Elite Division adds juice to 2018 baseball pyramid

The establishment of an Elite Division for 2019 made the 2018 baseball pyramid chase all the more interesting. Somehow, though, the Dodgers are left out of the party.

The 2018 baseball season began with a decree that a new competition would be established for 2019, a champions league that would include the top finishers at every level of the promotion/relegation pyramid from the previous season. It shall be called the Elite Division.

The idea is along the lines of the various continental champions leagues produced each year by FIFA, the international governing body of soccer. Each of the national leagues has an allotment of teams in its continental champions league, depending on the strength of the league.

In this baseball arrangement, of course, we're just looking at the big league clubs across North America, but we do have them in four divisions. And it does seem, without putting pencil and paper to it, that the leading clubs from the lower divisions wind up being competitive year by year. So, we'll find out, sort of.

Here's the scheme, which will run across every promotion/relegation pyramid in these pages. In sports with four levels to the pyramid, the next year's champions league will include the top half of the first division (four teams), the top three in the second division, the top two in the third division and the top team from the fourth division.

The effect, one supposes, would be to add a bit of juice to the middle of the top divisions and create a little more value for winning the bottom rung. The top two clubs from every division except the first always have been promoted. But there has been nothing in it for the second-place team in the top division. Now, there is a prize for finishing in the top half of the top tier, and also for the third-place team in the second division.

The new league will embrace all of the pyramid champions from the previous season, along with a few others with demonstrated competence. Not only will the new league juice the pyramid, but it shall stand at the top of the pyramid system as a fascinating competition in its own right. That is the dream.

The additional competition succeeded in making the baseball pyramid in 2018 even more interesting than usual. And more heartbreaking. Yes, the dream already is coming true.

Take, for example, the First Division. As the regular season ended, the Dodgers were in fourth place at 13-12, followed by the 13-13 Arizona Diamondbacks. Neither club was eligible for promotion or relegation at that point, because each had only two opponents from the First Division (three is the minimum). However, that stipulation will not apply to eligibility for the champions league. If the season had ended then, the Dodgers would be in the 2019 champions league.

However, because of the imbalance in baseball schedules, it is the one sport with a pyramid in which the postseason is included. And it happens that the Dodgers lasted to the World Series, where they met the Boston Red Sox of the First Division.

The Red Sox already had clinched the First Division championship and still would have won it by five games even if they had been swept by the Dodgers. The stakes for the Dodgers were much higher, for they would have to win the World Series to make the champions league. If the Dodgers took it to seven games and lost, they would have finished 16-16, .500 with the Diamondbacks in fourth place, and the Diamondbacks held the tiebreaker for their 11-8 record head-to-head against the Dodgers.

We all know, of course, that the World Series went badly for the Dodgers. The Red Sox beat them in five games. The Dodgers finished 14-16 in the First Division, fifth place. The Diamondbacks are going to the champions league. The Dodgers were the best club across the National League for two years running, but in these tests weighted to the top teams in the game, their failures against the Diamondbacks and Red Sox cost them dearly.

The Dodgers, however, never had to fear relegation, a fate that the Cleveland Indians escaped, but the Washington Nationals and Toronto Blue Jays did not.

In the Second Division, the added arrangement produced a new prize, for while first and second places always have earned promotion, third place now has the champions league sweetener. And that still wasn't enough to account for the strong group of clubs that bunched in the middle of that second tier, all from the National League Central Division.

None of them could match the Houston Astros, who now have climbed the ladder in the three-year minimum after spending 2011 through 2016 in the Fourth Division. The Astros will be in the First Division in 2019 after a 21-8 showing to top the 2018 Second Division.

The race for the other promotion was much more thick, made juicier by the addition of a champion's league berth for the third-place club. Four teams were in this thick, and they know each other well.

The St. Louis Cardinals won the scrum with a 38-32 (.543) record among Second Division clubs, still 3½ games behind the Astros. Within 1½ games of the Cardinals were the Pittsburgh Pirates (36-31, .537), the Chicago Cubs (35-32, .5223) and the Milwaukee Brewers (36-33, .5217).

So, the Cardinals, along with the Astros, are promoted to the First Division in 2019, and now they have the additional distinction of joining the champion's league. The Pirates, finishing third, also are ticketed to the 2019 champion's league.

