As the MLB season winds down, the run for October begins and only the best of the best will make the postseason.  As September approaches some divisions will have battles that go down to the wire, but there are others that have a pretty decent lead.  Here’s a look at some teams that should be a lock for the postseason.

The American League has some very close division races in the AL East and AL West and nothing will be determined until late September.  However, when you look at the AL Central, there is one team that should definitely make the postseason and that’s the Detroit Tigers.  With a pitching staff that includes Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer along with hitters such as triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, the Tigers have a solid team and will indeed be playing October baseball.  They are currently in first place in the Central with their 80-56 record to go along with their eight and a half game lead over the Cleveland Indians.  The Indians are their biggest threat in that division, but the Tigers have dominated them this season as they are 15-3 against Cleveland and have outscored them 120-66.  The Tigers have been in control all season, and should cruise right into the playoffs.

Onto the National League where there are more teams that are definitely locked into the playoffs.  The Atlanta Braves are the best team in baseball with their 83-52 record.  They have a 15 game lead over the Washington Nationals and have dominated all year long; even the loss of Tim Hudson couldn’t stop the Braves and their winning ways.  Chris Johnson is having a great season for Atlanta with his .331 average, 10 homeruns, and 58 RBI.  Brian McCann has always been a part of the Braves success and has had a nice 2013 thus far with his .271 average, 19 homeruns and 51 RBI; not to mention his great play behind the plate.  The Braves also had an impressive 14 game win streak this year.  Atlanta is a solid team heading into September and they have a substantial lead in their division; a team that is locked into the postseason.

The LA Dodgers are also a team that will definitely make the postseason this year.  After a very slow start the Dodgers have sprung into first place in the NL West and won’t look back.  They’re 80-55 on the year and have a 10 and a half game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Dodgers have always had the stacked roster which includes Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and rookie phenom Yasiel Puig.  With their team salary of $220,395,196, the highest in MLB, the Dodgers entered the season with a lot of expectations.  They struggled early on, but once Puig was called up, the Dodgers suddenly clicked and the wins keep coming.  The Dodgers are destined to see October baseball in 2013.

While there are many teams that look like they’ll be playing in October, some division and wild card races are too close to call and there are many good teams battling it out right now; this is baseball after all and anything can happen.  All in all the last month of the season should be a good one full of excitement and dramatic finishes.