Welcome to September, baseball fans. We're now entering the stretch drive, when the MLB playoff races are supposed to be at their most intense as teams shift into high gear. However, it's possible we already know the 12 teams that will be competing in October.
Four of the division leaders have fairly comfortable leads -- up at least five games on their closest competitors. The once-crowded National League wild-card race -- which, back on June 21, had nine teams separated by just two games for the final two spots -- is down to three teams for one spot. However, there are still things to be settled, such as the battle for the American League East, which looked as if it might start to see some separation but is as tight as ever.
So, let's rank the playoff races that will rule the final month, including the one for the top seeds in each league.