Not necessarily for nothing, we note that this result is almost precisely opposed to how it actually went down in the NL Central race. In that form, the Brewers nosed out the Cubs by a game, with the Cardinals finishing well down and the Pirates even further back.

It is unusual for any of these pyramid divisions to include four clubs from the same Major League division. These 2018 results show what a difference it makes, because the games those four clubs play amongst themselves are weighted much more heavily in the pyramid divisions than in the Major League standings.

The Brewers were 27-31 in their games against the Cubs, Cards and Pirates. They won their big league division over those teams without beating those teams. They were 69-36 against everyone else. Head-to-head among the four clubs, the Cubs were 30-28, while the Cardinals and Pirates each were 29-28. The Brewers won the NL Central. In the Second Division, they're out of the money.

The Cardinals actually made the race for second place more interesting than necessary, dropping five of six to the Brewers and Cubs during the final week of September. Third place actually came down to the one-game playoff for the NL Central title between the Cubs and Brewers on Oct. 1. The Brewers won it, 3-1. The Brewers were out of contention by then, but a win for the Cubs would have put them in a flat-footed tie with the Pirates. The Cubs held a 10-9 tiebreaker, but they also might have faced the Brewers and Astros later in the playoffs.

More heartbeak in the Third Division, where the Angels, Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins tightly bunched at the top. Percentage rules here, so the Rockies took it at 15-9, .625.

The Twins (27-18, .600), and Angels (15-10, .600), were right there. But the Twins took the second promotion for their lead over the rest in the games column. When the championship  is split like this between the categories, the percentage leader is declared champion, but the games leader also will be promoted. In principle, a team playing to some high percentage in more games is more accomplished than another team reaching that same percentage in fewer games.

There was much less controversy at the bottom of the Third Division, with the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox ticketed downward. Two American League West clubs, the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners, were clearly the best two clubs in the Fourth Division. Between them, the A's were better. Both are going up to the Third Division, but the A's are going to the champion's league.

Red Bulls win top title; Atlanta sets record

The New York Red Bulls tore through the North American soccer First Division in 2018, outlasting a game effort by Real Salt Lake. But no team has ever had a year like Atlanta in the Second Division.

A torrid race in the First Division across North American pro soccer fizzled out in 2018 because one of the teams was just too hot. 

The New York Red Bulls won the race with six wins and a draw in their nine games. Real Salt Lake, with six wins and three draws in 11 games, was about a win short.

Going to August, the Red Bulls were 5-0-1 and Real was 6-1-2. With one more of everything, Real was in a struggle even if the Red Bulls took a nick. And the Red Bulls actually took a couple,  coming to a draw in Vancouver and losing at Montreal by the end of Sept. 1.

But the Red Bulls really only needed one win by then, and they snagged it, 2-0, at home against Toronto on Sept. 22. With only two draws in its final two games, Real couldn't catch up.

The bottom of the division had a couple of surprising occupants, two teams that won divisions in 2017.

Toronto lost one one of 11 Second Division games to win easy promotion to the top level for 2018. But the top level crushed Toronto, which lost seven of 10 games for a ticket back to the Second Division in 2018.

Vancouver, the First Division champion in 2017, fell all the way into the relegation zone with a .333 standings points percentage. Sporting Kansas City, at .364, was barely better, but was spared relegation.

The Second Division in 2018 was a matter of extremes.

Atlanta won 12 of 13 games. The team didn't go undefeated, but its .923 standings points percentage is the best for any team in three years of this history. Atlanta will promoted to the First Division in 2019, along with DC United, which had just been dropped to the Second Division this season.

At the bottom end, the San Jose Earthquakes went winless and drew twice for a .074 standings points percentage. Columbus went winless in the First Division in 2016, but managed five draws and a .152 points percentage. Joining San Jose in Third Division relegation for 2019 is Orlando, which lost eight of its 12 games.

Portland's stay in the Third Division was short lived. Relegated to the lowest level for 2018, the Timbers responded by losing only two of their nine games to win that level. The other team being promoted for 2019 is Philadelphia, the last of the original Third Division teams from 2016 to be promoted.

