The tightest race in baseball is the American League East as Toronto and Baltimore are tied for the top spot. The Blue Jays (62-47) might have the advantage with a powerful lineup and solid starting pitching, but the Orioles (61-46) have battled hard all season and won’t just go away. Don’t forget about Boston (59-48) either; they’re just two games back and in good position to win the division or make the post season as a wild card team.
The Chicago Cubs are still on top of the latest power rankings and for good reason. The Cubs (66-41) have the best record in baseball and made a couple moves before the trade deadline to strengthen an already solid bullpen. With the starting pitching among the best in the game, fans of the team are expecting the curse to be broken and the city and a celebration of epic proportions at seasons end.
Washington is one squad that could make life tough for the Cubs. The Nationals (64-44) can match any team in the game on the mound and have enough experience to overcome the nerves come playoff time. Besides a short stretch of bad baseball, this squad has been the second best team all season and can’t be looked past when looking for World Series contenders.
The AL Central has become a tight race over the last month. Cleveland is still holding the top spot in the division, but the Indians (61-45) have lost ground on their hold of the top spot. Detroit is the hottest team in baseball, winning 8 of 10 games and closing the gap to just three games. The Tigers (59-49) pitching has been disappointing this year, but at the plate they can match anyone, making them a team to watch over the last two months.
It has been an exciting 2016 MLB campaign and with more than half the league still in the playoff chase, fans and the league can expect plenty more excitement. Chicago might be the front-runner to win a championship, but history isn’t on their side and that could make this a wide open chase when October finally gets here.
