American Wrestling: Two Fierce Battles for Division Titles

The race for the playoffs in the National League isn't all that exciting.

The Brewers have won their division. The Dodgers will do the same shortly. And let's just say we have a pretty good idea which teams will make the playoffs, considering that Arizona is 3.5 games behind the San Diego Padres.

But what about the American League? Some teams currently leading their divisions are actually at risk of missing the playoffs.

We can all agree that the Rays have a pretty good chance of winning their division (they're four and a half games ahead of the Bombers), but I'm not talking about them.

The Guardians overtook the White Sox yesterday. They're half a game ahead.

And the Astros are still atop their division, but that's only because they currently hold the tiebreaker advantage over Texas. Nothing is decided yet for either team, both of which are currently playing at .500.

Because the Rays, the Yankees, and the Red Sox are truly more dominant than any other team in the American League, this is going to make the race for the playoffs interesting.

Because the Guardians, White Sox, Rangers, and Astros can't all make the playoffs. Unless Boston collapses… but don't count on it.

Imagine being on the verge of winning your division but potentially missing the playoffs. It brings back memories of the Expos, unfortunately…

If the Blue Jays were to make the playoffs as well, the teams in the West and Central divisions would really have to win their divisions to qualify.

Right now, the Blue Jays are one and a half games out of the playoffs. The Orioles, the worst team in the East, are one and a half games behind the Rangers, who have the same record as the division leaders.

When people say the American League is weak, that doesn't include the East. And that's true even though Toronto and Baltimore are far from powerhouses right now.

• Enjoy the podcast.

• Two home runs for the young Padres player.

• Sad news.

• Blake Snell is experiencing groin pain.

• A save for Sandy Alcántara? Um…

Created by humans, assisted by AI.