MLB teams at this writing are more than one half of the way through the 2018 regular season. As such, why not check in with our compadres at SportsLine (@SportsLine on Twitter) and have a look at the latest playoff projections? Why not indeed. 

First up, let's check out the American League:

AMERICAN

LEAGUE

POWER RANK

FULL SEASON PROJECTION

MAKE PLAYOFFS

POSTSEASON SUCCESS

RANK

SIM%

WINS

LOSS

WIN%

ROS WIN

DIVISION

PLAYOFF

WIN AL ODDS

AL%

WORLD SERIES ODDS

WS%

Boston Red Sox (62-29)

1

65.7%

106.1

55.9

65.5%

62.1%

58.1%

100.0%

3/1, 25%

24.30%

6/1, 14.3%

13.62%

New York Yankees (58-29)

2

64.9%

104.7

57.3

64.6%

62.3%

41.9%

99.9%

5/2, 28.6%

21.82%

5/1, 16.7%

11.73%

Houston Astros (61-31)

3

63.7%

102.9

59.1

63.5%

59.8%

88.7%

99.5%

9/4, 30.8%

28.06%

9/2, 18.2%

15.22%

Cleveland Indians (49-39)

6

58.5%

94.9

67.1

58.6%

62.0%

98.8%

98.8%

7/2, 22.2%

20.69%

7/1, 12.5%

10.58%

Seattle Mariners (57-34)

5

58.7%

94.3

67.7

58.2%

52.5%

10.9%

86.6%

6/1, 14.3%

4.60%

12/1, 7.7%

1.67%

Oakland Athletics (50-40)

11

53.6%

86.7

75.3

53.5%

51.0%

0.4%

11.5%

40/1, 2.4%

0.36%

80/1, 1.2%

0.10%

Tampa Bay Rays (45-44)

15

51.2%

82.6

79.4

51.0%

51.6%

0.1%

1.4%

150/1, 0.7%

0.05%

300/1, 0.3%

0.01%

Los Angeles Angels (46-45)

17

49.7%

80.1

81.9

49.5%

48.1%

0.1%

1.0%

100/1, 1%

0.01%

200/1, 0.5%

0.01%

Minnesota Twins (39-48)

19

48.2%

78.8

83.2

48.6%

53.0%

1.2%

1.3%

250/1, 0.4%

0.11%

500/1, 0.2%

0.03%

Toronto Blue Jays (41-48)

20

47.0%

76.5

85.5

47.2%

48.6%

0.1%

0.1%

250/1, 0.4%

0.00%

500/1, 0.2%

0.00%

Texas Rangers (40-51)

22

45.5%

73.9

88.1

45.6%

47.8%

0.1%

0.1%

500/1, 0.2%

0.00%

1000/1, 0.1%

0.00%

Detroit Tigers (40-52)

26

41.1%

66.5

95.5

41.0%

37.8%

0.1%

0.1%

500/1, 0.2%

0.00%

1000/1, 0.1%

0.00%

Chicago White Sox (30-60)

28

36.7%

59.8

102.2

36.9%

41.4%

0.1%

0.1%

5000/1, 0%

0.00%

9999/1, 0%

0.00%

Kansas City Royals (25-64)

29

32.2%

52.7

109.3

32.5%

37.9%

0.1%

0.1%

5000/1, 0%

0.00%

9999/1, 0%

0.00%

Baltimore Orioles (24-65)

30

30.0%

49.6

112.4

30.6%

35.1%

0.1%

0.1%

5000/1, 0%

0.00%

9999/1, 0%

0.00%


Here's how the playoff field in the AL is currently forecast by the SportsLine Projection System:

  • Wild Card Game: Mariners at Yankees
  • ALDS: Indians vs. Astros
  • ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. Red Sox

As you can see, the Red Sox are now projected to finish as the top seed in the AL. Meantime, the Yankees are relegated to wild-card status despite being forecast for 105 wins, rounded off. The five AL playoff teams are in strong position, as only the Athletics have more than a 10 percent chance of dislodging one of them. In other words, the stretch-drive drama in the AL may surround the AL East title and overall seeding as opposed to being in or out of the playoffs. 

Now to the National League ... 

NATIONAL

LEAGUE

POWER RANK

FULL SEASON PROJECTION

MAKE PLAYOFFS

POSTSEASON SUCCESS

RANK

SIM%

WINS

LOSS

WIN%

ROS WIN

DIVISION

PLAYOFF

WIN NL ODDS

NL%

WORLD SERIES ODDS

WS%

Chicago Cubs (51-36)

4

58.7%

95.5

66.5

58.9%

59.3%

54.9%

95.6%

3/1, 25%

22.62%

7/1, 12.5%

11.57%

Milwaukee Brewers (54-36)

7

58.1%

94.0

68.0

58.0%

55.6%

43.8%

94.2%

6/1, 14.3%

13.92%

14/1, 6.7%

5.77%

Los Angeles Dodgers (48-41)

8

57.0%

92.8

69.2

57.3%

61.4%

78.3%

88.4%

3/1, 25%

36.19%

7/1, 12.5%

20.68%

Philadelphia Phillies (49-38)

9

54.1%

87.4

74.6

53.9%

51.2%

41.9%

58.6%

6/1, 14.3%

6.85%

14/1, 6.7%

2.14%

Atlanta Braves (50-39)

10

53.7%

86.5

75.5

53.4%

49.9%

36.9%

52.7%

6/1, 14.3%

5.48%

14/1, 6.7%

1.56%

Washington Nationals (45-44)

13

52.6%

85.5

76.5

52.8%

55.4%

21.0%

34.6%

8/1, 11.1%

5.69%

16/1, 5.9%

2.09%

Arizona Diamondbacks (50-41)

12

52.8%

85.1

76.9

52.5%

49.4%

15.4%

36.9%

9/1, 10%

5.53%

18/1, 5.3%

1.92%

St Louis Cardinals (46-43)

14

51.6%

83.5

78.5

51.5%

51.3%

1.3%

19.2%

30/1, 3.2%

1.73%

60/1, 1.6%

0.65%

San Francisco Giants (47-45)

16

50.6%

81.8

80.2

50.5%

49.7%

4.4%

12.9%

20/1, 4.8%

1.28%

40/1, 2.4%

0.37%

Colorado Rockies (46-44)

18

49.3%

79.3

82.7

49.0%

46.3%

1.8%

6.2%

30/1, 3.2%

0.69%

60/1, 1.6%

0.24%

Cincinnati Reds (39-51)

21

45.6%

74.0

88.0

45.7%

48.6%

0.1%

0.3%

500/1, 0.2%

0.00%

1000/1, 0.1%

0.00%

Pittsburgh Pirates (41-48)

23

44.8%

72.9

89.1

45.0%

43.6%

0.1%

0.1%

500/1, 0.2%

0.00%

1000/1, 0.1%

0.00%

New York Mets (35-51)

24

43.0%

70.2

91.8

43.3%

46.3%

0.1%

0.1%

500/1, 0.2%

0.02%

1000/1, 0.1%

0.02%

San Diego Padres (39-53)

25

41.2%

66.5

95.5

41.1%

39.3%

0.1%

0.1%

500/1, 0.2%

0.00%

1000/1, 0.1%

0.00%

Miami Marlins (37-55)

27

40.2%

65.0

97.0

40.1%

40.0%

0.1%

0.1%

1000/1, 0.1%

0.00%

2000/1, 0%

0.00%


And the projected NL playoff field:

  • Wild Card Game: Braves at Brewers
  • NLDS: Phillies vs. Dodgers
  • NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. Cubs

The NL figures to give us more drama as we barrel toward the end of the regular season. As you can see, SportsLine expects a tight race in the NL Central and the NL East and a pretty crowded fray for the second wild-card berth. The compression for that road wild-card spot in particular has potential for pleasing chaos. Also, note the intriguing possibility that the LDS round could give us both Yankees-Red Sox and Brewers-Cubs. 

Top overall draft pick in 2019? Call the race now, as the Orioles (even before, it should be noted, they've traded away Manny Machado) are pegged for between 49 and 50 wins. 

Developing, people. Very, very developing.