The 2013 MLB season is a month old. Just like that, more than 30 days of baseball have been played and of course, some teams are off to a better start than others. As for April, there were shocking results up and down the standings, more shocking is how jammed the Wild Card race is. Though it's extremely early to be discussing this, let's just have some fun and look at who would be in the playoffs if the season were to have wrapped up after yesterday's games.
The American League would be pretty interesting, though each team at the top of the division has been a winner as of late.
In the A.L. East, the Boston Red Sox would be in first place as they have the best record in the majors at 18-8. The A.L. Central would have last year's division champs, the Detroit Tigers, advance to the playoffs with a 15-10 record. As for the A.L. West, with the Los Angeles Angels in fourth place, the Texas Rangers are 17-9 and enjoying the early stages of the season in first place.
As far as the A.L. Wild Card race, is there any surprise? The East would have two teams win the right to battle it out for an ALDS spot. The New York Yankees are 16-10 and in first place in the A.L. Wild Card, while the Baltimore Orioles are in a close second with a 16-11 record.
Who wouldn't enjoy another Orioles vs. Yankees playoff matchup?
Over in the National League, things get extremely hectic as there are no dominant teams apparently. There would be a three-way tie for the second spot of the Wild Card. The Milwaukee Brewers would be in with their 14-11 record. Right behind them are the Pittsburgh Pirates (surprise!), Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants with 15-12 records. The Wild Card race would be decided by head-to-head matchups.
Let's make some predictions. The St. Louis Cardinals are in first place in the N.L. Central. They seem capable of controlling this for the rest of the season. Nobody, except Pirates fans want to believe the Pirates are serious in 2013. So you can scratch them off. The Diamondbacks will not be in the hunt either as the Giants will surface as the Colorado Rockies are likely to eventually drop off.
Look for a team to emerge out of the N.L. East. The Atlanta Braves look to have an early hold on the division, but don't expect the Washington Nationals to go that long without challenging them for first place.
