The MLB regular season is down to its final week, and the playoff picture is just about locked in across the league. Six teams have already punched their postseason tickets, with the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox joining the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers in securing their spots on Sunday. But here in the Emerald City, our Seattle Mariners are looking at an uphill battle, sitting a tough 6.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race with only a handful of games remaining.
The AL Playoff Picture Is Set, Mostly
In the American League, things are getting tight at the top and the bottom. The Tampa Bay Rays (95-60) are leading the East, followed by the New York Yankees (89-65) and the Boston Red Sox (84-72). All three of those clubs have clinched playoff berths, meaning they’re just battling for seeding now. Over in the AL West, the Texas Rangers are clinging to a slim lead at 78-78, just one game ahead of the Houston Astros (77-79). Our Mariners, unfortunately, are stuck in third place in the West with a 73-83 record, 5 games behind the Rangers. It is not where any of us wanted to be at this point.
Wild Card Mountain: A Steep Climb for the M’s
When you look at the AL Wild Card standings, the picture for our M’s gets even tougher. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have already secured their Wild Card spots. That leaves one final slot up for grabs, and the Chicago White Sox (79-76) currently hold it. They have a 2.5 game lead over the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, who are tied at 77-79. Then you have the Baltimore Orioles (75-80) at 4 games back, the Detroit Tigers (73-82) at 6 games back, and the Mariners, tied with the Minnesota Twins at 73-83, a full 6.5 games behind the White Sox for that last spot. With just a week left in the season, that is a massive gap to close. The Mariners are staring down a schedule that includes games against those very same Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics. Houston also has a lighter week, facing us and the Athletics, so they are not going to be an easy out as they fight for their own spot.
This week is crunch time, plain and simple. The M’s need a miracle run, and honestly, they need a lot of help from other teams to even sniff that final Wild Card spot. Their last opponents, the Astros and Athletics, will determine if they can at least finish strong, or if we are going to be watching the playoffs from the couch. It is going to be a tough week, but we are always going to root them on. Go M’s!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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