The MLB postseason standings are taking shape and now the Kansas City Royals have clinched along with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Royals won the AL Central and teams like the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Blue Jays are getting closer to clinching spots with magic numbers starting to get low.
The Royals have been one of the best teams in baseball all season and while they only officially clinched last night, the division title in the AL Central has not been in question for most of the summer. The team now has the division title and this is the first time they are winning a division crown since back in the 1980s. The team made a run to the World Series last season and many see them as the favorites out of the American League this year.
The Cardinals have clinched a playoff spot already and so have the Pirates, but the division is technically still up for grabs. St. Louis has a good chance to take the central title and that would leave both the Pirates and the Cubs as the NL Wild Card teams. The Cards have a four game lead heading into the weekend, but otherwise the NL field is set with the Mets, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates and Dodgers, but all that's left are the standings and home field for each series.
The Yankees are still alive in the American League east, but the team is going to have to play very well and get some luck to catch the Blue Jays. The Yankees are the first wild card and they have a nice lead there and the team is inching closer to clinching a playoff berth. The team has their magic number at six after winning over the White Sox. The Mets basically have their division locked up and their magic number is now at three heading into the weekend.
The Royals made it with a win over the Mariners and they are now 89-63 with 10 games left and they likely will beat their win total from last season. The Twins are in the mix for the wild card, but they have been far back in the division standings for a while. Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer contributed home runs for the Royals and now the team has the chance to sit back a little bit. The team last won a division title in 1985 and that was also their only World Series championship that season.
Check here for the MLB standings and more on the teams clinching and magic numbers.