In 2016, the Third Division included only four teams -- Colorado, Salt Lake, Chicago and Philadelphia. Salt Lake has risen to First Division contention in three years. Chicago and Colorado both were middling Second Division teams in 2018.

Big league soccer is growing quickly across North America. In 2019, Major League Soccer is adding its fourth franchise in three years with a new club in Cincinnati. The new franchise will begin life in the bottom division and work its way up.

The new franchise in Minnesota remains in the Third Division after two tries, though it barely missed promotion in 2018. Los Angeles FC made a nice splash with its debut across MLS in 2018, but it was mid-level club in the Third Division. Atlanta, the other new franchise, heated up quickly and is headed to the First Division in its third season.

Ducks destroy top puck tier through three-month thrust

The Ducks won seven of eight through the heart of the First Division season in 2017-18, claiming the top tier title. The Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars earned promotion to the top for 2018-19.

The Ducks tacked together seven wins in eight First Division games over a period of nearly three months and stormed to the championship among this top flight of professional hockey clubs.

The Ducks began their title run with a 5-4 overtime win on the road against the New York Islanders on Dec. 21 and won three straight before falling on Feb. 3, 5-2, in a road game against the Montreal Canadiens. Then, the Ducks won another four straight before a 4-2 loss on the road against the St. Louis Blue on March 12.

With that run of games, the Ducks pretty easily claimed the championship with a .719 winning percentage, ahead of the Washington Capitals (.667) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (.643). During their hot run, the Ducks beat Washington once and Pittsburgh twice.

Montreal couldn't stave off relegation despite being the only team to beat the Ducks for nearly three months. After beating the Islanders two straight through March 2, the Canadiens were 6-5 with two overtime losses, well off contention, though apparently safe from the wolves.

However, the wolves were at their door. The Canadiens lost their next five First Division games to end the season. If they had captured just three points from those games, they would have been spared relegation. Or, they could have beaten the Columbus Blue Jackets in a road game on March 12. But the Jackets took it, 5-2, and were thus spared relegation.

Joining the Canadiens in the Second Division for 2018-19 are the Islanders, who finished even below Montreal in a lackluster campaign against the elite level.

The Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild made there be no doubt about how the Second Division was going to go in 2017-18. They were going to be the top teams, decisively.

The Bruins won the championship nod with 15 wins in their 19 games for an .816 points percentage, but the Wild were right there with them with 13 wins in their 19 games and, nearly as important, the same number of losses (three). So, the Wild was second at .763.

Likewise, the Bruins and Wild dominated the Third Division a year earlier. In that case, too, the Bruins finished on top and Minnesota came in second, but both were promoted.

No other serious contenders emerged. A group including the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers were middling performers in this division. The bottom two teams, both ticketed for the Third Division in 2018-19, were the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames.

The Winnipeg Jets enjoyed the most dominant year of any hockey team in any division in 2017-18, blasting through the Third Division with 16 wins in 19 games and a points percentage of .842, the highest of any team in pro hockey.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won promotion with second place and a .647 showing. The New Jersey Devils won their last three games, including a 2-1 decision at home against the Leafs on April 5, but still came up short of promotion.

The Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings finished easily in the bottom of this batch, earning Fourth Division relegation for 2018-19.

A new team entered the highest level of professional hockey in 2017-18. Well, in this world, not quite. The Vegas Golden Knights were assigned to the Fourth Division as a new franchise.

But the Knights won't be back there in 2018-19. They easily won the bottom division with 11 wins in 16 games and a .781 points percentage to earn a Third Division promotion.

The Florida Panthers were going nowhere fast in this bottom group, floundering to a 1-5-1 start. But the Panthers won their last nine games in the Fourth Division and captured second place, earning a Third Division promotion. The Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche were left barely in Florida's wake.

Playoff teams top all divisions as baseball season nears end

It's never happened like this before in eight years of following promotion and relegation across professional baseball. The top two clubs in each division at the end of the regular season are going to the playoffs. Which doesn't mean the titles are decided.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale was 7-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 13 starts this season against First Division clubs (Keith Allison/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).

It isn't all settled, yet, but this much we know: for the first time since we began following promotion and relegation in baseball – and this is the eighth year of it – the top two clubs in each division at the end of the regular season also are going to the playoffs.

And in the First Division, which should expect to have the best clubs, the top four clubs will last into October.

So, it isn't all settled. The championship in each division remains open. There remain some decisions in the bottom of the Third Division as to which clubs will survive and which clubs will be banished to the Fourth Division next year. 

But it's mostly settled.

The championships in each division remain open because, in baseball, we count the postseason. The other sports with promotion and relegation – pro basketball and pro hockey – play reasonably balanced schedules throughout the season, so there's little reason to upset that balance by including the playoffs, while the baseball schedule is so imbalanced that including the playoffs doesn't hurt anything.

So, we look at the First Division and find the Boston Red Sox comfortably on top, as they have been for most of the season. However, these decisions are made by winning percentages, and it remains that the Dodgers, the Cleveland Indians or the Washington Nationals could still pass them. 

The Indians and Red Sox will meet in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) if the Red Sox win their divisional series with the Houston Astros and the Indians win their game against the AL wild card survivor.

The Dodgers and the Nationals will meet in the National League championship Series (NLCS) if the Dodgers survive against the NL wild card and the Nationals can get past the Chicago Cubs.

And any World Series combination involving the Dodgers, Nationals, Red Sox and Indians will count in the First Division.

So, who's the winner? We won't know for a while. And it could be fun to find out. Last year, the First Division came through quite a tangled web in the postseason, with the Dodgers prevailing for the very first time. The top five First Division club all were in the playoffs.

And who are the losers? That, we do know. They are the bottom two clubs – the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants – both of which will be relegated to the Second Division in 2018.

The results from the last week weighed heavily on that decision. The Giants lost two of three at home to the Dodgers Sept. 22-24, enough losses to drive them into the basement. With one more win against the Dodgers, the Giants would be 12-16 instead of 11-17. The difference is huge – the difference between .429 and .393 in winning percentage.

At .429, the Giants would have had a prayer earlier this week, when the Toronto Blue Jays went to Boston. However, the Jays won two of three in that series to finish 22-29, a .431 winning percentage. One more Toronto loss would have sent the Blue Jays down instead of the Rangers. One more Giants win to go with it would have sent the Rangers and the Blue Jays down, saving the Giants.

The Tampa Bay Rays, (22-29, .431) have been sweating all of this out ever since losing two of three at home against the Red Sox Sept. 15-17 to end their First Division schedule. But they survived, which would not be the case if the Giants had swept the Dodgers and the Jays had swept the Sox. The Rays remain the longest continuous member of the First Division actively and they will become the longest continuing member all-time.

The Rays won promotion to the First Division for the 2011 season and have stayed there ever since. So, the 2018 season will be Tampa Bay's eighth straight in the top tier. However, they barely hung on this time.

The St. Louis Cardinals had been the record holder, playing for seven straight years in the First Division, starting as a charter member of the top tier in 2010 and continuing until they were relegated to the Second Division for the 2017 season, giving them seven straight seasons at the highest level. 

The championship in the Second Division this year remains up for grabs. The New York Yankees (17-9, .653) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-12, .625) are right at each other on top, even in the games column and with the Yankees in the percentage points lead. Conceivably, though it isn't likely, the Yankees and Diamondbacks could meet in the World Series.

First, though, the Diamondbacks have work in the Second Division this weekend against the Kansas City Royals. They play three games this weekend in Kansas City. Just down the standings, the Cardinals play three at home this weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers. If the Cardinals or Brewers can sweep, then there remains a ray of hope for that club to back into a promotion, depending on what happens with the Diamondbacks against Kansas City and, possibly, the Yankees.

At the bottom of the Second Division, the Royals settled the matter by winning two of three at home this week against the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers needed to win two against Kansas City and they needed the Royals to lose three against Arizona in order to escape relegation.  The best Detroit can hope for now is that an Arizona sweep of Kansas City brings the Tigers and Royals both in at 13-20, but the Royals hold the tiebreaker by winning 11 of 18 between them this season. So, the Tigers are going down to the Third Division, as are the New York Mets.

