With the stretch run hitting full swing, it comes time to look at the road between now and the MLB playoffs.
September 1 signifies more than a date, the start of a new calendar month, or simply another 24-hour interval in a 365-day year.
The start of September represents the real commencement of major league baseball’s stretch run. For five months, teams have been participating in a marathon, attempting to grasp a firm position in the standings day after day.
Now, contenders have separated from pretenders. The men have separated themselves from the boys. When push comes to shove, the prevailing teams will be those who slam their respective foots on the gas pedal.
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At the moment, the league, divided throughout the divisions, has varying senses of clarity. It is on each and every team to find that authoritative state which can hit home with the baseball landscape.
It all starts now. There is no looking back, creating a “no tomorrow” mentality for numerous ballclubs.
With that said, the state of the league consists of frontrunners and sleepers. Promising teams and potential busts. Pennant favorites and overhyped misfits.
Judging from today’s outlook, and taking September schedules into full consideration, who would prevail? Who would live to see another day? Who would head into the postseason expecting nothing less than the promise land?
ESNY’s projections may shed some light on a brewing baseball world.
Next: AL Division Champions
AL Division Champions
Sure, the Toronto Blue Jays’ offense is extremely scary. With that said, often forgotten is the fact that the Red Sox are the team with the best offense in baseball. Boston outscores the second-ranked offensive team, the Chicago Cubs, by 22 runs.
Not only can they outslug Toronto, but they can outpitch them as well. David Price, Steven Wright, Rick Porcello, and Drew Pomeranz is incredibly more formidable than anything the Blue Jays have to offer, making the path to a second straight division title immensely more difficult for the team residing north of the border.
The Red Sox and Blue Jays square off six more times between now and the end of the year, including a three-game set at Fenway Park to conclude the regular season. This can get quite interesting. However, expect the men from Beantown to spray to champagne in David Ortiz’s final year.
The Tribe still has loads of work to do in order to secure the Central, but all signs point to them capping off a storybook season in style.
Yes, the Kansas City Royals are the defending champions. Furthermore, the Detroit Tigers have been far better than advertised.
Despite the relatively daunting competition, if the Indians remember that they are the most well-rounded team in the division, which they are, they should be the team earning a trip to the ALDS.
Texas is beginning to run away with this thing, and rightfully so. Their lineup is scary and their pitching cannot be sneezed at as well.
With 8.5 games separating themselves and the second-place Houston Astros, it would take a catastrophic collapse for them to squander their firm first-place hold. Crazier comebacks have taken place, but not with a team of this stature.
The Rangers are not only on track to win the AL West, but they are positioned to possess the best record in the American League.
AL Wild Cards
AL Wild Cards
The Blue Jays may not have the collective team to win the AL East, but they certainly have the pieces to host the AL Wild Card Game. Granted, pitching remains a weakness. However, the raw power their lineup displays night in and night out can give teams fits when they visit Rogers Centre.
If J.A. Happ can continue pitching at a sensational, ace-like rate, there is no reason to believe that Toronto will not clinch a postseason ticket.
It was a matter of time before the defending world champions found a groove. Only faced with a three-game deficit in the wild card chase, Kansas City still has plenty of time to make up surmountable ground.
Six meetings with the Twins, seven meetings with the White Sox, and four meetings with the A’s will only help their cause. They do not necessarily have the most taxing path to the play-in game.
Next: NL Division Champions
NL Division Champions
Stephen Strasburg’s health must be resolved in order for the Nats to contend for a pennant, but that will not stop them from winning the East. A season of brilliant work has built them a nine-game lead over the second-place Mets, making a division title inevitable.
With six meetings left with New York, and six more with the Miami Marlins, who sit two games back of the Mets, the Nationals will have a surplus of chances to clinch early. Plain and simple, September will not be a taxing month for the Washington D.C. folks.
Similar to the Nationals, the Cubs will not have to waste an ounce of sweat this month. Their focus? Ending a 108-year championship drought once they reach the playoffs.
A 15-game lead in the NL Central provides Chicago with the lowest magic number in baseball (16). They should unquestionably be the first team to clinch. The Cubbies have been downright exceptional.
The Giants have been dreadful since the break. For a perfectly constructed team, their 15-27 second half record is vomit worthy.
Ironically enough, that plays to their advantage. San Francisco will never play worse than that. In the process, they were able to stay only a game and a half back of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who failed to distance themselves.
If Bruce Bochy’s squad gets in any sort of a groove, they will run away with the West, effectively setting the stage for a deep postseason run. Oh, and they have six games left with the Dodgers, including three to close out the season at AT&T Park.
Fantastic job, schedule makers.
Next: NL Wild Cards
NL Wild Cards
The Giants may end up surpassing them, but the Dodgers have a darn good team. If they are able to get Clayton Kershaw back prior to the end of the regular season, they are also the team no one wants to face in a one-game playoff.
All signs have pointed to the first wild card coming out of the NL West and there is little to no chance of that changing. The battle for the top of the division will be one worth watching, but the runner-up will still be guaranteed one more game.
Everyone can honestly say that the 2015 National League Champions have been a disappointment. However, six meetings with the Braves, seven meetings with the Phillies, three meetings with the Twins, and three meetings with the Reds speaks for itself, especially considering the Mets have found a groove.
If New York can keep a recent hot stretch going, the inferior teams they are slated to play will simply be tossed around. The Metropolitans, by far, have the easiest path to the playoffs.
Will they take advantage? Surely. Then, they turn back into a playoff threat.
Next: Notable Exclusions
Notable Exclusions
You will hear it over and over again. The Baltimore Orioles do not have the pitching. In fact, their starting staff is a Grade-A joke.
The fact that they are 11 games over .500 is commendable. A 72-61 record shows how outstanding their lineup truly is. With that said, recent struggles have foreshadowed what is to come.
Baltimore is not a playoff team. The sooner you start accepting that, the less shocked you will be when the regular season reaches the finish line.
This is simply a matter of scheduling. Do the Cardinals deserve a spot in the NL Wild Card Game? Yes. Will the road ahead of them allow for participation in that play-in? No.
While the Mets play the likes of the Braves, Phillies, and Twins, the Cardinals will face off with the cream of the crop in the National League. Included in their remaining endeavors are six games with the Cubs, six games with the Pirates, and four games with the Giants.
Next: Projected Playoff Matchups
2016 MLB Postseason Matchups
Barring the September success of these individual teams, securing playoff berths in the process, the playoffs would line up in a certain fashion. After the teams finished up their celebrations, October baseball would be in full force.
Here is how the postseason picture would shape up:
American League
Wild Card: Kansas City Royals (5) @ Toronto Blue Jays (4)
ALDS: Texas Rangers (1) vs. ALWC (4/5) (Best of 5)
ALDS: Cleveland Indians (2) vs. Boston Red Sox (3) (Best of 5)
National League
Wild Card: New York Mets (5) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (4)
NLDS: Chicago Cubs (1) vs. NLWC (4/5) (Best of 5)
NLDS: Washington Nationals (2) vs. San Francisco Giants (3) (Best of 5)
Emmanuel Berbari covers the New York Yankees & Major League Baseball for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page. He invites you to email any questions, comments, or concerns as well.