American League Wild Card standings: Athletics back in top spot
By Hayden Kane
One glance at the American League Wild Card standings reveals one simple truth: there is going to be a high quality team on the outside looking in when the 2014 postseason gets underway.
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Two division races in the AL have been decided, pending something miraculous: the Baltimore Orioles will win the American League East and the Los Angeles Angels will win the American League West. In the meantime, the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals are in a tight race for the American League Central.
Whichever team loses in the Central is left to fight two teams from the American League West, the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners, for one of the two Wild Card spots.
Here are the updated Wild Card standings as of this morning for the AL. As of today, the A’s and the Royals would be in:
- Oakland Athletics – 82-66, +0.5 WCGB
- Kansas City Royals – 81-66, — WCGB
- Seattle Mariners – 80-67, 1.0 WCGB
- Toronto Blue Jays – 77-70, 4.0 WCGB
- New York Yankees – 76-71, 5.0 WCGB
- Cleveland Indians – 76-71, 5.0 WCGB
The A’s and Mariners play the third and final game of their crucial weekend series this afternoon in Seattle. Oakland jumped back into the top spot with a 3-2 win Saturday night over the Mariners.
The Royals play the final game of their series against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday; they will also hope to see the Tigers stub their toe against the Indians after Detroit pulled out a key victory on Saturday night, much to the joy of Miguel Cabrera.
We should at least note those two teams from the American League East, the Blue Jays and Yankees, as well as the Indians as teams that are still hanging around the race. Those teams have a tall order in front of them and would have to go on a crazy winning streak, but as we know from past seasons, stranger things have happened.
Things are tight in the American League with a number of good teams involved. It should be a great race to watch, starting with a slate of key games on Sunday.
Stay tuned to FanSided for all of the latest news, rumors, and analysis for Major League Baseball as the season races towards the postseason and the hot stove this off-season.