7 AL teams have less losses than the Sox and 7 have the same or more losses, including 4 teams ahead of us in the standings.
You gotta figure the Yanks(50-40) and Rays (52-36) are in. SEA (47-44) will likely win the est, but it's not a given. The rest is pretty much a free-for-all, including the CWS at 47-42 and the 3rd best record in the AL.
47-42 CWS & 47-44 CLE: One will win the division, so we need to pass the other one.
47-44 SEA & 45-45 TEX: One will win the ALW, so the same applies.
Texas is the 3rd WC, now at 45-45. I'm assuming we need to pass them or CWS/CLE, plus all these others...
45-48 HOU
44-47 MIN
42-49 TOR
42-49 BAL
41-49 A's
40-48 BOS (+1 in loss column vs 3 above teams, equal to HOU and -1 to MIN.)
DET at 40-50 cannot be counted out, either.
Here are the pre-deadline (6 pm AUG 3rd, this year) schedules of each contender:
BOS: 3 at CWS, 3 at NYM, 4 v TBR, 3 v BAL, 3 v TOR, 4 at A's & 3 at LAD
BAL: 3 v CHC, 3 v KCR, 3 at HOU, 3 at BOS, 3 v ATL, 3 at DET, 3 v PHI
TOR: 3 at SFG, 3 at SDP, 3 v CWS, 4 v TBR, 3 at BOS, 3 at WSH, 3 v STL
MIN: 3 v CLE, 3 v LAA, 3 at CHC, 4 at CLE, 3 v A's, 3 v KCR, 3 at SEA
HOU: 3 at WSH, 3 at TEX, 3 v BAL, 3 v MIA, 3 at CWS, 3 at LAA, 3 v TEX
A's: 3 at DET, 3 at CWS, 3 v WSH, 3 at AZ, 3 at MIN, 4 v BOS, 3 v DET
CWS: 3 v BOS, 3 vs A's, 3 at TOR, 3 at TEX, 3 at HOU, 4 v NYY, 3 at TBR
CLE: 3 at MIN, 3 at MIA, 3 v PIT, 4 v MIN, 3 at TBR, 3 at CIN, 3 v AZ
TEX: 3 v LAA, 3 v HOU, 3 at A's, 3 v CWS, 4 v SEA, 3 at TBR, 3 at HOU
Lots to unravel here, but it's amazing how many of these teams play each other, so if we keep winning, someone is losing, and we gain ground.
CWS play 5 contenders plus NYY & TBR, so big ouch to them.
TEX plays 5 contenders plus TBR- another big ouchie!
MIN plays 4 contenders plus the Cubs
HOU plays 4 plus WSH and MIA
BAL plays 3 contenders plus the Phillies, Braves & Cubs
TOR plays 2 contenders plus SDP, TBR & WSH
The A's play 3 plus WSH & AZ (DET twice)
The Sox play 4 contenders plus the LAD, so no easy month ahead.