AL Central2 of 6

Chicago White Sox (75-72): Get swept in Cleveland this week; miss postseason

If the AL Central has taught us anything over the past two seasons, it’s that it ain’t over until the fat lady sings. Detroit had that unreal 31-13 finish two years ago to claim a wild card spot that Minnesota choked away, and then it was the Tigers who relentlessly collapsed last season, blowing what was an 11.5-game lead with 31 games to play.

So, while it has been quite the feel-good story that the White Sox have consistently been in first place over the past two months after three consecutive seasons with more than 100 losses, there’s plenty of work still to be done before we can even think about putting them in permanent ink in the postseason bracket.

Chicago has already lost nine of its last 12 and now heads to Cleveland on Monday, where getting swept could be an outright disaster. One would hope they could bounce back and win at least six of their final 10 games against Detroit, Kansas City and Colorado, but they might already be in freefall.

Cleveland Guardians (75-73): Sputter to the finish line; miss the postseason

Despite a 39-46 record since early June, Cleveland would be the AL’s No. 6 seed if the postseason began today. Climbing to the No. 2 seed is still well within the realm of possibility, too. Then again, if the Guardians continue to play sub-.500 baseball, missing the cut altogether is also very much on the table. And if they lose the remaining series to the A’s and Royals in the process of blowing it, that would be especially embarrassing.

Minnesota Twins (69-78): Failed Hail Mary attempt stunts Walker Jenkins’ development

Sometimes, top prospects get called up to The Show late in the season and immediately shine, like Sal Stewart and Carter Jensen did last September. Far too often, though, that initial foray into the bigs is a struggle, and you just hope it’s something they’re able to get out of their system before the light comes on next year. Only time will tell how Jenkins pans out for the Twins, but he is 1-for-25 with 11 strikeouts thus far in September while Minnesota’s postseason odds threaten to slip from “slim” to “none.”

Detroit Tigers (68-79): Kevin McGonigle fails to win AL Rookie of the Year

As the Tigers close in on clinching a wildly disappointing losing record—in spite of one of the best run differentials in the American League—there is one considerable silver lining: McGonigle is most likely going to be named AL Rookie of the Year. If that’s the case, Detroit would receive another pick around 30th overall in the 2027 draft, thanks to MLB’s prospect promotion incentive. However, Cleveland’s Parker Messick remains a serious threat to finish ahead of McGonigle, while Boston’s Payton Tolle and Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami aren’t exactly out of the conversation.

Kansas City Royals (66-82): Play too well; tank lottery odds

Four weeks ago on the morning of August 16, the Royals were 50-74. The only worse teams were the Rockies (49-74), the Angels (49-75) and the Athletics (48-75). Since then, though, Kansas City has gone 16-8, eliminating any hope of having the best odds of winning the draft lottery while moving to within leapfrogging distance of Washington, Detroit and a few others.

It’s encouraging to finish strong, especially with younger players like Noah Cameron, Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone leading that charge. But if it comes at the price of worse lottery odds, it better at least be a sign of what’s to come next season.