Magic Number Watch: AL comes into focus as Yankees near wild card berth

It’s that time of year again. The time where magic numbers and playoff scenarios take over our lives and leave us searching for the least confusing explanation available. That’s where Big League Stew comes in. From now until the final postseason spot is secured, we’ll keep you updated on all of the latest clinches, magic number changes and new playoff scenarios.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays were already in the postseason. On Wednesday, they added division titles to their resume while guaranteeing themselves a seat in the LDS.

For St. Louis, it’s the third straight division championship on top of their five straight postseason appearances. As for Toronto, they snapped a 21-year drought in the AL East.

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With both teams now firmly entrenched and the entire National League field basically set, the focus now shifts to the American League, where the AL West, and both wild card spots are still open. Here’s the latest.

READY TO CLINCH

Team: New York Yankees

Magic Number to clinch playoff berth: 1

Scenario: Thanks to losses by the Twins and Angels, the Yankees were in a position to clinch on Wednesday. They fell short, dropping a third straight game to Boston. They’ll have another chance to finish the job against those same Red Sox on Thursday.

COMING UP

Team: Texas Rangers

Magic Number to clinch AL West: 2

Scenario: Wednesday was a productive day for the Rangers. With a win over the Tigers and an Angels loss to the A’s, their magic number fell to two. They can put the finishing touches on Los Angeles as soon as Thursday, when the team opens a four-game series in Arlington. They’ll need a second win or an Astros loss in Arizona this weekend to clinch

AL WILD CARD

Teams involved: Houston Astros (84-75), Los Angeles Angels (83-75), Minnesota Twins (82-76)

Scenario: The second wild card spot is far from decided. The Astros leapfrogged back ahead of the Angels, but both teams still control their own destiny this weekend. In fact, if they both win out, the Rangers would be on the outside looking in while they battled for the AL West title in a tiebreaker. The Twins and Indians split a doubleheader Wednesday. Minnesota will need help from Texas and Arizona this weekend to gain ground, but they aren’t dead yet. Cleveland, on the other hand, is dead thanks to Houston’s win in Seattle.

ALREADY IN THE POSTSEASON:

• KANSAS CITY ROYALS: Playoff bound: For the first time ever, the Royals have won the AL Central

• TORONTO BLUE JAYS: Blue Jays clinch first playoff berth since 1993, end longest drought in MLB

• ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: Cardinals are headed to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season

• PITTSBURGH PIRATES: Pirates earn third consecutive postseason berth with win in Colorado

• CHICAGO CUBS: Is this the year? Rebuilt Cubs earn first playoff berth since 2008

• NEW YORK METS: Meet the champs: Mets clinch first NL East title since 2006

• LOS ANGELES DODGERS: Three-peat: Dodgers win third straight NL West title after Kershaw’s gem

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