MLB Playoff Standings: Seattle Mariners, New York Mets Hold Wild Card Spots
MLB playoff standings continue to shift, but the Chicago Cubs aren’t slowing down. The latest MLB playoff standings also have the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets holding down wild card spots in their respective leagues. The current standings are very close, though, with several teams ready to move up if any of the top 10 teams start to stumble during the hot summer months.
The Cubs have raced out to a 41-18 mark, which is still the best record in baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals (33-28), holders of the second wild-card spot in the National League, are currently nine games back in the NL Central. Meanwhile, the third place Pittsburgh Pirates, at 32-29, aren’t in a playoff spot. Losing three straight games and seven of their last 10 has pushed the Pirates down the standings.
The Washington Nationals (37-24) hold first place in the NL East, two and a half games ahead of the New York Mets (34-26). The Mets hold the first wild-card spot in the National League and have been playing better than the analysts predicted this season. The San Francisco Giants are currently the NL West leaders at 36-26, three games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (33-29).
The MLB playoff standings in the American League have changed a bit over the last week, with the Texas Rangers taking over the AL West and the Baltimore Orioles taking over the AL East. The Rangers (37-24) swept the Mariners (34-27) in a series that propelled the team into a very strong hold on the division. That battle could continue until the end of the regular season.
The Orioles (36-34) lead the Boston Red Sox (35-25) by one game in the AL East. The Red Sox currently control the first American League wild-card spot. There are a lot of teams chasing the Red Sox, including the Mariners at this point. Leading the AL Central are the hot Cleveland Indians (34-26), winners in eight of their last 10 games.
The MLB playoff standings would currently have the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals playing in the first-round, with the winner advancing to play the Chicago Cubs. The Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants would play in the other series to determine which teams make the NLCS. There are some very familiar teams with the best shot at making it deep into the playoffs, but could anyone stop the Giants in an even year (2016)?
In the American League, if the season ended June 11, the Boston Red Sox would host the Seattle Mariners in the wild card game. The winner would advance to play the Texas Rangers in the ALDS, showcasing two possible match-ups that could be very intriguing. The other series would have the Baltimore Orioles vs. Cleveland Indians to decide which team advances to the ALCS.
The wild-card standings also show how many teams are still in contention in both leagues. In the American League, five teams are within three and a half games of the Seattle Mariners for that fifth and final spot. They are the Toronto Blue Jays (33-30), Chicago White Sox (31-30), New York Yankees (31-30), Detroit Tigers (30-30), and Kansas City Royals (30-30).
Things are even tighter in the National League, with three teams just one game back from the St. Louis Cardinals for the final playoff spot. They are the Los Angeles Dodgers (33-29), Miami Marlins (32-29), and Pittsburgh Pirates (32-29). Everything is so closely bunched that it’s possible for the top two NL wild-card teams to be replaced by two of the contenders before the end of the June 11-12 weekend.
The 2016 MLB playoff standings provide an early look at which teams are starting to pull away from the field, but it’s going to be a long summer before the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers clinch spots in the postseason.
[Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images]
