This week we focus on AL wild-card drama and the new king in the NL East.
Houston Astros: 82-74
The Astros recent run has dropped 20 percentage points off of their playoff odds. That, as the kids say, is not good. That they did much of their losing to division-rival/leader Texas isn't helping matters either. The Astros hold a half-game lead over the Angels for the final wild-card spot, and they're going to need some of their mid-season acquisitions to provide the shot in the arm they expected back in August. Carlos Gomez is hitting .234 as an Astro and Scott Kazmir has an ERA near 4.00 and a FIP near 5.00. Somehow, the often-overlooked Mike Fiers is the only acquisition providing much value, posting a 3.18 ERA in his time in Houston.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 81-74
The Angels have won 12 of their last 17, but what's important is how they've done it. Their bullpen has been lockdown for the most part, preserving the lead as nine of those 12 wins were one-run victories. This, of course, is a timely change of pace for a bullpen that ranks 17th in all of baseball in ERA over the course of the season. And it explains in part how the Angels find themselves on the precipice of the playoffs despite a massive gulf in run differential between them and Houston.
New York Mets: 89-67
They actually did it. It seemed all year that a dominant open to the season was just the set up for some cruel Mets-style collapse. The ultimate Metsing of our time. Instead, they were resilient. Aided by an epic Nationals collapse (that is turning into a sinkhole as we speak), the Mets found strength in their youthful rotation, their minor-league depth (Conforto), and their late-July acquisitions (Cespedes, bullpen). Not only did the Mets avoid catastrophe, they're in the driver's seat for home-field advantage in the LDS.
Click here for the full Playoff Odds Power Rankings.
