Breaking Down Crowded American League Playoff Picture at All-Star Break

As we head down the home stretch in the American League, there are still several teams in the mix for postseason spots. Here's a look at the six teams who are in — for the moment — and several others who are nipping at their heels. There's also a breakdown of top pitchers and players for each team through the first half, and a look at their schedules coming out of the break.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Now that the All-Star Game is behind us, it's time to head down home stretch as the quest for playoff spots in the American League kicks into high gear. There's a division title — the AL Central — still very much up for grabs, plus seven teams still in the thick of things for the three wild-card spots.

That's the new thing, this year.

There's a new playoff format that's a big improvement from the one-and-done wild-card games of years gone by. This year, six teams make the playoffs in each league, the three division champions and three wild-card teams.

The two division champs with the best records get a bye in the first round, and then the lowest seeded division winner will play a best-of-three series against the lowest wild-card team, the No. 6 seed. The entire series will be played at the home ball park of the No. 3 seed.

It's the same with the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, the two best wild-card team. They'll play a best-of-three series as well, at the home park or the No. 4 seed. There is no travel in that round.

Here's where things are right now in the American League race at the All-Star break:

No. 1 — New York Yankees (64-28)

• What they've done: The Yankees lead the AL East by 13 games and they've been crushing people all season. They staggered into the break a bit, losing five of six games to the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds. They are the clear No. 1 seed in the AL.
• Best player — Aaron Judge, center fielder: The league's leading MVP candidate has been great. He has 33 homers and 70 RBIs and has 96 hits. He's first in homers, second in RBIs and ninth in hits. Heading into a big contract situation this winter, he's having a great year at the perfect time.
• Best pitcher — Clay Holmes, closer: Even though Holmes has been a bit more human lately, giving up four runs in a loss to Cincinnati on July 12, there's no denying that he's been nasty throughout the first half of the season. In 41 appearances, he has allowed an earned run in only three games. Several of their starters could have been chosen, too. They've all been good, though it does seem like a few are wearing down.
• Up next: July 21 (DH) at Houston Astros; July 22-24 at Baltimore Orioles; July 26-27 at New York Mets; July 28-31 home vs. Kansas City Royals.
• The skinny: Even though the Yankees are just 6-7 since July 2, it's the first time all year where they've scuffled a bit. They were 37 games over .500 that day, and they've done it with a powerful lineup, great starting pitching and a solid bullpen. It's hard to see anyone catching them in the AL East.  The only concern is whether all those pitching arms can stay healthy through October, because we're already starting to see a few issues creep up. 

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes (35) celebrates with catcher Kyle Higashioka (66) after the game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

No. 2 — Houston Astros (59-32)

• What they've done: The Astros have already had an 11-game winning streak this season to go along with an eight-game streak a few weeks ago. They are capable of getting hot and staying hot, and have a nine-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. They are second in home runs to the Yankees, and tops in ERA, so they're getting it done in all phases of the game. 
• Best player — Yordan Alvarez, left fielder: Alvarez is turning into a real star. He has 26 homers already, and that's coming off of a 33-homer season a year ago. He's hitting .306 with 60 RBIs. He was red-hot in June, hitting .418 with nine homers. He's cooled off a bit in July, but he's still a tough out, even against top-flight pitching.
• Best pitcher — Justin Verlander:  The 39-year-old right-hander has been backed nicely in 2022, and looks as healthy as can be after making only 18 starts the past two years. He's 12-3 this season with a 1.89 ERA. The 12 wins are the most in the AL, and he's third in ERA.  
• Up next: July 21 (DH) vs. New York Yankees; July 22-24 at Seattle Mariners; July 25-27 at Oakland A's; July 28-31 home vs. Seattle Mariners. 
• The skinny: The Astros are the obvious pick to best contend with the Yankees because they can match their starting pitching AND thump with them when they have to. They have seven games with the red-hot Mariners in the next two weeks, so that's going to be worth watching.

Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) celebrates his home run against the Kansas City Royals in the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. (Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

No. 3 — Minnesota Twins (50-44)

• What they've done: The Twins have been solid but unspectacular, leading a weak American League Central division by two games over the Cleveland Guardians and three over the Chicago White Sox, the heavy preseason favorite. They are just 8-11 since June 28
• Best player — Byron Buxton, center fielder: A tough call here between Buxton and Luis Arriez, but the home run surge and great defensive play in center field gives him the slight edge. Buxton has 23 homers already, which is already a career high. He had 19 a year ago, which had been the previous high for his first seven years. Arriez is hitting .338, and has had a lot of clutch hits for the Twins all season long. 
• Best pitcher — Joe Ryan, starting pitcher: This was a tough choice because none of the Twins' starters have been great. Ryan, who's 6-3 with a 2.99 ERA, has probably been the best. He also leads the team in strikeouts with 66, but that ranks only No. 41 in the AL. It's going to be interesting to see if the Twins try to bulk up their rotation before the trade deadline.
• Up next: July 23-24 at Detroit Tigers: July 26-27 at Milwaukee Brewers; July 29-31 at San Diego Padres.
• The skinny: As mentioned above, the Twins are tops in the AL Central, but they are the division leader that I have the least faith in. During this recent lull, their pitching staff has been knocked around quite a bit. The Guardians and White Sox are both poised to make this division race interesting. 

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) throws to the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Target Field. (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)

No. 4 — Tampa Bay Rays (51-41)

• What they've done: The Rays have the third-best record in the league despite dealing with a ton of injuries all year. Five of their Opening Day starters — outfielders Kevin Kiermaier and Manuel Margot, infielders Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe and catcher Mike Zunino — have all been out for good stretches now, and only Lowe, who returned on Saturday, looks to be able to help at all down the stretch. They'll also miss hot-hitting Harold Ramirez, who broke his thumb the day Lowe returned.
• Best player — Yandy Diaz, third base: Diaz is probably the best of the healthy guys. He's hitting .294 on the season, and is hitting .386 in July. Randy Arozarena deserved consideration too, because he's starting to hit with power again. He's got 12 now, second on the team to Isaac Paredes (13), and has five dingers in July, including two in the past two games. Diaz and Arozarena will have to carry this team offensively for a while.
• Best pitcher — Shane McClanahan: This one is easy, of course. Shane McClanahan, who started the All-Star Game for the AL on Tuesday night, has been phenomenal. He's 10-3 and his 1.71 ERA leads all AL pitchers. He also has 147 strikeouts, second-best in the league.
• Up next: July 22-24 at Kansas City Royals; July 25-28 at Baltimore Orioles; July 29-31 home vs. Cleveland Guardians.
• The skinny: The Rays have certainly been resilient, and every time it looks like their season is about to implode, they get hot again. They proved that last week after getting swept at Cincinnati, coming home and taking four straight from the Red Sox and two of three from the Orioles. They still have great pitching, but with so many people down, can they avoid a long stretch of below .500 ball? That remains to be seen. 

Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz has had a big July, hitting .386 with 11 RBIs. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

No. 5 — Seattle Mariners (51-42)

• What they've done: The Mariners were a major disappointment for nearly three months, but then they got hot in late June and haven't looked back. They won 14 straight games heading into the break and are 17-1 since June 28, going from seven games under .500 to nine over. They definitely would have preferred to keep on playing instead of taking an All-Star break. 
• Best player — Julio Rodrguez, center field: The rookie came into the season as one of the most highly regarded prospects in the game, and he's really proven his value, especially during this hot streak. He's got 16 homers and 52 RBIs already, and he has 21 stolen bases, too. He's a blast to watch. Ty France (.308 average, with 11 homers) deserves some props, too.
• Best pitcher — Logan Gilbert, starting pitcher: Even though Gilbert has cooled off a bit after his hot start, his numbers are still crazy impressive. He's 10-3 with a 2.76 ERA and has 104 strikeouts. The 25-year-old from Apopka, Fla., has had 10 starts already where he's allowed one run or less.
• Up next: July 22-24 home vs. Houston Astros, July 25-27 home vs. Texas Rangers, July 28-31 at Houston Astros.
• The skinny: The Mariners are on fire, and now they get the division leader Houston seven times in the next 10 days. It'll be interesting to see how much the break cooled them off. They do get a nice edge Friday with the Astros having to play a doubleheader against the Yankees on Thursday and then traveling to the West Coast. That's a brutal schedule advantage. 

