So the 2013 MLB season has finally come to an electric close. And it ended with an extra night of baseball, as the Tampa Bay Ray Rays defeated the Texas Rangers in Arlington to claim the final Wild Card spot for the playoffs. So that said, let's take our final look at the American League standings for this year.
AL EAST
- Boston (97-65, .599, 0 GB)
- Tampa Bay - WC (92-71, .564, 5½ GB)
- Baltimore (85-77, .525, 12 GB)
- New York (85-77, .525, 12 GB)
- Toronto (74-88, .457, 23 GB
The Boston Red Sox return to glory with another division title win, as Tampa claims the final Wild Card spot as noted above. The Yankees now prepare to enter life without Mariano Rivera, who has officially retired after a historic career as perhaps the greatest closer in the history of the game.
AL CENTRAL
- Detroit (93-69, .574, 0 GB)
- Cleveland - WC (92-70, .568, 1 GB)
- Kansas City (86-76, .531, 7 GB)
- Minnesota (66-96, .407, 27 GB)
- Chicago (63-99, .389, 30 GB)
Detroit and Cleveland have punched their tickets for the playoffs, as the Tigers repeat as division champions. Cleveland will now host Tampa Bay on Wednesday night to determine the Wild Card champion. Kansas City realistically didn't miss the playoffs by much, and have a positive outlook heading into 2014.
AL WEST
- Oakland (96-66, .593, 0 GB)
- Texas (91-72, .558, 5½ GB)
- Los Angeles (78-84, .481, 18 GB)
- Seattle (71-91, .438, 25 GB)
- Houston (51-111, .315, 45 GB)
For the second consecutive year, Oakland and Texas battled down the home stretch. But the A's pulled off the division title, as the Rangers are left out in the cold. It was a sour ending for the Houston Astros, who ended their inaugural AL run having lost their final 15 games and finished with 111 losses.
It was an up and down year. From the PED suspensions to injuries, to all the drama and highlights of the 2013 season, we have finally made it to the postseason. The next couple of weeks are going to be very interesting we march towards the World Series.
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