Wild Card?

[jarjar]

I know it's early but the AL central and the AL West have better records than the AL EAST..

 

Do the SOX HAVE TO WIN THE DIVISION to ensure a playoff spot?

[RoyNHSox]

The factor that I see that pushes the wild card to the AL East is Texas. If they continue on their hot pace of April, especially taking wins from their AL West rivals, I see it as diluting the win records of Anaheim and Oakland. Eventually Texas' pitching will catch up to them and they’ll settle down to a below .500. Thus the West will figure a bit weaker overall, with probably Anaheim leading.

 

The AL Central will settle down as well. I'd say now either Minnesota or CWS but regardless, I absolutely don't see a wild card here either.

 

So with the weaker West, with Texas stealing wins in the beginning, and with the mediocre Central, the wild card ends up coming out of the AL East.

 

Just my takes...

[Tek04]

I think even if the yanks win the division it will be close, and the sox will win the wildcard.

[JMDurron]

I think that the WC may very well come out of the West, with Baltimore diluting the win totals of the Red Sox and yankees. Texas will eventually drop off due to lack of pitching, I think. Of course, the way things are going right now, Oakland may be the 3rd place team in that division, not Texas.

[yawkeyway]

Originally posted by JMDurron@May 6 2004, 10:47 AM

I think that the WC may very well come out of the West, with Baltimore diluting the win totals of the Red Sox and yankees. Texas will eventually drop off due to lack of pitching, I think. Of course, the way things are going right now, Oakland may be the 3rd place team in that division, not Texas.

Texas may be an equalizer out west (for now) and Baltimore may be one in the East all season, but the west will beat up on each other, and the central is too weak to send two teams to the playoffs.

 

By the west beating up on each other, I mean Oakland, Anaheim, Texas, and Seattle (although they sure are off to a crappy start) will go back and forth in games, evenning out the records to some extent. The competition isnt as fierce out East, so I bet either the sox or the yankees will be the wildcard and the west will get shafted.

[roary]

Of course you have to win the division to ensure a playoff spot, thats why its ensured. Do the sox have a chance at the playoffs if they dont win the division? Yes. Is it ensured? No. Is it most likely? Yes.

 

For all of the reasons pointed out earlier, the fierce competition out west, the relative suckiness of the central. The wild card belongs in the East. Unless the Yankees are vying for it. Then it belongs in the Central.