MLB Playoff Push: What each wild card contender’s schedule looks like in September

As calendars flip to September and the post-season image begins to return into focus, each sport issues greater than ever for groups within the hunt for October.

After a time without work for all however eight groups on Thursday, all 30 groups are in motion Friday to kick off what ought to be an entertaining ultimate month of the season.

For the Toronto Blue Jays, meaning persevering with their stretch towards MLB’s basement dwellers, beginning with the Rockies in Colorado. Toronto sits 2.5 video games again of the Texas Rangers after Aroldis Chapman plunked DJ Stewart handy the New York Mets a walk-off extra-innings victory Wednesday evening.

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With a four-game sequence towards the Rangers on the horizon, Toronto can have an opportunity to make up some floor with some sturdy play over its subsequent 9 video games.

The Blue Jays even have one of many simpler remaining schedules in MLB by mixed opponent win share, however they play the video games for a motive. So let’s verify in on the AL playoff image and the way the remainder of the wild-card contenders line up in September.

IF THE POST-SEASON STARTED TODAY

No. 1 and AL East-Leading Baltimore Orioles (83-50): Bye

No. 2 and AL West-leading Seattle Mariners (76-57): Bye

No. 3 and AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins (69-65) vs. No. 6 Texas Rangers (75-58)

No. 4 Tampa Bay Rays (82-52) vs. No. 5 Houston Astros (77-58)

WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE

After being swept by the Astros earlier this week, the Boston Red Sox are 6.5 video games out of a wild-card spot, and don’t have lots of time to re-insert themselves into the playoff dialog.

It’s shaping as much as be the Blue Jays competing towards the 2 AL West groups that don’t declare the division title for a spot on the desk on Oct. 3.

While Toronto solely has 4 video games remaining towards the Rangers when it comes to possibilities to make up floor head-to-head, there can be some assured losses coming from the groups forward of them with 13 matchups remaining between the Rangers, Mariners and Astros.

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STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE CHECK FOR EACH TEAM IN THE WILD CARD RACE

Seattle Mariners: Seattle’s remaining opponents have a mixed .523 successful share, the eighth-highest mark in MLB. Their final 10 video games come towards the Rangers and Astros — seven of these coming towards Texas. Before then, nonetheless, Seattle’s schedule is a little bit of a blended bag. It has sequence towards groups out of rivalry just like the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets, however it would additionally play the post-season hopeful Cincinnati Reds and basically locked in Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Houston Astros: While Seattle has the hardest remaining schedule of all of the groups within the AL West by opponent successful share, Houston has the best. The Astros’ remaining opponents have a mixed mark of .457. In phrases of in-division video games, Houston has three video games remaining towards all three of the Rangers, Mariners and Athletics. The Astros even have sequence towards the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, two groups which have the expertise to carry out higher than their report would point out, maybe making their schedule a little bit harder than it seems.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers have the power to regulate their very own future greater than every other crew on this record. Their remaining opponents have a mixed .507 win share, however almost each crew they play this month considers themselves to be a playoff contender. Texas has 10 video games towards the Mariners and Astros, 4 towards the Blue Jays, three towards the Red Sox and 6 towards the groups atop the AL Central. The Rangers’ solely remaining video games towards groups absolutely out of it proper now, come towards the Athletics and Angels.

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Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays’ remaining opponents have a mixed win share of .474 — the fifth best complete in baseball. Of course, lots of that comes within the subsequent 10 days with the Rockies, Athletics and Royals, however the Yankees’ arduous fall has opened issues up a bit on the finish of the season for Toronto. There could also be no sequence extra necessary than when the Blue Jays welcome the Rangers to city Sept. 11 – 14, particularly if they’ll make up some floor and construct momentum main into that week. While the 12-game stretch of simply Yankees and Rays has been highlighted all season lengthy, the Blue Jays will get one other crack on the Red Sox to complete their season with 15-straight in-division matchups.

Boston Red Sox: If the Red Sox are going to make the playoffs, they’re going to should beat some good groups. They have the sixth-hardest remaining schedule, with their opponents checking in with a .528 successful share. Boston has 12 complete video games towards the Rays and Baltimore Orioles, and 6 straight on the highway towards the Blue Jays and Rangers. The Red Sox do get three avid gamers towards the Royals, Yankees and Chicago White Sox, however with out a dramatic shift in fortunes, the deck appears stacked towards a Boston playoff look.

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PLAYOFF ODDS REPORT

Here is what FanGraphs and Baseball Reference are projecting, as of Friday morning, when it comes to playoff odds amongst AL groups battling for post-season spots.

Baltimore’s FanGraphs odds: 99.9% | Baltimore’s Baseball Reference odds: 99.9%

Seattle’s FanGraphs odds: 86.7% | Seattle’s Baseball Reference odds: 86.1%

Minnesota’s FanGraphs odds: 94.1% | Minnesota’s Baseball Reference odds: 92.6%

Tampa Bay’s FanGraphs odds: 99.7% | Tampa Bay’s Baseball Reference odds: 99.3%

Houston’s FanGraphs odds: 94.8% | Houston’s Baseball Reference odds: 89.0%

Texas’ FanGraphs odds: 70.1% | Texas’ Baseball Reference odds: 75.7%

Toronto’s FanGraphs odds: 43.9% | Toronto’s Baseball Reference odds: 49.6%

Boston’s FanGraphs odds: 4.9% | Boston’s Baseball Reference odds: 0.3%

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