MLB Weekend Top 10: The September Races

by Bodog Sportsbook | Sep 4 2009

Maybe it's time to stop fussing over the July 31 MLB trade deadline. That's only the deadline for completing a deal without putting a player on waivers; otherwise, teams had until August 31 to make trades, and they weren't shy about it this year. Eight players changed hands in the last week of August alone - including familiar names like Jim Thome and Billy Wagner. The rich keep getting richer.

Since we're in the hypercompetitive last month of the 2009 regular season, we're changing things up a bit to talk about the playoff races and the potential Division Series matchups. But first, our entirely subjective choices for the Top 10 MLB milestones that should fall before season's end.

1. Ichiro, Seattle Mariners: 2,000 hits (1,993 after Thursday's games)
2. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: 300 stolen bases (298)
3. Casey Blake, Los Angeles Dodgers: 1,000 hits (995)
4. Manny Ramirez, L.A. Dodgers: 535 doubles, to pass Lou Gehrig for No. 30 all-time (527)
5. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals: 200 intentional walks (194)
6. Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners: 2,628 games without a World Series appearance, to pass Andre Dawson for No. 2 all-time (2,616)
7. Mariano Rivera, N.Y. Yankees: 1,000 strikeouts (995)
8. Jeff Weaver, Los Angeles Angels: 100 wins (99)
9. Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays: 2,000 innings pitched (1,997.2)
10. Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia Phillies: 3,884.2 innings pitched, to pass Bob Gibson for No. 45 all-time (3,880.1)

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American League

There isn't a lot of drama at the moment in the AL division races. The Yankees (86-48, 11.80 units) are at it again, winning seven straight to vault 7.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox (78-55, 9.42 units) in the AL East. Three victories in a row by the Detroit Tigers (72-61, 4.22 units) have opened up a five-game lead in the otherwise weak AL Central. The tightest race is out West, where the Angels (78-54, 19.12 units) are 3.5 games up on the Texas Rangers (75-58, 20.76 units) in a battle between the two most profitable teams in the majors.

The AL Wild Card race is a bit closer still. Boston is three games ahead of Texas and six up on the Tampa Bay Rays (72-61, -1.88 units). With under 30 games to go - none between the Red Sox and Rangers - it's pretty easy to project the following ALDS matchups:

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

The Wild Card team is supposed to play the team with the best record in the league, but not if they're in the same division. Then the job goes to the team with the second-best record, and that's shaping up to be the Angels. Boston was 5-1 at press time to win the AL pennant. Los Angeles was 7-2.

Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees

We might not get a Yankees-Red Sox playoff series this October. But we could very well see the Yankees in the World Series for the first time since 2003. They're 6-5 to win the AL pennant, compared to the Tigers at a long 15-1.

National League

The senior circuit is where it's at for the playoff stretch. Not for the division races; all three are very close to being over already, with the Phillies (77-54, 9.49 units), Cardinals (79-56, 11.37 units) and Dodgers (80-55, 12.76 units) holding considerable leads in the East, Central and West. The real action is in the Wild Card race:

Colorado Rockies        74-60 (9.85 units)
San Francisco Giants     73-61 (11.91 units)

There are others lurking on the Wild Card fringe, but the Rockies and the Giants are in front and likely to stay there. The Giants are the hotter of the two clubs after sweeping Colorado in a three-game set last week at Coors Field. They'll meet again later this month at AT&T Park. That's reason enough to project the following NL division series matchups:

St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants

St. Louis is on a 20-5 hot streak and playing in the easiest division of the three, so we figure they'll have the best record in the NL come October. The Cards are 2-1 to win the pennant; San Francisco is 13-2, strong value compared to Colorado at 4-1.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

This will be epic if it happens, either in this round or the next. Both teams loaded up at the trade deadline; the Phillies are 9-5 favorites to advance to the World Series, while L.A. is the third favorite at 3-1. The Dodgers wrapped up the season series 4-3 back in early June.

Baseball season is still in full swing - and the Bodog Sportsbook has all the lines to keep you going!