This is it, the final stretch to the playoffs is here. Teams are getting magic numbers and trimming them every day while others are getting the dreaded E next to their name, signaling that they are eliminated from the playoffs and all of their hard work was for naught. Those teams do not give up, though, they continue to play for pride and to hopefully give a rival that same E that they’ve received.
30. Houston Astros (Last Time 30) E
The Astros started to turn it around in the second half. Pitchers who couldn’t seem to figure it out in the first half like Brad Peacock finally started to show potential, and some late season call ups gave Astros fans hope for next year. The downfall to this team was simple, not enough experience. They probably won’t be much better next year, but this team will improve in the near future.
29. Miami Marlins (Last Time 29) E
Jose Fernandez makes this team watchable. Every time he takes the mound it is a thing of beauty. The problem is, he is now shut down for the year. That pretty much closes the door on the Marlins season, but hope is that ownership does something, anything, to get Giancarlo Stanton some protection in the lineup for next season this offseason. If he can get back to his 2011 form, and with a full season of Fernandez, this team will make some splashes in 2013.
28. Chicago White Sox (Last Time 28) E
The disappointment that is the White Sox is almost at a close. The team went from fighting for the division till the last week of the season in 2013 to being the first team in the AL Central officially eliminated from the playoffs. There are few bright spots on this team right now, so it is going to take a big splash in the offseason free agent market if this team is going to return to glory next season and save Robin Ventura’s job for the future.
27. Chicago Cubs (Last Time 24, Down 3) E
It has been a tough year for Chicago fans. The two teams are both in last place in divisions that have a chance to put three teams into the postseason while their teams fight to the finish with a big E next to their names in the standings. The future is bright for the Cubs, though. They made quite a few trades this season of ending contracts to pull in quality prospects into their system. Much like the Astros, Cubs fans have hope for the near future, but probably not till 2015.
26. Minnesota Twins (Last Time 27, Up 1) E
Twins fans are cringing right now, not because of their place in the standings, but because superstar Joe Mauer is out with a concussion and Twins fans have witnessed firsthand a superstar struggle to recover from concussions. The future for the Twins isn’t quite as bright as it is for some of the other teams at the bottom of the rankings. The pitching that they’ve built contenders on in the past just isn’t there right now, and longtime manager Ron Gardenhire’s job is in serious jeopardy.
25. Milwaukee Brewers (Last Time 26, Up 1) E
Jean Segura has been brilliant and Carlos Gomez should win a gold glove. Other than that, the Brewers fans haven’t had much to cheer for. They were hoping to be in the running for a playoff spot when the season started, but all that changed when their ace struggled at the start of the season, and then their superstar (who had already been struggling with injury) finally admitted to using PEDs and took the rest of the season off. If the Brew Crew is going to make a splash next season the pitching needs to improve and Ryan Braun will need to prove he can be an MVP without the juice on his side.
24. Seattle Mariners (Last Time 19, Down 5) E
The M’s may have the best pitching duo in the AL atop their pitching rotation, but they hitting that seemed to have improved early in the season was streaky. The M’s have had their bright spots this year, but it is going to be tough to compete with the top teams in this division unless they can improve that offense with more consistent hitters.
23. New York Mets (Last Time 23) E
The Mets had a lot of bright spots this season. David Wright looked like his old self, before getting injured again, and Matt Harvey took the world by storm, before finding out his has to have Tommy John Surgery. There were other spots, though, as the future of the team made their debuts this season in the form of Zack Wheeler and Travis D’Arnaud. D’Arnaud’s season hasn’t been the bright spot that Wheeler’s has been, but it has still been a glimpse at what is to come for this team in the near future.
22. Toronto Blue Jays (Last Time 22) E
It goes without saying, the Jays did not expect to be where they are right now. They made a lot of moves in the offseason that led many experts to predict them as World Series contenders. Instead, they sit the lone team from the AL East currently eliminated from the playoffs.
21. Colorado Rockies (Last Time 16, Down 5) E
A lot has changed since early in the season, one big change is the Rockies. They started out this season hotter than anyone in baseball and spent a good portion of the first half near or at the top of the NL West, but it’s September now and they are in last place in the division. They do not have major injuries to point to this season as the issue for the poor season so expect changes in the offseason.
