We’re Off to the Postseason Races

At this time is a vital day on the baseball calendar, though you won’t see or hear that talked about anyplace else. In some unspecified time in the future this night, possible round 10:30 PM Japanese, the seventh sport of the evening will wrap up and the 2024 main league season will cross over into its second half, technically talking. Half of the two,430 video games on the common season schedule may have a winner and a loser, and the vast majority of the league’s 30 groups may have performed not less than 81 video games. To me, it’s the right time to examine in on the assorted postseason races across the league. Groups have had loads of time to show who they’re, however there may be simply as a lot time remaining for these narratives to alter fully. Let’s dive in.

To offer you a fast sense of how issues have modified since Opening Day, here’s a side-by-side comparability of the potential playoff area as decided by our preseason projections, the most well-liked picks from our preseason workers predictions, and what the playoffs would appear like if the season ended in the present day:

The present projected standings look fairly much like that closing column, with two exceptions: the Astros are projected to beat out the Crimson Sox for the ultimate American League Wild Card spot, and the Padres and Cardinals are projected to swap locations within the second and third Nationwide League Wild Card positions.

Eight of the present playoff groups have been considered as preseason contenders by our workers, the projections, or each: the Yankees, Orioles, Twins, Mariners, Phillies, Braves, Cardinals and Dodgers. The one row that might win you any cash on a slot machine is the NL West, the place the Dodgers stay the overwhelming favorites. Nonetheless, all eight of these groups are in a great place to make the postseason. The Yankees, Orioles, Phillies, Braves, and Dodgers have postseason odds above 92%, whereas the Mariners sit at 76.1%, the Twins at 73.9%, and the Cardinals at 45%. As for the remaining playoff berths, preseason favorites just like the ever-competitive Astros and Rays, the pennant-holding Rangers and Diamondbacks, and the new-look Giants have struggled to breach the .500 mark. In the meantime, a number of surprising contenders, just like the Guardians, Crimson Sox, Royals, and Brewers, have popped as much as make issues extra attention-grabbing.

Of the three AL division races, the best to foretell proper now appears just like the AL Central. The Guardians, who completed 76-86 final season and whose greatest splash on the free agent market was Austin Hedges, have 69.0% odds to win their division, barely greater than these of the Yankees (65.7%) and Mariners (63.4%). Cleveland has an eight-game lead over Minnesota and a nine-game lead over Kansas Metropolis, and though our rest-of-season projections nonetheless see the Twins as essentially the most gifted staff within the division – they’ve outperformed the Guardians in batting worth (wRAA), baserunning worth (BsR), defensive worth (Def), and pitching worth (WAR) – an eight-game deficit is difficult to come back again from, irrespective of what number of sausages you retain within the dugout.

The races within the AL East and West ought to show to be a lot nearer, though it’s up for debate the place essentially the most compelling battle lies. New York and Baltimore are separated by a single sport, whereas Seattle has a 4.5-game cushion over Houston. Nonetheless, our projections see the Yankees and Astros because the superior groups, so the Mariners might need simply as a lot hassle defending their 4.5-game lead because the Yankees do their one-game benefit.

The AL East may even possible decide the No. 1 seed within the AL, with the winner virtually absolutely avoiding the Wild Card Collection and securing residence area benefit not less than till the World Collection. Conversely, the AL West winner is presently on monitor to be the No. 3 seed, which is much much less advantageous. That mentioned, the AL West race has the added intrigue of the Rangers, who aren’t fully out of the combo regardless of their 37-43 document. That is largely the identical staff that gained the World Collection simply final yr, and with a number of reinforcements who ought to come off the injured listing through the second half, Texas may make a fairy story run on the division crown. The Rangers’ 4.6% division odds aren’t precisely promising, however that’s virtually precisely the place their World Collection odds stood (4.6%) coming into the 2023 postseason. Don’t neglect, there’s a giant distinction between zero and actually something greater than zero. However extra on that in a second.

Issues are just a little extra simple within the NL, the place the percentages, the standings, and customary sense all level to the NL Central because the closest division race. The Dodgers are the most effective staff in baseball on paper, and with an 8.5-game lead within the NL West, their division odds are at 94.6%. In the meantime, the Phillies maintain an eight-game lead within the NL East, they usually have managed to persuade our rest-of-season projections that they’re roughly equal in expertise to the Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider-less Braves. The NL East rivals have 10 video games left to play towards each other, so Atlanta nonetheless has management of its personal future. Nonetheless, Philadelphia’s division odds are 82.6%.

The Brewers are nonetheless the clear frontrunners within the NL Central – they’ve greater division odds (73.6%) than any staff within the AL – nevertheless it’s a lot simpler to think about Milwaukee collapsing down the stretch than both Los Angeles or Philadelphia. The Cardinals, presently six video games again in second place, have barely higher rest-of-season projections. Extra importantly, I’d argue St. Louis has a better ground because of a way more dependable beginning rotation. A six-game lead with half the season left to play ought to be sufficient for the Brewers to assert their third division title prior to now 4 years, however another beginning pitching harm may very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s again. Funnily sufficient, whereas this could be the closest division race down the stretch, it’s additionally going to be the least consequential; there’s a excessive chance the winner of the NL Central faces the runner-up within the first spherical of the NL playoffs.

