Dominick Scarpino

The MLB postseason is a little over two weeks away, and with that, there are a few tight races for both the divisional pennant and the wild card spots.

Yankees vs. Orioles for the AL East

As it sits right now, the Yankees have a 2 game lead over the Orioles for the number one spot in the AL East. The two teams do meet three more times before the season wraps up. Aaron Judge has had an incredible season for the Yankees, being the team leader in every statistical category for a hitter. Juan Soto has been a great addition for the team this year, being close behind Judge for the team lead. Both of them will need to continue to show up when the Yankees eventually make a run in the postseason. The Orioles do not have one stand out superstar, but a very well rounded team of young players waiting to get a crack at a proper postseason run. Gunnar Henderson is currently the team leader in batting average, batting a .282. The entire team will need to continue to work together in order to make a decent push in October.

Royals vs. Twins for the Second AL Wild Card Spot

The Royals currently occupy the second wild card spot, with the Twins being two and a half games behind. Whoever ends up in the second spot will most likely be playing either the Yankees or the Orioles. The Royals have had a surprisingly good bounce back season after a disastrous showing last year. Bobby Witt Jr. is the star of the show for Kansas City, being the team leader in every category. He will need to help carry the team on his back if they stand a decent chance of going anywhere during the playoffs. The Twins offense has mostly been dominated by the two man show of Willi Castro and Carlos Santana. Both players will need to continue to perform in the last few crucial games to try and catch up with Kansas City.

Mets vs. Braves for the Third NL Wild Card Spot

Here is probably the most interesting race that we have going on. Both teams are currently tied for the last spot. The teams face off three more times in the next two weeks. The Mets’ season started off very poorly, but after a string of quality games in June, they were able to be considered for a playoff position. Francisco Lindor has been the best player on the Mets, batting a .271 average. The Braves have not been lucky. Their star player Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered his second ACL tear in May, forcing him out for the season. In his stead, Marcell Ozuna has led the team in every category. If they are able to make the postseason, it will be difficult for them to go far with a team lacking a superstar player like Acuna Jr.