20. San Francisco Giants (Last Time 20) E
From World Series Champions to fighting to stay out of last place. The fall has been hard for the Giants this season and the bright spots have been few and far between. The worst part about the fall is the brightest spot on the team, Hunter Pence, is a free agent and is going to draw big money on the open market, money the Giants may not be willing to spend.
19. San Diego Padres (Last Time 25, Up 6) E
If the Padres can hold onto this third place finish in the NL West it has to be looked at as a bit of improvement, but honestly, they’ve taken a step backwards. Budding superstar Chase Headley was not near what people expected this season and the brightest spot on the club for the year, Everth Cabrera, is currently serving a 50 game suspension for his involvement in the biogenesis scandal. So while they may be in third rather than fourth at the same time last season, they actually have two fewer wins. Not exactly the improvement this team was hoping for.
18. Philadelphia Phillies (Last Time 15, Down 3) E
The Phillies were old and beaten up coming into this season, so why not add someone else old and beaten up right before the season? That’s what the Phillies did when they traded for Michael Young, and much like you’d expect it didn’t work out. The got a breakout season from Domonic Brown but not else worked out as Cole Hamels could not get a win to save his life in the first half of the season, and Roy Halladay has not be healthy at all. It is time for this team to rebuild.
17. Los Angeles Angels (Last Time 18, Down 1) E
The Angels were, much like the Blue Jays, a championship team on paper, but in reality they are already eliminated from the playoffs. The biggest issue this year was pitching, and will be a big key in the offseason. Don’t be surprised if guys like Peter Bourjos or Howie Kendrick are traded in the offseason to get quality bullpen arms. The Angels have a great young foundation to build off of on offense, and have found what could be their third starter in Garrett Richards, and that is something they didn’t have back in April.
16. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last Time 13, Down 3)
The first team not yet eliminated is these Arizona Diamondbacks, and there is an outside chance that they can still make it. The Dodgers are sliding a little bit and seem to be trying to coast to the finish, but the Diamondbacks still have a chance, as slim as that might be. Their fall from first has to be the biggest disappointment of the year because if it wasn’t for that they may have had the NL MVP in Paul Goldschmidt. Their fall will cost him votes, though, and is a disappointment for the team overall.
15. New York Yankees (Last Time 12, Down 3)
The Yankees are one of the four teams chasing the two wildcard spots, but the division is quite out of reach. The schedule ahead of them will give them an opportunity to make up ground in the wildcard as they have games against the Rays, who are ahead of them, and if it comes down to the last days of the season they face the Astros in the last series of the year.
14. Kansas City Royals (Last Time 21, Up 7)
The Royals have been red hot, but it is yet to be seen if it is just in time, or just a little too late. Just like the Yankees the Royals are chasing that last wildcard spot, and they could help themselves over the next four games. The have one more game against the Indians who are just ahead of them in the standings and then three against the Rangers and that is where they can really do some damage as the Rangers currently hold one of the two wildcard spots.
13. Baltimore Orioles (Last Time 6, Down 7)
The O’s picked the wrong time to have a small slump, but luckily it hasn’t cost them, yet. It only gets harder from here for them, though. They are in prime position to win a wildcard spot at only two games back, but they are going to have to go through the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays to do it. It is going to be a tough, but this team is streaky, and if they can turn it around and get hot now expect them to make wildcard exciting.
12. Washington Nationals (Last Time 17, Up 5)
The Nats still have an outside shot at winning the division, but it is a slim chance as the Braves have a magic number of four. The Nats aren’t ready to give up on that slim chance yet, though, especially after sweeping a doubleheader against the Braves and one more to play against them. They also have a shot at the wildcard that has been locked up by the NL Central teams for most of the season, but they can help themselves get right into the wildcard mix when they face the Cardinals for three in St. Louis.
11. Cleveland Indians (Last Time 11)
The Indians are the final team chasing the two wildcard leaders, and they are the biggest threat to take one of the spots away. They currently only sit a half game out of the wildcard, and with the Rangers and Rays trading blows against each other for two more games, the Indians could step right into that spot by just staying hot. They also still have a shot at the division, but the Tigers would have to fall apart for the six game lead to evaporate in the last two weeks of the season.
