In this 2020 MLB simulation, between September 1-27, the wild card finish
There was no letup down the stretch for the division leaders. Having seized first place from Cleveland in August, the Twins put the race away with a 17-8 September, clinching the division title when the White Sox beat Cleveland 4-0 on Sept. 21. The Astros finished the Angels on Sept. 9, and Boston wrapped up the AL East when Tampa Bay beat the Yankees on Sept. 14.
With the Red Sox, Twins, and Astros locking up division titles early and Cleveland securely grasping the first wild card spot, the one genuine contest turned out to be for the right to play the Indians in the wild card game. When the Oakland Athletics and AL East teams all failed to mount a sustained winning streak, that contest fell to the White Sox and Angels by default.
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Los Angeles held a slim half-game advantage entering September play and went 15-11 during the season’s final month. But the White Sox proved to be a bit hotter, finishing 17-8 to take the honor by two games.
Boston’s Xander Bogaerts came away with the batting championship, finishing with a .372 average. That easily beat out Chicago’s Eloy Jimenez (.348) with Houston veteran Yuli Gurriel third (.341).
Although Twins dominated the ranks of the top home run hitters, it was Los Angeles’ Mike Trout who won the individual title. Trout powered up across the season’s second half to hit 53, six more than Bogaerts and seven ahead of New York’s Gleyber Torres.
Minnesota’s Josh Donaldson proved the wisdom of his free agency signing, driving in a league-leading 148 runs. That was four more than Chicago’s Jose Abreu and five ahead of Bogaerts.
At season’s end, writers voted Bogaerts the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Houston’s Zack Greinke (20-4) was the league’s only 20-game winner, although teammate Justin Verlander (18-7) made a run at that distinction. Cleveland’s Mike Clevinger (2.40) headed the ERA race, beating out Greinke (2.72) and Toronto’s Hyun-Jin Ryu (2.88)
Detroit’s Matt Boyd and Tampa Bay’s Charlie Morton deadlocked for the strikeout leadership, both with 269.
Greinke was voted the Cy Young Award in a narrow decision over Clevinger with Ryu and Berrios also in contention.
LA’s Hansel Robles provided 45 saves, leading the league in that category.
The preseason’s most luxurious free-agent pickup, Yankee pitcher Gerrit Cole, enjoyed a generally good if not sensational first season in the Bronx. Cole made 30 starts with a 13-10 record and 3.29 ERA. He pitched 197 innings, allowing 155 hits and striking out 236.
The Yankees’ cause was hurt by lack of pitching depth. Injured for the season’s first half, James Paxton made only nine starts and finished 6-3. Masahiro Tanaka (10-7, 3.84 in 26 starts) was solid, but J.A. Happ (8-12, 4.85 in 30 starts) merely occupied rotation space.
The Yanks needed to generate 60 starts from the inexperienced trio of Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Holder, and Jonathan Loaisiga, none of whom were up to the task. All finished with ERAs above 5.55, combining for a 19-30 record that was a season-long millstone to Yankee pennant hopes.
2020 MLB Season Final standings
AL East W-L Pct GB
Boston Red Sox 96-66 .593 —
Tampa Bay Rays 80-82 .494 16
New York Yankees 79-83 .488 17
Toronto Blue Jays 76-86 .469 20
Baltimore Orioles 60-102 .370 36
AL Central W-L Pct GB
Minnesota Twins 109-53 .673 —
Cleveland Indians 101-61 .623 8
Chicago White Sox 87-75 .537 22
Kansas City Royals 61-101 .377 48
Detroit Tigers 56-106 .346 53
AL West W-L Pct GB
Houston Astros 104-58 .642 —
Los Angeles Angels 85-77 .525 19
Oakland Athletics 82-80 .506 22
Texas Rangers 79-83 .488 25
Seattle Mariners 59-103 .364 45
Post-season pairings
Wild card: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians
AL Division Series:
Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros
Minnesota Twins vs. wild card winner