A closer look at the AL playoff races heading into final quarter of the season
The Royals’ success this season means fans are involved in a pursuit unseen in Kansas City for at least seven years.
Scoreboard watching.
The Royals are in the thick of two playoff races: one for a wild-card spot, the other for the American League Central crown.
Heck, even the players aren’t immune from paying attention to what happens in other games. After a win last month over the White Sox in Chicago last month, Royals players talked about results that night from Central teams.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro said scoreboard watching is inevitable but it doesn’t affect what happens on the field.
“I’ve said multiple times, when we’re out here on the field, the scores are plastered all over the wall, so it’s hard to avoid them at times,” Quatraro said. “But I can’t speak for everybody, if they go in right away and look at what happened in other games.
“But if they do, they do, I don’t think that affects one bit how they come out here and play. If somebody wins or loses that helps us or not, we’re not going to try harder or try less if we get somebody to lose that helps us. You’ve got to go out here and play your best every night.”
There is roughly one-quarter of the season left for the Royals (44 games), who currently hold the third wild-card spot. Every Monday, the Star will take a closer look at the races for the Central title and a wild-card spot.
Here’s how things stand now, playoff chances from Baseball Prospectus, and who teams in the race will face this week.
Royals
Record: 65-53
Games back in division race: 4 (Third in AL Central)
Percentage chance of being a wild card: 44.5%
Percentage chance of winning AL Central: 4.6%
This week’s games: at Twins (Monday to Wednesday), at Reds (Friday to Sunday)
Stat of note: The Royals’ 33rd comeback wins are most in the majors, and six of their last eight victories have been come-from-behind victories
Minnesota Twins
Record: 65-52 (Second in AL Central)
Games back in division race: 3 1/2
Percentage chance of being a wild card: 59.6%
Percentage chance of winning AL Central: 26.1%
This week’s games: vs. Royals (Monday to Wednesday), at Rangers (Thursday to Sunday)
Stat of note: Minnesota is tied for the second-fewest blown saves in the American League this season (14)
Cleveland Guardians
Record: 69-49 (First in the AL Central)
Percentage chance of being a wild card: 27.5%
Percentage chance of winning AL Central: 69.3%
This week’s games: vs. Cubs (Monday to Wednesday), at Brewers (Friday to Sunday)
Stat of note: Cleveland is 18-5 in games started by Tyler Bibee, the team’s website noted, and he returned Sunday after not pitching for 12 days (right shoulder tightness)
Seattle Mariners
Record: 63-56
Games back in wild-card race: 2 1/2
Percentage chance of being a wild card: 20.9%
This week’s games: Tuesday to Thursday (at Tigers), Friday to Sunday (at Pirates)
Stat of note: The Mariners have the lowest team ERA in baseball (3.42) and have issued the fewest walks (276)
Boston Red Sox
Record: 61-55
Games back in wild-card race: 3
Percentage chance of being a wild card: 29.4%
This week’s games: Monday to Wednesday (vs. Rangers), Thursday to Sunday (at Orioles)
Stat of note: The Boston Globe noted the Red Sox have lost six of their last nine home games and have a 27-31 record at Fenway Park
Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 59-58
Games back in wild-card race: 5 1/2
Percentage chance of being a wild card: 4.7%
This week’s games: Monday to Wednesday (vs. Astros), Friday to Sunday (vs. Diamondbacks)
Stat of note: The Rays have hit the fifth-fewest home runs in baseball this season (110)
