We are days away from August baseball, the true dog days of summer. As it stands today, only two divisions have close races, the American League East and West. The rest of the Majors has division leaders that are distancing themselves away from the pack, but if history has taught us anything, this is the time of year where cushy division leads can turn into jaw-dropping meltdowns. Who will prove themselves as worthy of making the 2024 playoffs, and who will be looking from the outside, in?
American League
1. New York Yankees
The 1-seed is going to come from the East, likely in both leagues. The Yankees and Orioles have battled all season long, and as of today, the Orioles have a game on the Bronx Bombers. It would not surprise me to see New York figure it out, especially as Cole gets more comfortable. A big deadline move may be the deciding factor, and the Yankees will need to pull the trigger. It will be a race until the end, but Judge and Soto are a real dynamic duo.
2. Cleveland Guardians
These pesky Guardians are always relevant, and they always seem to pull from and endless stream of pitching prospects. Jose Ramirez has been a major factor in middle of their lineup for years now, and he is surrounded by a cast of characters that were not likely on many people’s radars in Spring Training. Whether people expected them to be one of the best teams in baseball is truly irrelevant, the facts are the facts. The Guardians will be either the 1 or 2 seed in the American League come October.
3. Houston Astros
All the people who wrote off the Astros during their dismal early season start should have known better. This team is talented, but they have been the most successful franchise in the American League over the past decade or so. I personally thought they would turn it around, and maybe snag a wild card spot. I really thought that this was Seattle’s division to lose, and apparently it is. Couple that with a serious hangover in Arlington, and you have a recipe for yet another Astros playoff run.
4. Baltimore Orioles
This could wind up being either the Yankees or Orioles in the top Wild Card spot, but the implications are huge. That first round bye certainly is something worth working towards. Baltimore has completed a rebuild in the same way Houston did before their dominant run. Years and years in the baseball’s cellar, a consistent punching bags for the playoff mainstays. It has paid off exactly how they dreamed it could, and now they sit poised to be one of the World Series favorites. For these young stars, they may actually benefit from getting that Wild Card series, as crazy as that sounds. Get the jitters out and just go play ball.
5. Kansas City Royals
I am buying the hype. Seth Lugo for Cy Young? A sentence that can make any Met fan cry. Bobby Witt Jr. and the Red-Hot Royals are so fun to watch, and I would love to see Salvador Perez get another crack at October baseball. He has some experience there; in case you didn’t know. If they get in, they could take down some teams who overlook them and think they are headed for the next round too soon.
6. Tampa Bay Rays
From left field, off the board entirely, come the Tampa Bay Rays. Currently 5 games out, and with several teams ahead of them (including their rivals up in Boston) the Rays have the track record of success over the past several years that makes me second guess doubting them. They are .500, and have been around there all season, but as each day passes, and the games begin to mean more, the Rays may find comfort there. They have been competitive with rosters that other teams have either cut or traded away, and this chip on their shoulder may take them back to the post season in 2024.
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