With another wildcard spot up for grabs for the first time, the race for the MLB playoffs is even more heated than usual.
A Chicago native, I am a devoted White Sox fan. They lead their division by three games, fighting with the Tigers for a playoff spot.
On Monday, however, the White Sox proved their worth beating the Tigers by a run in a close 5-4 game.
Since the White Sox traded for former Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis at the end of June, he has only batted .236. However, Youkilis has 43 RBIs and 15 home runs and has provided a strong presence at third base.
Catcher A.J. Pierzynski has 26 homeruns for the season. It has been an all around power year for him with a .513 slugging percentage.
The White Sox weakness this season could be where their biggest strength lies if they rely too much on the home run. Also, the team’s closer, Addison Reed, has been struggling, not helping the contending team.
Besides the divisional race between the White Sox and Tigers, the Yankees, Rays and Orioles are also battling for a lead in their division. The Rays, however, are quickly falling behind.
With a 10-game-lead at one point in the season, the Yankees were not a team I expected to see having to fight for a playoff spot. At 38, Derek Jeter has a .320 batting average, but he can’t hold the team up on his own.
The Orioles have relied on a phenomenal pitching staff and the offense has started to pick up lately, helping them to be only one game behind the Yankees.
The Athletics have played better than I expected this year, almost entirely due to their pitching. The team’s batting average is second to last in the majors, but their pitching is 3rd in ERA, not to mention an abundance of walk-off victories this season.
The Rangers faded into the background a bit after losing the last two World Series. Their offense, however, is doing phenomenal, ranked first in batting average and on base percentage and second in slugging in the MLB.
Last year’s World Series champion Cardinals are a likely candidate to win the National League’s second wild card spot.
The American League wild card will fall to the losers of the divisional races, but not wanting to be in a one-game playoff keeps those teams fighting for a division top spot, a nice change from past years.
If the White Sox can keep up their hitting and pick up on pitching, I think they have a solid chance at the World Series. But that might just be my Chicago blood talking.
