MLB Update

With one month left in the season, the big story in the National League -- and probably the biggest story in baseball -- is the remarkable rise of the Washington Nationals. The last time Washington even had a winning record was in 1969; the Nation's Capital has not hosted a post-season game since 1933. The Montreal Expos, which dissolved after the 2004 season and became the Nats, had their last winning season in 1994. Furthermore, while a lot of people thought that the Nats could contend, I don't think anyone thought they would have the best record in baseball on Labor Day. The big questions for the National League are whether the current division leaders can hold on, and whether the Dodgers or Pirates can take a wild card slot.

The stories in the American League are even more dramatic. Recent powers like the Red Sox, Angels, and Twins have all taken a beating, while Baltimore and Oakland -- two teams that were given no chance at the beginning of the year -- appear to be getting stronger. Even the Yankees, who appeared to have their division locked up months ago, now find themselves in a dogfight with the surging Orioles (who took two out of three from the Yanks in Yankee Stadium over the weekend). The situation is further scrambled by the fact that either the White Sox or the Tigers will take a playoff spot that they clearly don't deserve.

Here are the standings by league. The percentage next to each team is that team's estimated chance of making the playoffs, according to coolstandings.com. Teams with less than a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs are in italics.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Washington (99.9 %): 82-52 ---
2. Cincinnati (99.8 %): 82-54 1
3. San Francisco (90.0 %): 76-58 6
4. Atlanta (92.1 %): 76-59 6 1/2
5. St. Louis (65.8 %): 73-62 9 1/2
6. Los Angeles (31.2 %): 72-63 10 1/2
7. Pittsburgh (18.8 %): 70-64 12
8. Arizona (1.8 %): 66-69 16 1/2
9. Milwaukee (0.4 %): 65-69 17
10. Philadelphia (0.2 %): 65-70 17 1/2
11. New York (<0.1 %): 64-71 18 1/2
12. San Diego (<0.1 %): 62-73 20 1/2
13. Miami (0.0 %): 60-75 22 1/2
14. Colorado (0.0 %): 55-78 26 1/2
15. Chicago (0.0 %): 51-83 31
16. Houston (0.0 %): 42-93 40 1/2

AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Texas (98.9 %): 80-54 ---
2. Oakland (86.7 %): 76-57 3 1/2
3. New York (84.9 %): 76-58 4
4. Baltimore (43.0 %): 75-59 5
5. Tampa Bay (58.8 %): 74-61 6 1/2
6. Chicago (66.8 %): 72-61 7 1/2
7. Detroit (48.8 %): 72-62 8
8. Los Angeles (11.9 %): 71-62 9
9. Seattle (0.1 %): 66-70 15
10. Boston (<0.1 %): 62-74 19
T11. Toronto (<0.1 %): 60-74 20
T11. Kansas City (<0.1 %): 60-74 20
13. Cleveland (0.0 %): 57-78 23 1/2
14. Minnesota (0.0 %): 55-79 24 1/2