Coming up to the Second Division from the Third Division, we already know, are the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs. Again, those clubs could meet in the World Series to change the order between them, though it isn't likely. The Astros are the first-place club by percentage points.

The lower half of the Third Division is where it gets interesting. The Chicago White Sox ensured they won't be relegated with a 5-4 win against the Angels Thursday night. So, it's between the Seattle Mariners, the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. Two of those club are going down to the Fourth Division. The decision will come during the weekend.

The Braves and Marlins are playing a four-game series in Miami. The Marlins won the opener, 7-1, Thursday night. The Mariners are playing three at home against the Angels. The Mariners, Marlins and Braves all remain so close at the bottom that anything could still happen between them.

In the Fourth Division, we have two more playoff teams on top – the Colorado Rockies and the Minnesota Twins. Each club is the last in its league to enter the playoffs as the second wild card.

Three weeks left (and then some?) in baseball ordinals

The ordinal divisions in big league baseball, with promotion and relegation, are coming down to some interesting scenarios as the 2016 regular season nears its completion. But the postseason will still figure.

Cole Hamels has led the Texas Rangers to the top of the First Division, so far (Keith Allison/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).

The final three weeks of the regular season are setting up furious races for promotion and relegation in the ordinal divisions across big league baseball.

As always, the top two teams in each division are promoted to the next highest division next season, while the lowest two teams in each division are relegated to the next lowest division in 2017.

Obviously, though, that can't apply to the top two teams in the First Division or the bottom two teams in the Fourth Division. They will stay put.

Here is a look at each division going down the stretch. We caution, though, that we count the postseason in all of our baseball standings. So, all we can say for sure is what's coming down the line for the rest of the regular schedule. With 10 teams going to the playoffs in Major League Baseball (MLB), postseason implications promise to be thick.

First Division

The top two dogs here are the Texas Rangers and the Dodgers, both six games over .500. The Rangers, at 13-7, have the percentage advantage at .650, while the Dodgers (19-13) hold a .594 percentage. But there's enough left in this fight for the coveted First Division championship to turn it outright for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have six games remaining in the division, all against their rival San Francisco Giants. The final three will take place during the final weekend of the season, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, in San Francisco.

The Rangers have three games left, all at home against the Tampa Bay Rays during that same final weekend of the season.

The Rays are in a fight to stave off relegation as they battle to stay ahead of the bottom two clubs, the Kansas City Royals (12-15) and the St. Louis Cardinals (7-16). At 15-17, the Rays have six games left, three early this week against the Toronto Blue Jays and those last three in Texas.

The Royals have no remaining games, so they are frozen at 12-15. The Cardinals have four games left, all against the Giants. Even if the Cardinals win them all, they won't catch the Royals. The question is if the Rays can stay ahead of the Cards and Royals to prevent relegation. To succeed, the Rays need to at least split their final six games.

If the Rays can split, then the only other chance for the Royals to remain in the First Division is a giant collapse by the Giants, who, at 15-14, have 10 games left – those six against the Dodgers and their four against the Cardinals. If the Giants win just three, they will finish ahead of Kansas City's percentage of .444.

From the start of our promotion and relegation scheme in 2010, the Cardinals, a charter First Division club, are the only operation that has never been demoted. They finally captured a First Division title in 2016, and now they are all but certain to drop.

But we'll see if the Cardinals can get to the playoffs and tack together a run to save themselves. Of the eight First Division clubs, only the Rays are out of the hunt for October baseball. Could be a lot left to decide once the playoffs are set.

There is nothing unusual, however, about what is happening to the Cardinals. In each of the last three seasons, the club that won the First Division the year before plummeted to demotion.

The New York Yankees won the First Division in 2012, then finished last in 2013 for relegation to the Second Division, where they remain. The Rangers won the First Division in 2013, then got themselves relegated for their 2014 performance. However, the Rangers earned their way back to the top tier for 2016 and now have a chance to win it. The Angels won the First Division in 2014, but fell to the Second Division with their 2015 performance, and they now are certainly headed to the Third Division in 2017.

Second Division

As the above standings show, this is a tight race for second place, and promotion, between the Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Boston Red Sox are the lead club with at least 2½ games on everyone else.

The Indians appear to be out of it, but we'll see what the playoffs bring. They are 13-10 with no regular season games remaining, and the math makes it impossible for them to finish in the top two before the postseason.

