With one week left in the season, there are no divisional races. 

All six division winners have been finalized. The New York Yankees will win the A.L. East, the Cleveland Guardians the A.L. Central, and the Houston Astros the A.L. West.

In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the N.L. East last night, to go along with the Milwaukee Brewers who won the N.L. Central, and the Los Angeles Dodgers who won the N.L. West.

With the exception of the A.L. East when Baltimore was leading New York by one game, the standings are exactly where they were at the All-Star break.

Once the Yankees pulled ahead of the A.L. East by mid-August as the Orioles started their fade, there were no races. Seattle at one point in mid-June had a ten-game lead in the A.L. West but then remembered they were Seattle and has since slipped out of contention. 

There was no drama in this year’s divisional races. The only drama exists in the wild card races.

With six games to go, four American League teams are battling for two wild card spots (the Orioles have the first wild card spot locked up). Detroit and Kansas City are tied for the second and third spots. Minnesota is a game out, Seattle 1.5 out.

The National League wild card race is down to the Braves. They are 1.5 games away from the Diamondbacks, and two from the Mets with six to go. Their next three games are against the Mets. 

So five cities, five fanbases, are going to be holding their collective breath all week, every game, every pitch, like the Rangers went through last season.

It will be agonizing. It will be exhilarating. 

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TODAY’S GAME: