Wild Card Race: At a Glance

The Rangers would be the second AL Wild Card team if the season ended today, and they're currently 2 1/2 games out in the AL West. On a weekly basis, we'll take a look at the AL Wild Card standings and project who will end up playing the AL Wild Card Game in October.

WC1: New York Yankees (77-61) — The Yankees are falling apart at the seams, but they seem to continue to win, as they're 6-4 in their last 10 games. Mark Teixeira might not be back this year, and now Nathan Eovaldi has been shut down for likely the remainder of the year, adding to their pitching woes. This weekend's big series against Toronto, who's 1 1/2 games up on the Yankees for first in the AL East, will determine a lot. Next up: Tonight, 6:05 p.m., vs. Toronto Blue Jays.

WC2: Texas Rangers (73-66) — The Rangers went 5-5 on a 10-game road trip, which isn't at all bad. The concerning thing is they've hit .183 as a team over their last five games. They return home for a 10-game homestand now, and they've played well at home recently. They need that to continue against one of the worst teams in baseball before Houston comes to town for a big clash. Next up: Tonight, 7:05 p.m., vs. Oakland Athletics.

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1.0 GB: Minnesota Twins (72-67) — The Twins have stayed hot and played with Kansas City in a series the Rangers were hoping would tilt heavily in the Royals' favor. Miguel Sano is back from a hamstring issue and is still mashing the ball, and the Twins are in it for the long haul with a few weeks remaining. Next up: Tonight, 7:10 p.m., at Chicago White Sox.

3.0 GB: Los Angeles Angels (70-69) — The Angels are hanging in there, but they get a big test this weekend when the first-place Astros come to town. The Rangers need to win this weekend because one way or the other, someone is gaining ground on them in this series. Next up: Tonight, 9:05 p.m., vs. Houston Astros.

Weekly Projection: Houston Astros host Minnesota Twins in AL Wild Card Game.

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