Baseball’s playoff races are scorching in both leagues with less than a week left in the 2013 MLB regular season.

There are still a pair of divisions up for grabs and one game separating three teams for two AL wild-card berths.

Some of those teams have reached this point by riding the backs of players on tremendous hot streaks, while other contenders have hung in despite key players struggling.

When one at-bat can be the difference between a team playing meaningful baseball in October or watching from home, talent sometimes goes out the window. Who has the hot hand can determine a team’s fate with one swing or one pitch.

Which players do these teams want to see involved in that at-bat, and who would they rather not see leave the dugout?

Let’s take a look.

 

*Players from Baltimore, Kansas City and New York were not included as those teams are essentially out of contention.

*All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and are current through games of Sept. 24.

 

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