Roughly two weeks are left in the 2016 MLB regular season, and while the playoff picture is taking shape, there is still a lot to be decided before October.
The American League is home to 10 teams that can call themselves legitimate contenders. The Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers have a strong hold on their respective division leads and the Boston Red Sox have started to put some ground between themselves and the rest of the AL East.
However, the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are all still within striking distance of claiming a wild card spot, with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals still holding onto a slim hope as well.
The National League picture is not as congested, with six clubs currently battling it out for five spots. The Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals are locks to claim their respective division crowns, while the Los Angeles Dodgers are a safe bet to be playing in October in some capacity.
Meanwhile, the wild card standings show a three-way tie between the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets entering play on Wednesday, in what is shaping up to be a thrilling finish.
At any rate, what follows is a look at each club’s chances of reaching the postseason, with the following factors taken into account:
- Current standings
- Recent performance
- Future schedule
- Injury concerns
So, with the regular season set to wrap up on Oct. 2, here is an updated division-by-division look at the playoff chances of all the remaining contenders from where they stood one week ago.