The playoff push in Major League Baseball is always an exciting time of the year, and 2015 won’t be an exception. With division races tight and teams who have struggled in the past tasting the postseason, September baseball has a lot to offer. The Mets, Cubs, Pirates, Blue Jays and Astros are all teams that have built up and made the moves to make the postseason, and their fan bases couldn’t be happier. This season, the Cardinals or Royals may become the first 100-win teams since the 2011 Phillies. With all of these great story lines, this September’s stretch run will be another one to remember.
September baseball in the past has offered us some of baseball’s greatest moments. Some of the highlights include the memorable game 162 in 2011, when Evan Longoria’s walk off home run pushed the Rays into the playoffs, and Ted Williams going 6-for-8 in a doubleheader to secure a .406 batting average in 1941, the last time that feat has ever been accomplished. This September certainly has a lot to offer.
The American League East is still up for grabs, and with the Yankees and Blue Jays meeting seven more times this season and Toronto only holding onto a 1.5-game lead, anything can happen. The NL West is still a two-team toss up between the Giants and Dodgers, who started a crucial three-game series on August 31st. The AL West is also a tight race, with the struggling Astros, who have seen their lead dwindle down to three, as the red-hot Rangers are making a postseason push.
The divisional races aren’t the only tight races; both wild card races have multiple teams in the mix. The Yankees currently hold the first wild card spot, with the Rangers having the second place spot. But, there are 5 teams who are within 5.5 games of that second wild card spot, making it a tight six-team race for that last spot. The NL is more open than the AL. The Pirates and Cubs hold the number one and two spots respectively, and the Giants are 5.5 games behind the Cubs. The Giants have an easier shot, mathematically speaking, at dethroning the Dodgers than they do of overtaking the Cubs.
But the exciting wild card races aren’t the only things that make September great. Many teams often clinch playoff spots in the September, and many teams and their fan bases hope that their team can seal the deal. The Blue Jays, who haven’t made the postseason since 1993, are in line for a playoff spot, they Royals are dominating the central again, the Astros rebuilding process has finally paid off as they lead the west. The Pirates and Cubs will most likely square off in the NL wild card game, and the New York Mets could win their first divisional title since 2006, when they went to the NLCS. With so many of these teams finally playing ball like they should be, their fans can’t be happier. They went from being ashamed fans of their respective teams, to being ecstatic that they might get to witness a playoff game featuring their beloved team.
Whether your favorite team is in the playoff push or not, as a baseball fan you have to be excited. It’s great to see some of these teams finally make the postseason after many years of work and preparation. With the season winding down, it’s going to be a fun month of baseball. Fasten your seatbelts, because it’s going to be a bumpy and exciting ride.
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