The race for the wild card in the American League is heating up with less than a month left to go in the season. There are four teams that are only 3 ½ games out of a playoff spot.

The Yankees and the Twins are the frontrunners, both locked in the two wild cards. The Yankees and Orioles result had major playoff implications; with the Orioles fighting for a spot and the Yankees trying to hold on the number one wildcard playoff spot. The Yankees have two young solid players in Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. The Orioles have three veteran players in Chris Davis, Adam Jones, and Manny Machado who have come up pretty. This series will be crucial on deciding who will hold the final wild card spot.

The Astros have clinched a playoff spot. The Indians went on a massive 22 game win streak which made fans think they were contenders. The Rangers, Royals, Rays and Angels need to keep winning to stay in the hunt. The AL East is by far the toughest division with three teams vying for playoff spots. The Red Sox are the frontrunners  with a 4 game lead on the Yankees. Boston has an amazing pitching staff and many young players, spearheaded by Andrew Benintendi and Mookie Betts. The Angels are playing the Astros and if they manage to win the series they might give the Yankees a run for their money for the second wild card spot.

If the playoffs were to happen today, the Twins and the Yankees would play in the wild card game. The Divisional series would be the winner of the Wild Card game and the Astros. The second Divisional series would be the Red Sox and the Indians. The winners of both Divisional series will meet in the American League Championship series for a chance to head to the World Series to play the National League champions!

If you want to know more about the current playoff hunt check out this article from mlb.com.