MLB Playoffs: Which team is most likely to steal a wild card spot?

With the beginning of September comes the real beginning of what it means to make that last push for a spot in the MLB playoffs. This year the A.L. and N.L. Eastern divisions seem to be the only divisions that appear to be locked down for the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals.

The other divisions seem to be in constant flux. Every morning seems to bring at least one new division leader and one new team in the top wild card spot. But what about those teams hanging around just inside and outside the of getting that second wild card berth? Which team is most likely to sneak in and knock out a team that’s been seen as a contender all year?

Last week I might have told you it would be the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Cleveland Indians but with the number of games left to play dwindling and both of those teams having a few more losses since then, my perspective has, like the division standings, shifted.

Right now it looks like the Seattle Mariners might be that sneaky team to jump into a playoff spot at the final moment, which would mean three teams from the A.L. Western division would likely be going to the postseason.

This could all be a moot point by this time next week but as of the end of play on September 2, the Mariners are just a game and a half back of the Detroit Tigers in the race for the second  A.L. wild card spot.

Seattle has to face the good but struggling Oakland Athletics and the surging Los Angeles Angels (twice) before the season ends but they also have multiple series against two of the worst teams in baseball, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.

Wednesday they play the third of their final six games of the season against the Athletics in a marquee pitching match up between Seattle’s “King” Felix Hernandez and Oakland’s latest ace acquired from the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline, Jon Lester.

Seattle’s 1-2 punch of Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma at the top of their starting rotation are the main keys to their success at finally making the postseason. Neither pitcher has showed signs of slowing down and Hernandez is hungry to make the playoffs.

"“I’m really excited,” Hernandez said about pitching in a playoff race. “It feels different. Every game counts and the environment is different.”"

In his ten seasons in the big leagues, all with the Mariners, the team has gotten close to the playoffs only once while on his own Hernandez has made five All-Star appearances, won a Cy Young award and appears to be in line to win a second one in 2014.

This year might just be the year for Hernandez and the Mariners. The team just needs to hold it together. With consistent bonus performances like the one they got Tuesday night from rookie starting pitcher James Paxton, who took a shutout into the eighth inning in Oakland.

Offensively it will likely take the Mariners’ expensive off season acquisition Robinson Cano  and veteran Endy Chavez leading the way, but again it’s the the excellent play of the lesser known players that will be needed to get the Mariners into the playoffs.

Guys such as Kyle Seager and Austin Jackson will have to step up and get the job done. Jackson has proven his value with his speed stealing six bases since being picked up from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.

Seager has done the same, being named to his first All-Star game in 2014.  They may not have household names around the nation but they have talent and know how to use it.

However, it’s going to take more than talent and good performances from rookies and under the radar players for the Mariners to make the playoffs. They’re going to need to beat the struggling A’s in their next four games against them, hopefully have their pitching staff shut down the potent offense of the Angels and hope that the Tigers and/or the Kansas City Royals falter down the stretch.

The Detroit Tigers have given the general appearance of being weak of late but really they have won seven of their last 10 games. At the same time Justin Verlander is beginning to show signs of pitching like his Cy Young self again.

Verlander combined with Max Scherzer, David Price and offensive powers like Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez have equaled a winning recipe for the Tigers in past years and for the majority of this season. They are a team not likely to be taken down easily. Neither are the Royals who have been keeping a slim lead over the Tigers in the A.L. Central.

However, of all the teams in the American League, Seattle could be the sleeper team. They’re in third place in their division, but they’re primed to sneak in to a steal a spot in the playoffs from one of the top two teams in the A.L. Central.