As October nears, the baseball hierarchy is still in doubt

The 2010 Major League Baseball season has certainly been a compelling one, thus far.

While in past years, certain teams have dominated the standings throughout the season, 2010 has been different. This year, while suffering an almost record number of injuries, as well as a number of other controversies, the National and American League standings have been extremely varied. All teams have had their ups and downs and in the midst of all these struggles, there have also been moments of great victory. However, it seems that no matter how well a team does this year, they will not be safe, as there is always someone biting at their heels, eager to take their place on top, and make it to the post-season.

After the first month of regular season play, the Tampa Bay Rays, The Minnesota Twins, and the Oakland A’s were leading their respective divisions in the American League, but their leads were not great by any means. Minnesota and Oakland were up only half a game each and the Rays had a one and a half game lead over the Yankees. By June 1, the standings were largely the same and still very close. But by August, the Yankees, White Sox and Texas Rangers had taken the lead, toppling each of the former front-runners in the American League.  Now, at the start of September, the Yankees are in the lead by one game, the Twins lead the White Sox by three and a half games, and the Rangers are ahead by eight and a half games, with the Rays up seven games in the Wild Card race.

The story in the National League has been largely the same, the only exception being the NL West, which has been dominated by the San Diego Padres throughout the season. In the Central division, the lead has shifted back and forth from the Saint Louis Cardinals to the Cincinnati Reds who are currently in the lead. Similarly, in the East division, the lead shifted from the Mets at the start of the year to Atlanta who has largely remained in the lead throughout the season. However, the Phillies have never been far behind them and are currently in the lead for the National League Wildcard.

With approximately one month left of regular season play, it is certainly still murky as to which teams will make it to the post-season. In four of the six total divisions of the MLB, the team in the lead is ahead by less than five games, which can undoubtedly be made up over the course of thirty days and almost as many games. In contrast, by September of the 2009 Major League season, four of the six division leaders were ahead by more than five games, with several second place teams almost ten games back.

Though the race is much closer this year than in years previous, both seasons share a lot of similar statistics. For instance, both last year and this year there were ten teams that were fifteen or more games behind first place in their divisions. In 2009, there were six teams that were twenty or more games behind first, while this year there are eight teams in the same position; two more than last year. Also, while last year those teams that were ten or more games back were an average of 18.8 games behind, for the 2010 season, the average is 18.9.

Though it seems that this year’s stats compare to those of 2009 in a favorable way, the fact is that this year, teams have been bouncing back and forth out of first place and will most likely continue to do so through the last month of regular play, since the first and second place positions are much closer than in years past. The first and second place races in each division are considerably tighter and thus, teams can continue to fight and battle it out until the very end to determine who will make it to the very end to determine who will make it to the 2010 post-season.

Freshman Kimberlee Trageser is a contributing writer