We’ve vaulted into August and well past the 100-game mark of the 2015 MLB season. So you’d think the playoff picture would be coming into focus.
And it is—sort of.
Four of the six first-place teams hold division leads of three games or fewer entering play Sunday. And the wild-card races in both leagues are clear as pine tar, with a crowded field of viable contenders jockeying for position.
So it’s too early to crown any winners. In many cases, it’s hard to even pick a favorite.
At the very least, though, we can identify the storylines and X-factors that will help determine who will emerge from this tangled postseason scramble.
Obviously we can’t cover every angle for every team in every race. But here’s a handful of key narrative threads—significant injuries, slumping sluggers, twists of the schedule and more—that will loom large as October approaches.