2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, the second half
By Bill Felber
In this 2020 MLB season sim, from July 15-3, the leaders rule.
Between the end of the All-Star break and the end of July, all three leaders retained their advantages.
That left the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Houston Astros atop their divisions in the AL, as each had been for several weeks.
The Red Sox made what would prove to be the most important late-July push, winning 10 of 14 games and expanding their division lead to seven games. The Tampa Bay Rays, fourth at the break, went 9-3 over the latter part of July to move into second, ahead of both New York and Toronto.
Tampa Bay took advantage of a weak portion of its schedule that saw it pitted against Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit, and Miami during that two-week stretch.
In the AL West, the Houston Astros were 11-3, adding six and one-half games to their already imposing nine and one-half game advantage over the Oakland Athletics.
By month’s end, the biggest AL contest shaped up in the Central, where the Minnesota Twins won nine of 13 late-July games to close within a game and a half of Cleveland.
light. Related Story. 2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, July 6-9
Standings on July 31
AL East W-L Pct GB
Boston Red Sox 64-46 .582 —
Tampa Bay Rays 57-52 .523 6.5
New York Yankees 55-56 .495 9.5
Toronto Blue Jays 52-58 .473 12
Baltimore Orioles 43-69 .384 22
AL Central W-L Pct GB
Cleveland Indians 72-36 .667 1.5
Minnesota Twins 72-39 .649 1.5
Chicago White Sox 56-54 .509 17
Kansas City Royals 42-69 .378 31.5
Detroit Tigers 39-71 .355 34
AL West W-L Pct GB
Houston Astros 72-37 .661 —
Oakland Athletics 56-53 .514 16
Los Angeles Angels 57-54 .514 16
Texas Rangers 54-57 .486 19
Seattle Mariners 43-68 .387 30