There are roughly six weeks 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.
In the American League, there are 10 legitimate contenders remaining. The Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers have a strong hold on their respective division leads, but the AL East is a three-team race and the two wild-card spots are wide-open.
The National League picture is not as congested, but there are still eight clubs in position to reach the postseason. The Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals are essentially locks to fill two of the five spots. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants both look like good bets as well, regardless of who wins the NL West. That leaves four teams battling it out for the final wild-card spot.
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
- Injury concerns
So with the regular season set to wrap up on Oct. 2, here is a division-by-division look at the playoff chances of all the remaining contenders.