MLB Playoff Standings: Toronto Blue Jays Take Back First Place In East, New York Yankees Stumble Again

MLB playoff standings now have the Toronto Blue Jays back on top of the American League East. The New York Yankees gave up the East lead on Sunday (August 23), losing 4-3 at home to the Cleveland Indians. Starting pitcher CC Sabathia first struggled with his control and then had to leave the game with knee pain. Losing him could hurt the starting rotation of the Yankees quite a bit. The Blue Jays took full advantage of that loss to grab first place back.

Despite giving up five runs in the first inning, the Blue Jays came back to beat the Los Angeles Angels 12-5. The offense just kept coming, as the Blue Jays scored at least one run in seven of the nine innings played. It completed a sweep of the Angels and rewarded the team with first place in the AL East. It was a great way to finish off the weekend for the team that was busiest at the MLB trade deadline.

In the updated 2015 MLB playoff standings, the 69-55 Toronto Blue Jays sit as the No. 2 seed out of the American League. The 68-65 New York Yankees slide into the first wild card spot, with the 64-59 Texas Rangers now holding on to the second wild card. The 69-56 Houston Astros lead the AL West after winning seven of 10 games, and the 75-48 Kansas City Royals hold first place in the AL Central and the best record in the league.

In the National League standings, the 78-45 St. Louis Cardinals lead the NL Central and hold the best record in baseball. The second and third best records are also from the Central, with the 73-48 Pittsburgh Pirates as the first wild card team and the 71-51 Chicago Cubs as the second wild card team. The NL West leading LA Dodgers and NL East leading New York Mets both share 67-56 records to this point.

Breaking down which teams have a good shot to still move up into a playoff spot, the Angels and Minnesota Twins are one-and-a-half games back, the Baltimore Orioles are two back, and the Tampa Bay Rays are two-and-a-half games back of the wild card in the American League. In the National League, only the San Francisco Giants, at five-and-a-half games back, are even close to taking a playoff spot away. The 2015 MLB playoff standings could continue to bring a lot of excitement in the American League, but it seems the five postseason teams from the National League are already set.

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