American League outfielder Julio Rodriguez (44) of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after winning the 2022 MLB All Star Game at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

No. 6 — Toronto Blue Jays (50-43)

• What they've done: The Blue Jays were the preseason favorite to win the AL East and were a trendy World Series pick, but they've really struggled lately, and it even cost manager Charlie Montoyo his job. They went 3-10 during a two-week stretch in early July, and were at least able to feel a little better heading into the break when they won their last three games against the Kansas City Royals.
• Best player — Vladimir Guerrero, first base: Guerrero has 20 home runs and 57 RBIs so far, but he's had only one homer in the past 15 games, and that's had something to do with their struggles. Still, he's capable of exploding at any time, and the Jays are hoping his carry this team through the second half.
• Best pitcher — Alek Manoah, starting pitcher: Manoah is 10-4 with a 2.28 ERA and has proven to be the ace of this staff. Closer Jordan Romano — 20 saves and a 2.65 ERA, deserves mention as well.  
• Up next: July 22-24 at Boston Red Sox; July 26-27 at St. Louis Cardinals; July 28-31 home vs. Detroit Tigers.
• The skinny: High expectations have put excessive pressure on this team, and that 3-10 slump has everyone frustrated. This team is too good to slip out of the playoff picture, but they definitely need better pitching, especially out of the bullpen. They have given up five runs or more a whopping 16 times since June 19. They're in the playoffs today, but for how much longer? 

American League pitcher Alek Manoah (6) of the Toronto Blue Jays is congratulated after his third strike out against the National League to end the second inning of the 2022 MLB All Star Game at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

Still in the hunt

• BOSTON RED SOX (48-45, two games out): The Red Sox rotation has been decimated by injuries all year, and just when they got Chris Sale back, he got hurt again. This is a weird team right now, and it's hard to figure out if they are going to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. It's something of a dysfunctional roster right now with all the moving pieces. It's going to be interesting to see how they play coming out of the break. 
• CLEVELAND GUARDIANS (46-44): The Guardians have been quietly hanging around, both in the AL Central race and in the wild-card. Jose Ramirez (19 homers, 75 RBIs) is having a big year. Their rotation can go stretches where they can dominate, and they need that to happen right away. Their first 11 games out of the break are against the White Sox,  Red Sox and Rays, so we'll going to learn a lot about this team quickly.
• BALTIMORE ORIOLES (46-46): That 14-game winning streak by the Mariners sort of overshadowed the Orioles' 10-game win streak. They're .at .500 now and probably a year ahead of the rebuild schedule. Their pitching has been good during the hot streak — five games of one-run or less since July 3 — but it will be interesting to see if it can hold up. There's no question they are a player in this wild-card race, and they might be the most interesting team heading into the deadline because they were sure-fire sellers before the winning streak. Big homestand right out of the break, with three against the Yankees and four against the Rays.
• CHICAGO WHITE SOX (46-46): The White Sox are the biggest disappointment in the American League without question, but they are finally starting to play better and they seem primed to finally make their run. After playing four games with Cleveland, they play 19 straight games against teams with a losing record — Colorado (2), Oakland (3), Kansas City (7), Texas (4) and Detroit (3). Don't be a bit surprised when that run ends on Aug. 14 that the White Sox aren't in first place.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn (33) throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Longshots ... and beyond

• Texas Rangers: 41-49
• Los Angeles Angels: 39-53
• Detroit Tigers: 37-55
• Kansas City Royals: 36-56
• Oakland Athletics: 32-61