For Major League Baseball fans, the end of September brings some of the best thrills of the entire season. A number of teams battle it out for a spot in the playoffs to play for that ever so coveted Commissioner’s trophy, and this year is no exception. Let’s take a look at the teams that are still in the hunt in this final weekend as well as the teams that have already clinched a spot in the postseason! 

Let’s start with the teams in the American League. First, we have the best team in baseball, the Houston Astros. The Astros clinched the AL West outright and would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs if the season were to end today. This looks like one of the best teams in Astros history and they look destined to win it all! Next is the New York Yankees, who have clinched the AL East outright with a 102-57 record. Next is the Minnesota Twins, who have clinched the AL Central outright for the first time since 2010 with a 99-60 record.  

The three teams in the race for the two wild card spots in the AL are the Oakland A’s, Tampa Bay Rays, and Cleveland Indians. The Oakland A’s currently hold the first spot, with the Rays holding the second spot and a ½ game behind the first spot, and the Indians are 1 ½ games behind the Rays to get in. It is looking like an Athletics/Rays wild card game, but the Indians are looking to sneak in there. 

Next is the National League. We start with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have clinched the best record in the NL outright with a 103-56 record. Next is the Atlanta Braves, the Braves clinched the NL East for the second year in a row with a 97-62 record. The NL Central race is the most intriguing division race, as the St. Louis Cardinals are currently leading the division with a 1 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The NL Wild Card race is a simple one, as we only have the Washington Nationals and the Cardinals/Brewers. The Nationals are currently a game up on the top spot, which barring a major collapse, means they will host the wild card game. The second spot and team playing the Nationals will be the runner up in the NL Central. 

So those are the teams in contention for the postseason push! Are you excited about this year’s postseason?