The Yankees have seven games remaining in the division, all against the front-running Boston Red Sox. The Pirates and Brewers each have three games remaining, and they are against each other.

The Angels and Atlanta Braves are way down low in this group. Both are going to the Third Division in 2017, guaranteed.

Third Division

The Detroit Tigers have stampeded this group. They are 30-13, well ahead of a pack that includes two strong clubs in the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. They are likely to win this group and move up in 2017.

But it isn't certain, even though the Tigers are four games up on the Cubs and six up on the Mets. There's still a lot left to play in this division.

The Tigers have seven remaining games, all against the Minnesota Twins, who are in a death struggle with the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds to avoid dreaded relegation to the notoriously sticky Fourth Division.

In second place, we have the Chicago Cubs, who are in the clubhouse at 21-12. The Cubs and Reds each have six games left, all against each other.

Behind the Cubs are the New York Mets at 16-11. However, the Mets have 10 games left, all against the Phillies and Twins. The Mets need at least eight wins to nudge ahead of the Cubs for the second promotional position. Otherwise, the Cubs move up and the Mets stay put.

Again, though, the playoffs could loom. The Cubs have all but clinched the National League (NL) Central, while the Mets hold the second NL wild card position. Last year, remember, the Mets swept the Cubs in a four-game National League Championship Series (NLCS).

Philadelphia's has nine games left, seven against the Mets and two against the Chicago White Sox. The Phillies are the sixth-place team, the team that would be spared if it all ended here. But it doesn't.

The team to watch here is the Twins. Of their remaining 19 games, 16 are in the Third Division. That breaks down to seven against the Tigers, three against the Mets, three against the White Sox and three against the Seattle Mariners.

Fourth Division

The Houston Astros are the comfy first-place club, 16-7. Their promotion to the Third Division in 2017 is all but assured. Their only possible Fourth Division postseason foe, the snake-bitten Baltimore Orioles, bottom of this group at 8-12.

The second promotion, as always in the Fourth Division, is a hairy story. We have some funky rules for promotion from the Fourth Division because it only include">s six clubs.

Generally, we require 10 wins or more within a division to qualify for promotion. Of course, that's a more difficult standard in the smaller Fourth Division. So, we will promote a club with fewer than 10 wins, so long as that club has at least a .600 winning percentage and no other club has at least 10 wins and a .500 winning percentage.

The second-place club right now is the Miami Marlins at 8-5 (.615). One other club, the San Diego Padres, has a chance to meet the 10 win/.500 threshold during the regular season. The Padres 12-13, have three game left, all this weekend against the Colorado Rockies. If the Padres win all three, they would clinch the second position. If they win two of the three, they still would beat out the Marlins.

In that latter case, though, there's still one more contingency. If the Orioles and Astros both make it to the playoffs and the Orioles somehow sweep the Astros in a four-game American League Championship Series (ALCS), then the 12-12 Orioles would match the 14-14 Padres at .500. The Orioles would win that promotion, having defeated the Padres in three of their four meetings this season.

Royals complete quick climb to top tier

It took the Kansas City Royals a few years to get moving in the promotion and relegation arrangement, but they finally made it all the way up to the First Division for 2016 by splitting the Second Division title with the Texas Rangers in 2015.

The Kansas City Royals were one of the original Fourth Division clubs when this accounting began in 2010, and they were the last team to escape the dungeon, advancing as the second-place team in 2013.

But when the Royals did advance, they advanced quickly. All the way to the First Division in two years, the shortest possible climb.

The Royals earned their First Division stripes for 2016 by splitting the Second Division title with the Texas Rangers in 2015. The Rangers finished 17-10 (.630) for the leading percentage, but the Royals (35-27, .565) finished one-half game up in the games behind column.

Thus, the Rangers and the Royals are the two teams gaining promotion for 2016. Replacing them in the Second Division for 2016 are the Angels and the Atlanta Braves, both of which were demoted from the First Division.

Kansas City spent 2010 through 2013 in the Fourth Division, seemingly with no chance to escape until it finished second in 2013. In 2014, the Royals rallied to finished second in the Third Division and gain another promotion, sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in a four-game American League Championship Series to secure that raise.

The Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers both tumbled through the Second Division standings in the final two months of 2015 and finished in the bottom two. The Reds and Tigers are relegated to the Third Division for 2016. Rising from the Third Division to the Second Division are the Boston Red Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Race is on, to the top and from the bottom

The Second Division is shaping up as a tight race to the top and away from the bottom in the final few weeks of the season. The Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers are the top clubs bucking for promotion right now, with the Cincinnati Reds in the best position to overtake one of them before it all ends.

Can Joey Votto lead the Cincinnati Reds to a First Division promotion? (BubbaFan/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Of all the competitions across this ersatz universe we're cooking up here, none is tighter than the race for promotion to the First Division for 2016.

Right now, the front runners for those coveted top two spots in the Second Division are the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. The Rangers have the top percentage at .600 (12-8), but the Royals (27-20, .574) lead in the games column by 1½. The top two clubs by percentage are promoted, unless one team wins by percentage and a different club wins by games, in which case those are the clubs promoted.

Sometimes, the rules will bite a team, like the Angels in 2012, but the Angels bounced back and other clubs can do that, too.

It remains that anything can happen in the Second Division, in which the eight clubs are separated by five games. Additionally, most of the clubs still have around 20 games remaining, so there's much left to shake.

Of the clubs looking to gun up and overtake the Rangers or Royals, the Cincinnati Reds are in the best position. The Reds are 17-17 (.500), with the New York Yankees (12-11, .522) right ahead of them. But the Yankees have only four games remaining in this tier, a set at home against the Cleveland Indians later this month. The Reds have 18 games left.

The Yankees almost have to sweep their remaining games against the Indians for any chance at promotion. If the Reds can win two-thirds of their remaining games, they would finish 29-23 (.558), while the Yankees would be 15-12 (.556) if they win only three of their remaining four against Cleveland.

In those events, the Reds still would need the Rangers or Royals to drop a bit, and they would need the clubs beneath them to stay cool.

All the Rangers have remaining is seven games against Detroit. If the Rangers win only three of those, they would finish 15-12 (.556). Then, we have the Royals, who, at this moment, are .602 across their Major League schedule and .574 in the Second Division. The Royals have 15 games left in the Second Division. If the Royals win eight of them, they finish .565, but if they win only seven, they come in .548.

So, the Reds have some wood to chop, and they also need the clubs in front of them to be a little less than even down the stretch. At the same time, the Reds are in clear danger of demotion. That's the fate of the bottom two clubs in the Second Division, which both fall to the Third Division in 2016.

Right now, the Tigers, Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers all are at or within a half-game of the demotion zone, but the Reds are only a game better than that.

Taking the bottom club in this group, the Brewers, they would have to win two-thirds of their remaining 18 games to finish 26-23 (.531). That probably wouldn't make them promotion material, but it would keep them safely in the Second Division for another year.

In short runs of games, though, wild fluctuations are always in play. During the course of 162 games, no one is going to win three out of four. Over the course of 18 games, it happens all the time.

So, buckle up. We won't be hearing much from any of these clubs, except for the Royals and the Pirates, in the Major League playoff scrum. But in the Second Division, they've all got a lot still on the line.

Second Division standings (through August 12)

	W	L	Pct.	GB
Texas	10	6	.600	1½
Kansas City	27	20	.574	—
New York (AL)	12	11	.522	3
Cincinnati	17	17	.500	3½
Detroit	21	23	.477	4½
Cleveland	20	23	.465	5
Pittsburgh	17	20	.459	5
Milwaukee	14	17	.452	5

Remaining games

Cincinnati (18 games): August 18-19, two at home against Kansas City; August 24, one at home against Detroit; Augut 28-30, three at Milwaukee; September 4-6, three at home against Milwaukee; September 7-9, three at home against Pittsburgh; September 18-20, three at Milwaukee; October 2-4, three at Pittsburgh.

Cleveland (20 games): August 20-23, four at New York (AL); August 25-26, two at home against Milwaukee; September 4-6, three at Detroit; September 10-13, four at home against Detroit; September 14-17, three at home against Kansas City; September 25-27, three at Kansas City.

