How do we classify the part of the MLB season we're currently in? It's not quite the "homestretch" because teams have nearly 50 games left to play, but it's also not quite the "dog days" because we're a few weeks post-All Star, the trade deadline has passed and every game is starting to feel a little more important. Whatever you want to call it, it's not short on storylines, that's for sure.
The American League Wild Card race is one of the more intriguing ones, as (at least) five teams are squarely in the mix for three playoff spots, with two more holding onto the outside of the ship for dear life. Here's how the five teams with the best shot at those spots have been playing recently.
1. Boston Red Sox
A stunning run to end the first half of the season appeared to be a flash in the pan after the Red Sox started the post-All Star stretch run at 2-5. But since then, they've rattled off 9 wins in 11 games including a sweep of the Houston Astros, and now look once again like real contenders in the American League.
Even with a disappointing deadline where the Red Sox acquired starter Dustin May and virtually nothing else (while somewhat shockingly parting with prospect James Tibbs to do so) this team has been cooking since trading its best player for seemingly no reason. Sure, why not?
The Sox are four games back of the Blue Jays for the AL East lead, and have one series remaining against their Canadian division rivals. If Alex Cora's team keeps playing how they have been, a division title is in the picture. Right now, they'll settle for being the clear best team fighting for a WC spot.
2. Seattle Mariners
In honor of Ichiro's HOF enshrinement, the Mariners used the deadline to acquire one of the best base stealers in the game: Josh Naylor.
That sounds like a joke (okay, it's kind of a joke) but Naylor has been, literally, the best base stealer in baseball since the Mariners traded for him, swiping 10 bases in 12 games after stealing 11 all year to this point.
As a team, the M's are 6-1 since the deadline and the offense, not pitching, has been the star of the show. There aren't many holes in the lineup, and rookie Cole Young seems to be heating up at the right time, too. The bullpen might not be deep enough for this team to really make a run at things in 2025, but right, now the vibes are great.
3. Cleveland Guardians
Out of nowhere! The Guardians were almost sellers at the trade deadline (which never made sense, to be fair) and are now in the thick of a pretty fun wild card sprint. Sitting at 59-55 and just 1.5 games back of the ice-cold Yankees for the final spot, the Guards are 19-7 in their past 26 games and are trying to put an end to the belief that the AL Central is a one-team division.
A sweep of the Mets has this team riding high and now they get to play the White Sox and Braves in two of their next three series. They also have series against the Red Sox, Mariners and Rangers all coming — they actually finish off the season against the Rangers, which could be a hugely important series in this race.
With less than two months in the season, I think Cleveland is just happy to be in this race. Can you imagine if they traded Steven Kwan last week? That would have immediately been a challenger for worst move of the baseball season... and there have been some bad ones.
4. Texas Rangers
I can't really call this Rangers team a surprise considering they won the World Series in 2023 and the roster remains largely the same from that run, but it has been a nice turnaround for this team, specifically on the offensive side, where they looked pretty awful for the first few months of the season.
Pitching still remains the name of the Rangers game, but the offense has woken from its slumber and now this group looks a little more like the champions they were just two years ago. Everything went right at the right time in 2023, and I don't know if this team has the juice for another run like that, but I also wouldn't leap at the chance to play them in a Wild Card round.
5. New York Yankees
Yeah, it's not good. Not good at all. The Yankees looked to be correcting course with a sweep of the Rays to close out July, then proceeded to get swept by the Marlins and lose two of three to the Rangers, saved only by a clutch, go-ahead Paul Goldschmidt home run in the series finale.
Aaron Judge was on the IL so the Yankees had a built-in excuse for some of those losses, but even with Judge back, the Yanks offense has looked stagnant to say the least.
It's bleak — but it's not like things are unsalvagable. There are nearly 50 games left in the season, the Yankees are still in a playoff position as of today, August, 8th, and they still have the best offensive player in the league on the roster.
With that being said... right now, the freefall continues.