The MLB Playoff Standings continue to excite as we are getting closer to the conclusion of the 2013 regular season. The National League has its five teams ready to compete. However, the American League is still a mess, specifically in the Wild Card. The A.L. Central has also yet to be decided with less than six days of baseball left to decide who advances. Here are the teams in the playoffs entering Tuesday.
In the N.L., the Atlanta Braves have the best record as they are 92-65, holding a half game lead for home field advantage through the N.L. Championship Series. They are followed by the St. Louis Cardinals and then the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves and Dodgers clinched their division, but they are setting their eyes on finishing with the best record. The Braves struggle like crazy on the road, so finishing with the league's best record will favor them greatly in the postseason.
The Wild Card teams were decided Monday night as the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates were able to win their ball games. They received help from the St. Louis Cardinals, who defeated and eliminated the N.L. Wild Card's third-place Washington Nationals. The Reds are back in the playoffs once again, but for the Pirates, it's the first time they play October baseball since Barry Bonds donned a Pirates uniform back in 1992.
In the American League, the only thing we know for sure as of Tuesday morning is that the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics are certainly going to play in the postseason. The A.L. Central has the Detroit Tigers in first place, but their magic number is sitting on two as the Cleveland Indians are making a run.
In the Wild Card, the Tampa Bay Rays are a step closer to clinching, but the Indians are also on their tail. Like the N.L. Central, the A.L. Wild Card might not be decided until the last day of the season. The Rays and Indians are on top, but their leads are not safe as teams behind them have elimination numbers ranging from six to two.
Here are the MLB Playoff Standings focusing on the A.L. Wild Card:
Rays- 1 UP
Indians- Magic Number 6
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Texas Rangers- 1 GB
Kansas City Royals- 3 GB
New York Yankees- 4 GB
Baltimore Orioles- 5 GB
