Posted by While the Texas Rangers have among the best record in the majors, since the All-Star break they’re barely above .500. I wondered, if the MLB season began after the All-Star break, who would be in line to go to the playoffs?
The Rangers and Yankees would be out
The Rangers would be 4 games out of the playoffs, and the New York Yankees would be a game out of the Wild Card.
There are some surprising teams taking their places. The Oakland As and Seattle Mariners leap ahead in the standings and into the playoffs. Both teams have had a great July and August.
Also, the White Sox would be bounced at the expense of the Tigers, which is pretty inevitable anyway. No playoff differences in the National League.
What is the impact to fans?
As a fan of the Mariners, I’m not too disappointed that the Mariners get no credit for the late season surge. It’s actually really good that the team is making progress, even after the trade deadline where the Mariners gave up a few pieces (and teams like the Rangers and Yankees added pieces). A true fan can relish in a 6-game winning streak towards the end of a lost season, while the fair-weather fan can take no joy.
On the downside, I’m sure that all fans would prefer a higher draft pick versus a 2nd place finish outside of the playoffs.