The MLB regular season is beginning to wind down with only six weeks left between now and the playoffs. The American League has been quite mid this year, creating a land of opportunity where someone can get to October hot and ride that momentum to the World Series.
The standings are pretty chaotic in the junior circuit, with the Baltimore Orioles holding the final Wild Card spot entering play on Aug. 18 with a record of 61-64 and a slew of mediocre teams right behind them. Most of those teams have at least one fatal flaw, but they also maintain some strengths that give them an opportunity to go on a run if they can sneak into the dance.
Team | Record |
|---|---|
Yankees | 69-55 |
Red Sox | 67-58 |
Orioles | 61-64 |
Rangers | 61-64 |
Tigers | 61-64 |
Twins | 61-65 |
Blue Jays | 61-65 |
Guardians | 60-65 |
Mariners | 59-66 |
Which AL Wild Card contender has the best chance to reach the World Series? Read on for a power ranking of all of them, with the list operating on the assumption that the three current division leaders (Tampa Bay, Chicago and Houston) wrap up their respective spots.
9. Minnesota Twins
Much like their division rivals, Minnesota appears to be a bit short in terms of game-breaking talent necessary to make a World Series run. The fact that the front office bought at the deadline is nice but the Twins need Byron Buxton to put the lineup on his back if they want to last more than a few games in October.
8. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians have squandered a soft schedule so far, getting swept by the red-hot Mets and losing each of their first four series post-deadline. There isn't enough ballast in the lineup to seriously threaten the types of pitching Cleveland would run into in October, leaving their odds of even surviving a Wild Card series slim.
7. Baltimore Orioles
Pete Alonso is trying his best to elevate Baltimore to the playoffs out of the leadoff spot but they don't appear to be deep enough in the rotation or lineup to make a serious dent in October. Getting to the postseason would appear to be the goal here and give the front office the justification to make more significant investments in their roster for 2027.
6. Toronto Blue Jays
Even though they traded away Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho at the trade deadline, there is enough talent from last year's pennant winners left to seize the final Wild Card spot in a weak American League. It feels like the league has let Toronto hang around for far too long and if they can survive the AL East down the stretch they'd feel quite good about their chances.
5. Texas Rangers
A softer schedule could give Texas a path to get into the postseason and they have a good playoff rotation with Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi (if he can return from an IL stint) at the top. The rotation behind them is questionable, however, which could leave them vulnerable past a Wild Card series.
4. Seattle Mariners
Even though the Mariners have the worst record of any Wild Card contender, Seattle's pitching staff could be deadly in October as a rotation with Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Bryce Miller can hang with anybody. Offense has been an issue for the Mariners, but all it takes is a few well-timed hot streaks to give them a good shot to survive the weaker half of the AL bracket and at least reach the ALCS.
3. Detroit Tigers
If you go by run differential, there may not be a scarier team outside the two locks than the Tigers, who have managed to stay afloat despite costing themselves an opportunity to win their division. Detroit has a lot of players with postseason experience on their roster and have played well since trading away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize at the deadline, giving themselves a great chance to get hot in a few short series.
2. Boston Red Sox
A 32-5 heater helped the Red Sox rise from the dead to essentially a playoff lock, with their mission now to try and catch their rivals in the Bronx for the right to host a Wild Card series. A lot of injured stars are on their way back as well, giving the Red Sox an opportunity to write a Hollywood ending to their season.
1. New York Yankees
An elite pitching staff gives the Yankees an excellent shot in any playoff series, and the potential return of three big bats (Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge) can aid the flawed offense that has kept them behind the Rays in the division. A Wild Card series matchup with the Red Sox appears to be a near lock, which is a scary proposition, but if they can get through that landmine they'd be one of the World Series favorites in the league.
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