Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB Playoffs: Which Wild Card Race Is More Intriguing?

By Greg Goldstein

Sep 22, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (13) reacts after hitting a walk off three run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the 11th inning at Citi Field. The Mets won 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 22, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (13) reacts after hitting a walk off three run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the 11th inning at Citi Field. The Mets won 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next

Teams Involved

Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports /

American League

  1. Toronto Blue Jays (86-70)
  2. Baltimore Orioles (85-71)
  3. Detroit Tigers (83-73)
  4. Seattle Mariners (83-73)
  5. Houston Astros (82-75)

National League

  1. New York Mets (83-74)
  2. San Francisco Giants (82-74)
  3. St. Louis Cardinals (81-75)

It’s one thing for a race to be close, it’s another to analyze the teams making the standings tight. Watching baseball is not just about seeing how down to the wire things can get, it’s also about what players and clubs you’re watching play during the final playoff push.

This year we may have two close races, but the types of teams involved in each greatly differs. Looking at the National League, the name brands alone are big. You have a team in the Giants that has won three out of the past five World Series, the Mets were MLB’s runner-up last season and the Cardinals are a perennial powerhouse. But when analyzing each team on their own, the 2016 versions of these clubs paint a much different picture, whether the teams can control it or not.

Injuries have been a constant trouble for New York. Three pieces of the Mets’ stellar rotation are currently sidelined with injuries. Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz have left the load to a sick Noah Syndergaard and a 43-year-old Bartolo Colon. The Giants have one of the worst records in MLB since the All-Star break after leapfrogging the league-wide favorite Chicago Cubs in July. Even as solid of a franchise as the Cardinals are, they’ve had trouble playing consistent baseball this entire year.

Jumping over to the American League, the teams are clearly in a much better position to succeed. The Toronto Blue Jays have the best starting pitching in the AL. The Orioles also have the power and bullpen that makes them a must-see when they get it going. Also, the clubs that currently are playing catch up are having solid seasons. Detroit’s Justins (Verlander and Upton) have been on a tear of late. Seattle has one of the best 3-4-5 hitting combinations in Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. Even Houston, who’s somewhat disappointed this year, has an MVP frontrunner that you can watch play every day in Jose Altuve.

What teams are playing for a postseason spot is important to how exciting a race can be, and the American League has a clear edge in terms of the ballclubs they have involved.

Verdict: American League

Home/MLB Playoffs