Cleveland up one on Sox, Sox with tie breaker
Texas up one on Houston, Stros with tie breaker
Houston and Toronto both 3 games back in Wild Card and Baltimore on life support 5 games back.
Wrt the White Sox, here are the elimination numbers:
Balt - 2
Tor - 3
Tex/Hou (whoever doesn’t get the division) - 4
Yes. None of the AL WC contenders are threats at this stage. I gave up on Toronto a week ago as their pitching staff was too decimated to string together a winning streak.
Have switched to NFL. Go Seahawks Go.
Solution to a shitty early season: get stuck in a plane on a tarmac!
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49995202/boston-red-sox-mlb-playoffs-postseason-chad-tracy
Alex Bregman took a foul ball to the face while waiting to hit in the on deck circle. At a minimum, he’s out for a week while the face swelling subsides. At worst, he’s concussed and his season is over.
Kalshi has had PCA as a virtual lock for NL MVP, but prior to the weekend, Bregman was actually in 2nd place. His first half was mediocre, but his second half was en fuego.
The Guardians and White Sox will both make the playoffs but winning their division is HUGE to give them the first round bye as the second seed. Those extra few days to set the rotation is such an advantage.
The White Sox found a role for Luis Castillo - closing out games in the 9th where you need to hold the other team to only one grand slam
Maybe the White Sox could trade Luis Castillo for Edward Cabrero.
Jays officially eliminated with today’s loss.
Amazing that a team 11 games under 0.500 with five games left to play is not yet eliminated.
SEA are five games behind two teams. Must win all their games and the other teams (TEX, HOU) must lose all the games they play.
