If the 2012 MLB Regular Season ended today, the following teams that haven’t clinched just yet would be going to playoffs:
New York Yankees (AL East Leader), Chicago White Sox (AL Central Leader), Texas Rangers (AL West Leader), Baltimore Orioles (AL Wild Card), Oakland Athletics (AL Wild Card), Atlanta Braves (NL Wild Card), St Louis Cardinals (NL Wild Card)
Along with those seven, these three teams have already made playoffs:
Cincinnati Reds (NL Central Champions), San Francisco Giants (NL West Champions), Washington Nationals (NL East Leader)
Let’s say things remain this way for the final stretch run of the regular season and these are the teams that make it into the big show, I will list one player for each team, the “x-factor” if you will, who has to come through in order for their respective team to advance further into October.