The Hunt for October- 2012 MLB Playoff Chase
With 16 games left in the season, this is where it starts to get real exciting. Yes, football season has started and the new Real World Challenge starts this Wed., but there is no reason you should not be glued to the television every night watching this playoff chase. If the season ended today, Baltimore and Oakland would play a 1-game playoff for the right to face Texas while the White Sox would be facing the Yankees. In the NL, the Cardinals would play Atlanta in the play-in game for the right to play Washington while Cincinnati and SF would face each other.
Division Champs
We all know a lot can happen in 16 games, and with that being said, 3 of the 6 divisions are still up for grabs. The Yankees hold a 1 game lead over the Orioles in the East with Chicago holding a 2 game lead over Detroit in the Central, and shocking to everyone the A's are only 3 games back from Texas in the AL West.
In the NL, all 3 divisions are pretty much wrapped up. The Nationals hold a 6 game lead, the Reds with a double digit lead, and the Giants are 7.5 games up. With the schedules each team has left mixed with the awful play of the other teams, I do not see any way these 3 teams do not win their respective division.
Wild Card
Currently in the AL, Oakland holds the top spot with Baltimore in the 2nd position. LA is 2.5 back, with TB 4 back and Det 4.5 back. If any of the division leaders change, Chicago and NY will also be in this conversation. Oak has far and way the toughest schedule and they play almost every team behind them the rest of the way, so there is plenty of time for any of these teams to take over the wild-card lead.
The NL picture is more complicated due to a combination of teams choking and forgetting how to play baseball(dodgers etc) and other teams who were playing awful, all of a sudden playing like the '83 or '97 Orioles.( Padres, Brewers, Phillies etc.). Atlanta holds a firm grip on the top spot with the Cardinals holding the 2nd spot. After that, there are 6 teams within 6 games( LAD 1, Mil 2.5, Pitt 3, Philly 4, Arizona 4.5, SD 6) and they all have a chance to take that 2nd spot. San Diego has been one of the best teams in baseball since the all-star break. All of these teams will be playing each other in the upcoming weeks and that should make each night more exciting then the previous one.
A look ahead
Teams have anywhere from 15-17 games left to finish the season out. Teams like Detroit have an easy path to go through with their remaining schedule at a .413 winning %, where as teams like the Rangers and Athletics have to face opponents that have a combined .582 winning %.
Toronto could prove to be the team that decides the AL East. They have series against NYY, Baltimore, and Tampa. Luckily for those teams, Toronto is playing like they have given up on the season. All three teams in the east have a remaining schedule of teams with below a .500 wining %. Tampa has 10 games remaining at home compared to 9 for NY and 7 for Baltimore.
Oakland, who currently holds the wild card lead, has 6 games left at home and 10 on the road. They have huge series against NY, Det, and Texas remaining on their schedule. They are not the only team in the west with a tough remaining schedule, Texas has to face a remaining schedule of teams with a .553 winning % including LA and Oakland.
The Tigers, who also have 10 games remaining at home, have to rely on just winning games and hoping that the White Sox crumble on their own.
The Nationals, who have the NL East wrapped up, are still playing for the best record in the NL. They have series left against Atl, LAD, Mil, and Phi. They are going to have a lot to say with who wins the Wild Card.
The Dodgers have 6 games left at home and 9 on the road. Out of those 15 games, they will play SD, Cin, and Washington. They have been playing so bad lately, and they look like they will not be making the playoffs.
There are other great games and series to look forward to in the next 2.5 weeks and I expect there to be at least 1 tie breaker game just to make it into the play-in game.
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