The MLB postseason race is heating up, and all eyes are on the very tight Wild Card races in each league. While we may not have quite the same chaos as years prior in the AL, there’s still plenty of things that need to be settled between now and the rest of the year. Here’s a look at the up-to-the-minute AL Wild Card standings on Monday, September 4.
AL Wild Card standings, September 4
1st Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays — 83-54, +6.5
2nd Wild Card: Texas Rangers — 76-60, —
3rd Wild Card: Houston Astros — 77-61, —
Toronto Blue Jays — 75-62, 1.5 GB
Boston Red Sox — 71-66, 5.5 GB
After a scorching-hot start to the season, the Rays have fallen out of the top spot in the AL East, where they trail the Orioles by 2.5 games. The loser of that race will likely open the postseason as the No. 4 seed and will host the No. 5 seed in a three-game series.
The Astros and Rangers are stuck in a dead heat thanks to Texas’ win on Sunday and Houston’s sweep over the weekend at the hands of the Yankees. Both teams are one game back of the Mariners for the top spot in the American League West, which could set up a wild finish down the stretch. With the Blue Jays hot on all three teams’ tails, this will be the race to watch the rest of the season in the American League. The Blue Jays have a four-game series against the Rangers from Sept. 11-14, while the Astros and Rangers face off this weekend. Texas finishes the season with a three-game series against Seattle, which could end up being one of the deciding factors in this race.