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As the Major League Baseball regular season enters its final weekend, the American League playoff landscape is largely settled, with only a few details left to resolve. This season has been one of the least productive in AL history, with just two teams reaching 90 wins and only five teams securing a winning record before the last weekend. Despite the overall lack of dominance, the playoff races have not been particularly tight.
Weather concerns have also arisen, as a nor'easter is forecasted to impact the weekend schedule, prompting several series to relocate games to avoid the storm. However, these adjustments are not expected to affect the most critical AL playoff races.
AL Wild-Card Standings
The wild-card picture is clear: the New York Yankees (93-68) have clinched the first wild-card spot, while the Boston Red Sox (87-74) secured the second spot with a win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday. The third and final wild-card spot will go to either the Cleveland Guardians or the Chicago White Sox, as one will win the AL Central and the other will take the third wild-card berth.
Other teams in the wild-card hunt have been eliminated: the Rangers (79-81), Orioles (79-82), Blue Jays (78-83), Twins (76-85), Tigers (76-85), Mariners (75-86), Royals (68-93), Athletics (64-97), and Angels (62-99).
AL Central Standings
The Guardians (85-76) clinched the AL Central on Saturday with a win combined with a White Sox loss. Cleveland will be the No. 2 seed in the AL playoffs, while Chicago (83-78) will be the No. 6 seed.
AL West Standings
The only remaining playoff spot to be decided is the AL West division winner. Both the Houston Astros (80-81) and Texas Rangers (80-81) were eliminated from wild-card contention, but one will claim the division title and the No. 3 seed. The Astros hold the tiebreaker, giving them a slight edge over the Rangers.
Originally reported by yahoo.