We're of course beyond the non-waiver trade deadline, and although deals during the August waiver period can and do happen, most of the focus is on the playoff races. 

Obviously, a glance at the standings page will give you an idea of where things stand when it comes to those coveted 10 postseason berths, but to peer a bit more deeply into these vital matters, we'll turn to our compadres over at SportsLine (@SportsLine on Twitter). Over there, they cook up projections and playoff percentages for each team and tell you what each team's chances of winning the pennant and World Series are. It's partly based on results to date, of course, but how each team projects the rest of the way at the roster level also plays a big role. 

So below you'll see each team's forecasted regular record for 2017, forecasted record for the remainder of the season, chances that they make the playoffs via division title or wild card berth, and then the current chances that they win the pennant and World Series. Pretty much covers it, no? By the way, these numbers are just plucked from thin air; they come to us via the SportsLine projection system. 

First, let's jump into the AL ... 

AMERICAN
LEAGUE 		SEASON FORECAST REST OF SEASON MAKE PLAYOFFS POST-SEASON SUCCESS
WINS LOSS WIN% WINS LOSS WIN% WIN DIV PLAYOFF ALCS ODDS LCS% WS ODDS WS%
Houston Astros   100.8 61.2 62.2% 29.8 21.2 58.5% 98.0% 99.6% 2/1, 33.3% 38.30% 6/1, 14.3% 15.54%
Boston Red Sox 91.6 70.4 56.5% 28.6 21.4 57.1% 54.1% 85.3% 3/1, 25% 18.55% 7/1, 12.5% 7.05%
New York Yankees  88.5 73.5 54.7% 29.5 22.5 56.8% 33.7% 72.6% 4/1, 20% 11.29% 10/1, 9.1% 4.39%
Cleveland Indians 88.2 73.9 54.4% 29.2 23.8 55.0% 61.3% 73.5% 7/2, 22.2% 15.86% 8/1, 11.1% 5.27%
Kansas City Royals  84.2 77.8 52.0% 27.2 24.8 52.4% 28.5% 45.5% 10/1, 9.1% 7.90% 20/1, 4.8% 2.50%
Tampa Bay Rays 83.9 78.1 51.8% 25.9 23.1 52.9% 10.2% 38.4% 25/1, 3.8% 2.48% 50/1, 2% 0.78%
Seattle Mariners 82.0 80.0 50.6% 25.0 24.0 51.0% 1.1% 26.8% 20/1, 4.8% 2.02% 40/1, 2.4% 0.84%
Texas Rangers 79.9 82.1 49.3% 26.9 24.1 52.7% 0.6% 15.8% 100/1, 1% 1.23% 200/1, 0.5% 0.32%
Minnesota Twins 79.0 83.0 48.8% 26.0 27.0 49.1% 7.8% 14.8% 150/1, 0.7% 1.06% 300/1, 0.3% 0.30%
Los Angeles Angels 78.3 83.7 48.3% 23.3 26.7 46.5% 0.3% 9.6% 50/1, 2% 0.36% 100/1, 1% 0.08%
Baltimore Orioles 77.9 84.1 48.1% 22.9 28.1 44.9% 1.5% 9.5% 50/1, 2% 0.38% 100/1, 1% 0.10%
Detroit Tigers 75.0 87.0 46.3% 24.0 28.0 46.1% 2.3% 4.4% 250/1, 0.4% 0.37% 500/1, 0.2% 0.15%
Toronto Blue Jays 74.0 88.0 45.7% 22.0 29.0 43.1% 0.4% 2.5% 100/1, 1% 0.17% 200/1, 0.5% 0.07%
Oakland Athletics 72.6 89.4 44.8% 22.6 27.4 45.1% 0.1% 1.4% 5000/1, 0% 0.03% 9999/1, 0% 0.00%
Chicago White Sox 59.7 102.3 36.9% 18.7 34.3 35.3% 0.1% 0.1% 5000/1, 0% 0.00% 9999/1, 0% 0.00%


Right now, here's how the AL playoff bracket is projected to look ... 