10. Texas Rangers (Last Time 9, Down 1)
Another epic collapse by the Rangers has their fans outraged and calling for Ron Washington’s job, but the team still has an outside chance at the division and controls their own destiny in the wildcard. The division will be hard because they have no more games against the A’s left, but they are currently tied with Tampa Bay for the two wildcard spots so all they have to do is win and then they’re in the wildcard again this season.
9. Tampa Bay Rays (Last Time 3, Down 6)
For a while it seemed like the Rays were going to push the Red Sox for the division, but the Sox got hot and have just about run away with the division. The Rays have a shot at the division, but it’s a long shot with how well the Sox have been playing, but much like the Rangers, the Rays have their destiny in their own hands when it comes to the wildcard, and they can help themselves and put other wildcard contenders out of it as they face the Rangers for two, three with the Yankees and four with the O’s.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last Time 14, Up 6)
The Dodgers are on their way to a division title, barring an epic collapse, which could happen as they are currently in a four game losing streak and have lost seven of the last 10. That could all change, though, as they are currently in a three game series with the Diamondbacks and could clinch with two wins in the series. They can then coast into the playoffs and set up their rotation for the playoffs and see what Matt Kemp has left in the tank for the playoffs.
7. Cincinnati Reds (Last Time 8, Up1)
The Reds are in control of their own destiny, they are in the second wildcard spot right now, and have six more games against the team ahead of them, the Pittsburgh Pirates. All they have to do is win and they are in the wildcard and possibly hosting the one game playoff. They still have a shot at the division too, though, but they’ll need some help by the teams who are facing the Cardinals in the next two weeks.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last Time 5, Down 1)
The Pirates have a winning season, now it’s time to end the playoff drought. You can take everything said about the Reds and apply it to the Pirates. All they have to do is win, and the series’ left with the Reds are big games because winning those will increase their lead in the top wildcard spot. They also have a shot at catching the Cards, but have a slightly better shot at that than the Reds as they’re only down one game as opposed to the Reds’ 2.5 games back.
5. Detroit Tigers (Last Time 10, Up 5)
It seemed like the Tigers just didn’t want to win the division for a good portion of the year. Every time they got a healthy lead they would let the Indians right back into the race by losing a few in a row. Now they have a six game lead and are on the cusp of winning the division again. If the season ended today they would again face the A’s in the first round as the away team. If these two face off again it could be another deciding game five.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (Last Time 2, Down 2)
The Cards are in control. They just have to keep winning and they win the division, and if they slip and a little, they still have the wildcard spots to fall back on. Needless to say, you can plan on seeing the Cards in the playoffs again this year, and that is dangerous for everyone in the NL because this team knows how to win in the playoffs and will give any team trouble.
3. Oakland Athletics (Last Time 4, Up 1)
The A’s aren’t going to be waiting for game 162 to clinch the division this season barring a collapse, and that is a surprise to most experts who thought this division would be all about the Angels and Rangers. Thanks to another sweep of the Rangers in the final series between the two they control their own destiny. The pitching has been red hot, and it is shaping up to be another first round series against the Tigers which, as mentioned above, could be another magical series to watch.
2. Atlanta Braves (Last Time 7, Up 5)
The Braves have all but run away with this division, but the Nationals are making it closer by getting hot. It is highly unlikely that the Nats catch them, but the most important thing the Braves need to do is win to not only lock up that division but keep the best record in the NL to lock up home field too. As highly unlikely it is that the Braves lose this division, it is even more unlikely that they will miss the playoffs. Expect to see the Braves in the postseason and try to make up for last season's playoff games debacle.
1. Boston Red Sox (Last Time 1)
What more can you say about the Red Sox. They have gone from laughing stock of the league last season to the best team in the league. They haven’t locked up the division yet, but will, and very well could end up with the best record in the league. Some give all the credit to John Farrell, who will probably win AL Manager of the Year, but I like to call it the Gomes Effect because there is something about Jonny Gomes in the clubhouse that turns teams around. No matter who you attribute it to this team is great, and will make another run at a World Series title.