3 bold MLB Wild Card race predictions

The MLB Wild Card race is heating up as we enter the home stretch of what's sure to be a dramatic conclusion to the season. As the calendar season turns its September leaf, what should be a clearer playoff picture seems to be getting murkier with each game. Teams that were once assumed were assured a playoff berth are now fighting for their postseason lives.

The cluster of playoff hopefuls bottlenecking on the brink of qualification is setting the table for more twists before the season's end. You can forget the probabilities when it comes to predicting the outcome of the 2022 MLB season. However, the numbers and analytics tell a story that standalone statistics never could, factors that speak volumes to these bold MLB Wild Card race predictions.

The Seattle Mariners will win the MLB American League Wild Card Series

Seattle Mariners congregate for a postgame victory celebration.

This projection sneaks a glimpse a little beyond the regular season. It's worth noting that the Seattle Mariners are a nightmare matchup in the American League's first ever best-of-three series. If rookies George Kirby and Logan Glibert transmit their regular-season form to playoff success, Seattle may go as far as the prized duo takes them.

"George Kirby wins the AL ROTM for August!!" - The Couch GM

Kirby's recent stats and Rookie of the Month honors give very good signs of a superstar youngster coming into his own.

Seattle's rotation blossoming at the ripest moment implies good playoff fortunes since postseason success is often headlined by hot teams heading into the playoffs. The Mariners, winners of five straight and 12 of their last 16 games, are as hot as any. Thus, the one-two punch of Kirby and Gilbert could be all the Mariners need to move beyond the best-of-three.

The Baltimore Orioles make the playoffs

Orioles celebrate after a victory.

A Baltimore Orioles playoff berth was a laughable thought on July 1 when they sat 21.5 games behind the division lead. Since then, that 35-43 record has transformed into a winning 69-61. That puts them only 1.5 shy of a Wild Card spot and 9.5 behind the division-leading New York Yankees.

Though a division race is likely out of the question, their furious pace sets the stage for a Cinderella story. With impressive series wins most recently against the playoff-bound Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros, the Orioles mean business.

September's favorable MLB schedule could also play a factor for the Orioles. With tilts against the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, and Detroit Tigers, the Baltimore Orioles look primed to snag that final spot in the Wild Card race.

The New York Yankees slip into Wild Card position

The New York Yankees' chemistry is evidently boggled after the departure of seemingly insignificant Joey Gallo and Jordan Montgomery. It's so bungled that their downward trajectory will them slip into the thick of the MLB Wild Card race.

Since August 2, the Yanks' are 9-19, shrinking their American League East lead to five games. That's a historic reduction considering they led by as many as 14.5 at the All-Star break.

"The Yankees' division lead and first-round bye are in danger" - NY Yankees Briefly

The Yankees now find themselves on the ropes after dropping their first two games of September to the heel-clinging Tampa Bay Rays, shrinking their division deficit to five. With the two teams set to square off again next week, the AL East could see a dethroning and recrowning in as few as nine days.

The Yankees will still make the playoffs, but not with the division crown they expected to bear. Perhaps the loss of Joey Gallo meant more to the locker room than Yankees fans initially realized.