On the opening night of the final weekend of the Major League Baseball regular season, we now know all six teams that will be in the playoffs in the American League. Joining the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros, are the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. It is interesting that three of the six teams that are postseason bound in the American League are from the American League Central.
How did Tigers and Royals make the playoffs?
The Tigers made the playoffs by beating the Chicago White Sox 4-1 at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday. Left fielder Riley Greene of Orlando, Florida was the Tigers star a day before his 24th birthday, as he led Detroit with two hits including double. Meanwhile, Brant Hurter of Canton, Georgia got the win in relief, as he only gave up one earned run in four innings of work, and now has a record of six wins and one loss. Meanwhile, the Royals were postseason bound because Baltimore clobbered Minnesota 7-2.
Tigers are red hot
You could make the argument that the Tigers are the best team in baseball. They have won nine of their last 10 games, and are the best team in the American League since the All-Star Break. The Tigers have a record of 39 wins and 24 losses for an impressive winning percentage of .619.
Royals have impressive turn around
Kansas City has had an incredible turn around in 2024. A year ago they were the second worst team in the entire Major Leagues. With a record of 56 wins and 106 losses in 2023, Kansas City had a winning percentage of .346. The only team worse than the Royals were the Oakland Athletics, which had a record of 50 wins and 112 losses, for a winning percentage of .309. However, in 2024, the Royals have won 29 more games and have a record of 85 wins and 75 losses, for a winning percentage of .531.
What is happening in the National League?
There are three teams battling for two spots in the National League. The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are both at 87 wins and 71 losses, while the Arizona Diamondbacks are at 88 wins and 72 losses. The Braves and Mets both hold the tiebreaker against the Diamondbacks.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!