Sep 27, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) hits a home run in the ninth inning to give the Jays a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
AL East Standings
(Division standings as of Wednesday morning)
Playoff Outlook
(Division leaders and teams holding a Wild Card spot in the American League)
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays (91-65)
AL Central: Kansas City Royals (90-67)
AL West: Texas Rangers (85-72)
Wild Card: New York Yankees (86-71)
Wild Card: Los Angeles Angels (83-74)
Toronto’s magic number to win the East is down to 1, all but assuring them a division title. They have already clinched their first playoff berth since 1993 and lead Kansas City by a game and a half for the best record in the American League.
The Royals are the only team in the league that has already clinched their division. Despite stumbling a bit down the stretch, they still have an insurmountable 8.5 game lead over the Minnesota Twins. They will still fight for home-field advantage, but if they can’t make up ground on Toronto in the next few days then they may start to rest some players in preparation for the playoffs. Nobody else is catching them for the second best record in the league.
Texas dropped two out of three in Houston over the weekend to keep the division race close, but they still hold a 2.5 game lead over the Astros. They finish the season at home, but their last 4 games come against an Angels team desperately clinging to the final Wild Card spot. Los Angeles is only two games back of the Rangers, so they will have the chance to steal the division during that final series.
The wild West could come down to the final day to decide the division, with the runner-up likely taking the second Wild Card. It’s a three-team dog fight that will see one team sitting out the postseason. The Twins could make things even more complicated with a strong finish, as they are only 1.5 games back of the second Wild Card. Every other team is at least 5 games back and now out of the mix.