MLB Wild Card Standings: Red Sox, Orioles, Rays in tight AL race
With the Orioles and Rangers slumping, and Red Sox, Rays and Blue Jays surging, the AL Wild Card standings are closer than ever.
We’re not quite two months into the season, but the Houston Astros have opened up a dominant 10-game lead in the AL West thanks to a 35-16 record that is the best in baseball. The last-place Mariners are 13 games back in the division standings. However, even with a 22-29 record, the M’s sit just 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
Kansas City, 21-28 overall and 6.5 back in the AL Central, is also within 4.5 games of a postseason position. The Toronto Blue Jays, fresh off a five-game winning streak but still in last place in the East and 7.5 games behind the Yankees, are just three games out.
The Baltimore Orioles lost seven in a row to lose their grip on the top of the pile, and now sit in a tie with Cleveland for the second Wild Card, while the Boston Red Sox surged to the with a six-game winning streak. Previously the hottest team in baseball, the Texas Rangers lost five in a row last week, and have been passed by the Rays, who have won four of five.
Simply put, the AL Wild Card race is tight from top to bottom.
Things are very different in the National League. No AL team is more than 4.5 games out of the Wild Card race, but that same margin divides the Cardinals and Cubs – the top two challengers in the NL – from an NL Wild Card slot. The two worst teams in baseball, the Padres and Phillies, are already 12 games out.
Nearly two months into the 2017 season, we take a look at the full MLB Wild Card standings.
American League Division Leaders
AL East
New York Yankees (29-18, .617)
This time last week, the Yankees had lost ground in the AL East, and sat just half a game ahead of the Orioles in first place in the division. Back-to-back series wins against the Royals and A’s coupled with a 0-7 week for Baltimore pushed that lead to three games in just seven days.
Pitching played a big role in New York’s solid week. Luis Severino was dominant in eight scoreless innings May 24 against Kansas City. Masahiro Tanaka racked up 13 strikeouts in just 7.1 innings against Oakland Friday night and Dellin Betances, who looks right at home in the ninth inning, allowed just one hit while striking out seven in 3.2 innings to earn three saves.
AL Central
Minnesota Twins (26-20, .565)
The Twins just won’t go away. Minnesota finished with the worst record in baseball last year by a large margin, which has been cited as evidence over and over as a reason why the club will fall apart any day now.
However, rising star Miguel Sano, a resurgent Joe Mauer, and an improved pitching staff featuring legitimate Cy Young contender Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios (who appears to be fixed following a disastrous debut last season) have kept Minnesota in the lead in the AL Central.
AL West
Houston Astros (35-16, .686)
No team in baseball has a better record than the Houston Astros, who have now won six of their last seven games after a weekend sweep of the Orioles.
The Astros have arguably the most well rounded team in the majors. Offensively, Carlos Correa are both hitting over .300 with seven home runs, and Marwin Gonzalez and George Springer have 11 home runs apiece. Plus, Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers are both pitching like Cy Young candidates.