MLB Wild Card Standings: Oakland surges, Cleveland falters

With June approaching, the Wild Card races in both the American League and National League are wide open, but this week saw extreme movement in the AL.

The most exciting team in baseball over the last few weeks has been the Minnesota Twins who boast baseball’s best record. They have won six games in a row, but the Oakland Athletics have topped that. The A’s have won their last nine completed baseball games, and lead in a suspended game against the Tigers.

This run has vaulted them into Wild Card position as they are now tied with the Red Sox for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. Most important during this run for Oakland has been a series sweep of the Cleveland Indians.

Cleveland has lost three of their last five series and has just one win in their last seven games. This run has caused them to fall out of the second Wild Card spot and they are now 1.5 games back. This upcoming series with the Red Sox is going to be vital for the Indians to keep themselves in the Wild Card race, or for the Red Sox to try and catch the Tampa Bay Rays, who currently have a 4.5 game lead in the Wild Card race. In the American League, keep an eye on the Texas Rangers, who have won seven of their last 10 to put them in a tie with the Indians.

The National League is even more intriguing as no team has been able to establish themselves. The Atlanta Braves have won nine of their last 12 games and are now tied with the Milwaukee Brewers atop the Wild Card standings. Behind those two teams are seven teams that are five or fewer games back.

The Padres won both of their series last week and now sit just 1.5 games back. A 19-run explosion against the Blue Jays showcased how good they can be. The Mets, who were swept by the Marlins last weekend, rebounded with a four-game sweep of the Nationals and a series victory against the Tigers to claw their way back to .500.

The Cardinals are a team to be worried about. They have gone seven straight series without a series victory, and have plummeted from the top of the NL Central to now three games back in the Wild Card. However, if they are able to regain the form they had to start the season, they could make a rapid climb up the standings.