Change-UpAugust 26, 2008
AL Contenders: Remaining Schedules
By Patrick Sullivan

We are entering the home stretch and four teams in the American League are having it out for three post-season spots. Presented below is relevant data pertaining to each contender's schedule make-up. One note; WAOWP means Weighted Average Opponents' Win Percentage.

Tampa Bay

W-L: 79-50, 1st in the AL East
Games Remaining: 33
Home: 16
Away: 17
WAOWP: .524
Home Record: 47-18
Road Record: 32-32

Boston

W-L: 75-55, 2nd in the AL East, 1st in AL Wild Card
Games Remaining: 32
Home: 20
Away: 12
WAOWP: .532
Home Record: 43-18
Road Record: 32-37

Chicago White Sox

W-L: 74-55, 1st in AL Central
Games Remaining: 31
Home: 13
Away: 18
WAOWP: .518
Home Record: 46-21
Road Record: 28-34

Minnesota

W-L: 74-56, 2nd in AL Central, 2nd in AL Wild Card
Games Remaining: 31
Home: 12
Away: 19
WAOWP: .491
Home Record: 46-23
Road Record: 28-33

So there you have it. Make of it what you will. Minnesota's schedule is easy but like the rest of the contenders they suck on the road. Boston has a bunch of home games but they play stiff competition. I am not sure we learn much from this, but there it is nonetheless.

Comments

Really, you left out the Yankees, despite them having over a 4% chance by every playoff odds report? Considering their 3 game series with the Red Sox starts tonight, it's not so impossible for them to be in it.

Posted by: Adam B. at August 26, 2008 7:41 AM

I am a Red Sox fan, and will probably now have hell to pay for skipping NYY, Adam B. Anyway, here you go.

Yanks

W-L: 70-60, 3rd in AL East
Games Remaining: 32
Home: 16
Away: 16
WAOWP: .543
Home Record: 38-27
Road Record: 32-33

Posted by: Sully at August 26, 2008 7:50 AM

If the Yankees make the playoffs and the Red Sox don't, it'll become the Great 2008 Curse of WAOWP List Omission.

Posted by: Rob I. at August 26, 2008 8:14 AM

"Minnesota's schedule is easy but like the rest of the contenders they suck at home."

You mean "suck on the road", right?

Posted by: Kevin at August 26, 2008 9:03 AM

Oy, fixed that, Kevin.

And nice, Rob. I like it.

Posted by: Sully at August 26, 2008 9:21 AM

From here on out, the Rays can go something like 16-17 and the Red Sox would still need to play about 6 games over .500 in order to win the division and get some kind of home field advantage. Not impossible by any means (see: 2007 Mets), but it does make reality a little hard on Boston.

Posted by: Devon at August 26, 2008 1:27 PM

what if both Boston and the Yankees miss the playoffs?

ESPN would implode upon itself.
thats what.

Posted by: eric at August 26, 2008 7:11 PM