In my humble opinion, the divisions will host the extra charming races over the second half of the season. Nonetheless, we’re in for some pleasure within the Wild Card races, too, given the sheer variety of groups within the combine. The Orioles and Braves are prone to declare the highest spots within the AL and NL, however after that, issues get sophisticated shortly. 5 groups are inside 4 video games of the ultimate Wild Card slots within the AL, whereas seven groups are not less than that shut within the NL. What’s extra, there are a handful of extra groups sitting additional again that I’m not able to say are fully out of the race.

If the season ended in the present day, the Twins would take the second AL Wild Card spot, whereas the Crimson Sox would beat out the Royals for the ultimate playoff berth by the tiniest decimal level. The Twins are performing roughly how most individuals anticipated, though the emergence of the Guardians has bumped them down from division favorites to Wild Card contenders by little fault of their very own. In the meantime, the disappointing performances of the Astros, Rays, Rangers, and Blue Jays have made room for surprisingly aggressive groups just like the Crimson Sox and Royals to enter the dialog. The Astros and Rays are shut sufficient and gifted sufficient that they’re nonetheless very a lot within the race, whereas the Rangers and Blue Jays are simply shut sufficient and simply gifted sufficient that I’m not going to put in writing them off fully. I additionally really feel compelled to say the Tigers, a darkish horse candidate to contend coming into the season. They haven’t performed notably effectively this yr, however the race is shut sufficient which you could squint and say they’re nonetheless within the combine. On the very least, if we’re going to incorporate Texas and Toronto within the playoff image, we are able to’t ignore Detroit:

Issues are even nearer within the NL, the place seven groups are hovering round .500 and bumping up towards each other within the Wild Card standings. That features contenders we anticipated, just like the Cardinals, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Giants; the marginally extra shocking Mets; and the plucky Pirates and Nationals. The Reds are 4.5 video games out, however they’re one in every of solely 4 groups within the Wild Card race with a optimistic run differential (+6). Lastly, the Cubs are 5 video games again, with the third-worst document within the NL. That mentioned, they have been within the combine as a lot as anybody earlier than the season started, they usually nonetheless have the expertise to get again in it.

Finally, the Nationals (3.5 video games again) are nonetheless lengthy pictures, and it’s arduous to think about the Pirates staying within the race. It’s just a little simpler to ascertain the Cubs or Reds placing collectively a giant successful streak, however they’ve a number of groups to leapfrog earlier than they’re again within the playoff image. Nonetheless, that leaves 5 intently matched groups competing for the ultimate two spots, with the potential for an additional contender or two to make issues much more attention-grabbing:

As crowded and unpredictable because the Wild Playing cards races appear, this won’t be so uncommon within the age of the 12-team playoff format. Round this time final yr, Chris Gilligan wrote in regards to the playoff race, noting how the sphere was extra bunched collectively than it had been in 2022. Right here’s what that appeared like:

And right here’s how issues look this yr, for comparability:

This yr’s distribution appears much more just like the one from 2022 than 2023, with the best bars on the very again and really entrance. The highest groups have separated themselves from the pack extra convincingly this yr than final, and 4 extra groups are within the bleak 0-10% playoff odds group. As Chris famous, 21 of the 30 golf equipment had between a ten% and 90% likelihood of creating the playoffs round this time final yr. Presently, simply 14 of 30 groups sit inside that vary.

The primary half of the season tells us a whole lot of what we have to know in regards to the playoff image. For instance, check out this side-by-side comparability of the 2023 playoff area in keeping with preseason projections, projections by video games on June 26, 2023, and precise outcomes:

Our 2023 preseason projections appropriately predicted solely three division winners and 7 playoff groups. By this date final yr, the projections appropriately recognized 5 of the six eventual playoff groups in every league.

On the identical time, there’s a purpose they nonetheless play the video games within the second half. The Astros’ odds to win the AL West have been simply 22.2% this time final yr. These are worse odds than all three of the second-place golf equipment within the AL proper now. Furthermore, the Orioles’ odds within the AL East have been simply 7.6%. If they may flip these odds right into a division crown, I’m not counting out anybody this yr besides the Angels, White Sox, Athletics, Marlins, and Rockies.

Think about if I have been to let you know that once I examine the climate report within the morning, I exploit a easy heuristic to determine if I must take my umbrella out for the day. A 60% likelihood of rain or greater means it’s undoubtedly going to rain. A 30% likelihood of rain or decrease means it’s undoubtedly not going to rain. If that sounds foolish to you (and it ought to), then it will be simply as silly to make that assumption in the case of playoff odds. The primary half of the 2024 season has offered us with loads of info to foretell the eventual playoff area, however in case you don’t anticipate any surprises, you may find yourself soaking moist.