American League Wild Card Standings: A’s, Royals remain on top entering final week

With one week of games left in the 2014 Major League Baseball regular season, the tightest races in baseball reside in the American League.

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The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals continue to duke it out in the AL Central; whichever team finishes second in that race will be left to fight for one of the two Wild Card spots.

As things stand now, the Royals would slot into the second Wild Card spot behind the Oakland Athletics and just in front of the Seattle Mariners. The Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees continue to hang on by their fingernails on the fringe of the Wild Card standings.

1. Oakland Athletics – 85-70, +0.5 WCGB
2. Kansas City Royals – 84-70, — WCGB
3. Seattle Mariners – 83-72, 1.5 WCGB
4. Cleveland Indians – 81-74, 3.5 WCGB
5. New York Yankees – 80-75, 4.5 WCGB

Series to watch

The Indians and Royals are set to square off in what will technically be a four-game series, at least as far as the standings are concerned. On Monday they will resume a game that was postponed by rain on August 31st; the Royals will have to hope for a dramatic comeback, as they are down 4-2 in the 10th inning of that game. If something is going to change in the Wild Card standings, it would have to come from the Royals getting swept by the Indians.

Team to watch

The Los Angeles Angels. They are not one of the teams competing for a spot here, as they are on cruise control as this year’s AL West champions. The Angels will still have a significant say in the Wild Card race, however. They play the Oakland Athletics to start the week and the Seattle Mariners to conclude the season next weekend.

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