We've into the middle of August and there's just about a month and a half left in the MLB regular season. The American League Wild Card race remains the focus in the standings. The New York Yankees aren't 100% safe in the AL East, but still have a sizable lead on the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. In the AL West, the Seattle Mariners are too far behind the Houston Astros. So that has made the AL Wild Card super close with just three spots to go around. Let's take a look at the latest standings for the AL WC.
AL Wild Card standings, August 15
1st WC spot: Toronto Blue Jays, 61-52 – +1.0
2nd WC spot: Seattle Mariners, 62-54 – +0.5
3rd WC spot: Tampa Bay Rays, 60-53 –
Baltimore Orioles, 59-55 – 1.5 GB
Minnesota Twins, 58-55 – 2.0 GB
Chicago White Sox, 59-56 – 2.0 GB
Boston Red Sox, 57-59 – 4.5 GB
The Twins, White Sox and Cleveland Guardians continue to trade blows in the AL Central. All three teams are only separated in the standings by 2.5 games. It will be tough for two of those three teams to get in without winning the division. The AL East could end up eating itself alive, so to speak. The Blue Jays, Orioles and Rays will all have a tough time with the Mariners likely securing a spot. Seattle loaded up at the deadline and will get rookie Julio Rodriguez back soon. The M's also have an easier time in the AL West outside of the 'Stros.