  • Wild card: Royals at Yankees
  • ALDS: Indians versus Red Sox
  • ALDS: Wild-card winner versus Astros

As you can see, the Astros, despite some second-half struggles, are projected to top 100 wins and run away with the AL West. The AL East and AL Central races still project as being interesting, though. Beyond that, 10 teams have a playoff percentage that rounds up to at least 10 percent, so the AL could be a pleasing mess down the stretch. Also, "congrats" to the White Sox for projecting to claim the top overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft (you'll see in a second that SportsLine tabs them for the worst record in baseball). 

And now for the NL ...

NATIONAL
LEAGUE 		SEASON FORECAST REST OF SEASON MAKE PLAYOFFS POST-SEASON SUCCESS
WINS LOSS WIN% WINS LOSS WIN% WIN DIV PLAYOFF NLCS ODDS LCS% WS ODDS WS%
Los Angeles Dodgers 112.7 49.3 69.6% 33.7 17.3 66.2% 99.3% 100.0% 1/1, 50% 47.88% 2/1, 33.3% 33.09%
Washington Nationals 97.4 64.6 60.1% 32.4 20.6 61.1% 98.2% 99.0% 3/1, 25% 23.62% 6/1, 14.3% 14.37%
Arizona Diamondbacks 90.8 71.2 56.1% 27.8 23.2 54.5% 0.5% 80.1% 9/1, 10% 7.37% 18/1, 5.3% 3.66%
Colorado Rockies 89.1 72.9 55.0% 25.1 24.9 50.1% 0.3% 70.5% 10/1, 9.1% 3.08% 20/1, 4.8% 1.39%
Chicago Cubs 87.4 74.6 53.9% 29.4 22.6 56.5% 49.4% 60.4% 7/2, 22.2% 10.91% 7/1, 12.5% 7.27%
Milwaukee Brewers 85.1 76.9 52.5% 26.1 22.9 53.3% 28.9% 41.8% 25/1, 3.8% 3.65% 50/1, 2% 1.48%
St. Louis Cardinals 82.7 79.3 51.1% 27.7 23.3 54.4% 16.3% 27.5% 30/1, 3.2% 2.14% 60/1, 1.6% 0.85%
Miami Marlins 78.3 83.7 48.3% 26.3 26.7 49.6% 1.2% 7.4% 250/1, 0.4% 0.38% 500/1, 0.2% 0.13%
Pittsburgh Pirates 77.9 84.1 48.1% 23.9 27.1 46.9% 5.2% 8.9% 50/1, 2% 0.83% 100/1, 1% 0.31%
Atlanta Braves 75.4 86.7 46.5% 24.4 27.6 46.8% 0.4% 2.7% 500/1, 0.2% 0.08% 1000/1, 0.1% 0.01%
New York Mets 73.8 88.3 45.5% 24.7 28.3 46.7% 0.2% 1.3% 250/1, 0.4% 0.06% 500/1, 0.2% 0.05%
Cincinnati Reds 67.3 94.7 41.5% 22.3 28.7 43.7% 0.1% 0.2% 5000/1, 0% 0.00% 9999/1, 0% 0.00%
San Diego Padres 67.0 95.0 41.3% 18.0 34.0 34.5% 0.1% 0.1% 2500/1, 0% 0.00% 5000/1, 0% 0.00%
San Francisco Giants 66.9 95.1 41.3% 22.9 26.1 46.8% 0.1% 0.1% 5000/1, 0% 0.00% 9999/1, 0% 0.00%
Philadelphia Phillies 62.7 99.3 38.7% 22.7 30.3 42.9% 0.1% 0.1% 5000/1, 0% 0.00% 9999/1, 0% 0.00%


The projected playoff bracket for the NL at the moment ... 

  • Wild card: Rockies at Diamondbacks
  • NLDS: Cubs versus Nationals
  • NLDS: Wild-card winner versus Dodgers

Not surprisingly, SportsLine sees the Dodgers as locks for the playoffs and projects them for 113 wins (rounded off). That would make for the second-most wins in NL history (the 1906 Cubs had 116 in just 152 games played). Elsewhere, SportsLine likes the Rockies and Diamondbacks as heavy wild-card favorites and still sees the NL Central as being in play (not surprisingly, the reigning champs project as the favorites). In contrast with the AL, just seven NL teams have a 10 percent or better chance of making the postseason. Very likely, the only remaining drama to be found in the NL is in the NL Central. 

And that should catch you up on how the playoff field projects. We'll check back in next week and see how things have changed. 

(Check out more of this sort of thing over at SportsLine.)