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Now that we are finished with the All-Star break, we are entering the home stretch of the 2022 MLB season. Playoff races are tightening, and these next games will be crucial for some teams.
FOX Sports MLB posted what the playoff picture would be with the current records of each team. It also has the new format, because there is an extra Wild Card spot for each league.
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As soon as they posted this to Twitter, MLB fans of each and every team had something to say. Many made cases for their teams.
Some teams who have been in the playoff picture for the entire season have fallen off recently. One team in particular is the Boston Red Sox, who practically limped into the All-Star break.
There was also a lot of trash talking between members of each fan base. It seems this really divided fans.
This update is not permanent, of course, and the projections will probably look a lot different come this fall. No matter what, these next two months will be interesting to watch.
A breakdown of the current MLB playoff picture
As of now, the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Houston Astros lead the American League East, Central, and West, respectively. For the National League, the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers lead their respective divisions.
The Yankees have a tight grip on the AL East at 13 games ahead of the second-placed Tampa Bay Rays. The Twins are fighting with a few teams in the AL Central, as the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox are within three games. The Astros are comfortably ahead in the AL West, though the Seattle Mariners are red-hot, having won 14 straight.
The Mets and the Atlanta Braves are fighting for the NL East, with Atlanta being within 2.5 games. The NL Central is also a battle between the Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals. Los Angeles is ahead by a decent margin in the NL West, with the second-placed San Diego Padres 10 games back.
Now that there is a third Wild Card spot in each league, many teams are still in playoff contention. Even the Baltimore Orioles, who are in last place in the AL East, are still just 3.5 games out. In theory, they could compete in the playoffs this fall.
