By Shawn Ramsey
1 Red Sox 97-65
One year after Boston’s epic meltdown, the Red Sox secured home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
2 Cardinals 97-65 +2
Matt Carpenter fell one hit short of 200 for the season, but at least his Cards clinched home-field advantage through the NLCS after winning six straight to end the regular season.
3 Braves 96-66 +3
The Braves will rely on Jason Heyward at the top of the lineup during the playoffs to bolster an offense that has been inconsistent at times.
4 Athletics 96-66 -2
The A’s started September in second place but won the division title thanks in part to Josh Donaldson’s big month at the plate.
5 Dodgers 92-70 -2
Matt Kemp won’t be playing for the Dodgers in the playoffs, but they have survived most of the season without him … plus, his absence left the door open for Yasiel Puig to reach the majors.
6 Pirates 94-68 +2
Baseball is back in Pittsburgh with the Pirates ready to host their first playoff game in two decades, led by MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen.
7 Tigers 93-69 -2
The Tigers ended their season on a sour note after getting no-hit by the Marlins, but fans shouldn’t be worried about Detroit’s offensive power in the playoffs with Miguel Cabrera and his .348 batting average.
8 Indians 92-70 +2
The Indians staggered into September looking finished in the AL playoff race, but after a 21-6 month, including 10 wins in a row to wrap up the regular season, Cleveland has the top wild-card spot.
9 Rays 92-71
David Price’s season started slow, but he showed exactly why he is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner after carrying the Rays in a one-game tiebreaker victory over the Texas Rangers to earn a wild-card berth.
10 Rangers 91-72 +3
Texas put up a good fight in winning its last seven games to force a tiebreaker game against the Rays, but Tampa Bay’s David Price made sure the Rangers would go no further with his complete-game masterpiece.
11 Reds 90-72 -4
Momentum is not on the Reds’ side after stumbling into the playoffs losing five consecutive games, including a sweep by wild-card opponent Pittsburgh.
12 Royals 86-76
Streaky would be the best way to describe the Royals season in one word, but Kansas City has plenty of reasons to be optimistic for 2014 after finishing with its best record since 1989.
13 Nationals 86-76 -2
The Nationals made a late push down the stretch to stay in playoff contention until the final week, but Washington’s early season struggles proved to be too much to overcome.
14 Orioles 85-77 +1
Besides Chris Tillman, the Orioles’ starting rotation was the main issue behind a failed attempt to return to the postseason.
15 Yankees 85-77 -1
Mariano Rivera won’t be able to extend his legacy into the 2013 playoffs after the Yankees fell short of their typical lofty expectations.
16 Diamondbacks 81-81 +1
The Diamondbacks led the NL West for 69 days of the season but struggled to consistently find wins as the Dodgers surged past them in the second half.
17 Padres 76-86 +1
The Padres played great baseball at times this year, especially for a “rebuilding” team.
18 Giants 76-86 +1
A third-place finish in the NL West and San Francisco’s first losing record since 2008 wasn’t what the Giants had in mind for defending their 2012 World Series title.
19 Angels 78-84 -3
Mike Trout became only the third major leaguer player since 1900 with 190 hits, 100 walks and 30 stolen bases after hitting a home run in the Angels final game of the season.
20 Brewers 74-88 +1
Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Brewers this season, from Ryan Braun’s suspension to Corey Hart's and Aramis Ramirez’s injury problems.
21 Blue Jays 74-88 +2
For a team that made huge additions in the offseason, a 74-88 fifth-place finish in the AL East was a major disappointment. It didn’t help that Toronto led the majors in games lost to injury with more than 1,300 in all.
22 Rockies 74-88
The Rockies’ season took a nose-dive early, but at least Michael Cuddyer had a great year, winning the NL batting title with his .331 batting average.
23 Phillies 73-89 -3
The Phillies posted their first losing record since 2002. Will Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg be the man to lead Philadelphia back to relevancy?
24 Mariners 71-91 +1
There are reasons to be hopeful for the future in Seattle. The offense improved, hitting its most home runs since 2000, and the rotation will continue to be strong with Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma.
25 Mets 74-88 -1
Matt Harvey was lights out for the Mets this season until being benched by an elbow injury in August.
26 Cubs 66-96
Cubs finish last in the NL Central and Dale Sveum becomes the first manager to lose his job after Chicago lost 41 of its final 59 games.
27 Twins 66-96
After three straight years of 96-plus losses, Ron Gardenhire’s future in Minnesota looked bleak with his contract set to expire after the season, but the Twins extended the manager through 2015 in a surprising move.
28 White Sox 63-99
The White Sox took an unexpected step back this season, with a soft-hitting lineup leading to a 99-loss season.
29 Marlins 62-100
There wasn’t much to root for during the Marlins’ 100-loss season, but at least Henderson Alvarez’s wild no-hitter against Detroit ended the season on a positive note.
30 Astros 51-111
After finishing the season with 15 losses in a row, the Astros complete their worst season in club history … but with the third consecutive No. 1 pick.
