NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Cubs were long eliminated from the postseason race, which, in a weird way, makes me much more able to enjoy the other races going on. If the Cubs had been bounced only a day or two ago, I’d probably tell all the AL Wild Card chaos to go eff itself. But, since the Cubs are way out, I have no mixed feelings. Let’s just enjoy this fun.
And we are, indeed, on the brink of maximum chaos in the American League Wild Card race after the Mariners came back late to win last night and set up the standings:
MITCH HANIGER FOR THE LEAD!!!!! pic.twitter.com/MVTRaWkC7c
— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2021
🚨 CURRENT AL WILD CARD STANDINGS 🚨
New York 91-70
Boston 91-70
Seattle 90-71
Toronto 90-71CHAOS LEVEL 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯/5
The Yankees and Red Sox control their own destiny. If they win Sunday, they will face one another in the AL wild card game. If not, all hell could break loose.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 3, 2021
The Yankees host the Rays (who are kinda in rest mode, but you know they want to muck things up for the Yankees). The Red Sox are at the Nationals (who are probably going to want to be maximum spoiler, because they have nothing else). The Blue Jays host the Orioles (heh), and the Mariners host the Angels. All the games kick off at 2pm CT. So get ready for a crazy afternoon.
Since you are immediately wondering what happens if this or if that, here’s your explainer at MLB.com. The super short version is that a four-way tie would set up two play-in games to get to the Wild Card Game. How a three-way tie plays out depends on whether they tie for the top WC spot (two games get played) or the second spot (a play-in game). The even shorter version: if you like chaos, root for at least one of the Red Sox or Yankees to lose today, and both the Blue Jays and Mariners to win.
There are 16 permutations for Game 162 in the AL wild card race. @WesleyJ_14 put together this handy primer for all of it. Bravo to him. Let this be your guide for Sunday.
Every game starts just after 3 p.m. ET. Buckle up. pic.twitter.com/lR18NHd6mJ
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 3, 2021
We might also get some mini-craziness in the NL today thanks to the Dodgers pulling to within a single game of the Giants in the NL West (and for the best record in the National League). If they can tie it up, there’ll be a Game 163 between the two teams tomorrow, and the loser will then have to play the Cardinals in the Wild Card Game.
(As an aside, because I keep seeing it: stop making the point about how this year proves it would be bad to change the playoff rules/format. It may be bad. It may not be. Either way, you cannot assume THIS year would have played out the SAME way if there were 12 or 14 playoff teams, because teams would change their offseason and Trade Deadline behavior in those situations. You can’t just graft this year onto a playoff format that wasn’t in place when this year was percolating. It makes no sense. You can beef about – or argue in support of – changed playoff formats without using nonsense to do it.)