Detroit (21 games): August 20-23, four at Texas; August 24, one at Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at Kansas City; September4-6, three at home against Cleveland; September 10-13, four at Cleveland; September 18-20, three at Kansas City; September 28-30, three at Texas.

Kansas City (15 games): August 18-19, two at Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at Detroit; September 14-17, four at Cleveland; September 18-20, three at Detroit; September 25-27, three at home against Cleveland.

Milwaukee (18 games): August 25-26, two at Cleveland; August 28-30, three at home against Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at home against Pittsburgh; September 4-6, three at Cincinnati; September 10-13, four at Pittsburgh; September 18-20, three at Cincinnati.

New York (AL) (four games): August 20-23, four at home against Cleveland.

Pittsburgh (13 games): September 1-3, three at Milwaukee; September 7-9, three at Cincinnati; September 10-13, four at home against Milwaukee; October 2-4, three at home against Cincinnati.

Texas (seven games): August 20-23, four at Detroit; September 28-30, three at home against Detroit.

Today's standings: August 10, 2015

Here are the standings across the Major Leagues through August 9 in all the competitions, including the Henry Aaron, Dick Allen and Harmon Killebrew traveling trophies, the West, East and Center regional leagues, the ordinal divisions with promotion and relegation, and, of course, the Major League playoff races, among others.

Traveling Trophies

Henry Aaron Award
	W	L	P	T	G	D	A
DODGERS	15	10	8	1	22	6	7
San Francisco	15	15	8	1	17	4	6
ANGELS	14	5	6	1	16	4	5
Texas	12	10	7	2	15	3	5
San Diego	10	7	5	1	13	3	4
Baltimore	6	4	3	1	7	1	1
Pittsburgh	6	3	3	1	6	1	2
Milwaukee	5	7	4	1	6	1	2
Kansas City	5	2	3	1	5	1	2
Boston	3	7	3	1	3	0	1
Seattle	4	3	2	1	0	0	0
Washington	2	2	1	0	0	0	0
Colorado	6	10	5	0	0	0	0
Arizona	2	7	3	0	0	0	0
New York (AL)	2	2	1	0	0	0	0
Chicago (NL)	1	2	1	0	0	0	0
Miami	1	2	1	0	0	0	0
Minnesota	1	2	1	0	0	0	0
Atlanta	3	4	2	0	0	0	0
Cleveland	0	3	1	0	0	0	0
Houston	0	3	1	0	0	0	0

Numbers in bold indicate league leaders.

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts. Standings are given in order of games holding the title.

2015 Henry Aaron Award results 
(There is no tiebreaker for the Aaron. The champion keeps it unless the challenger wins outright. However, the runs are given for series ending in ties).

San Francisco 2, Arizona 1 — April 6-8 at Arizona.
San Diego 3, San Francisco 1 — April 10-12 at San Diego.
San Diego 2, Arizona 1 — April 13-15 at San Diego.
San Diego 2, Chicago (NL) 1 — April 17-19 at Chicago.
San Diego 2, Colorado 2 — April 20-23 at Denver (San Diego, 26-16).
DODGERS 2, San Diego 1 — April 24-26 at San Diego.
DODGERS 2, San Francisco 1 — April 27-29 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 3, Arizona 0 — May 1-3 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 2, Milwaukee 2 — May 4-7 at Milwaukee (DODGERS, 28-16).
DODGERS 2, Colorado 0 — May 8-10 at Colorado.
DODGERS 2, Miami 1 — May 11-13 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 2, Colorado 2 — May 14-17 (Colorado, 16-12).
San Francisco 3, DODGERS 0 — May 19-21 at San Francisco.
San Francisco 2, Colorado 2 — May 22-24 at Denver (Colorado, 31-26).
San Francisco 3, Milwaukee 0 — May 25-27 at Milwaukee.
San Francisco 2, Atlanta 2 — May 28-31 at San Francisco (Atlanta, 17-16).
Pittsburgh 3, San Francisco 0 — June 1-3 at San Francisco.
Pittsburgh 2, Atlanta 1 — June 5-7 at Atlanta.
Milwaukee 2, Pittsburgh 1 — June 8-10 at Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee 2, Washington 2 — June 11-14 at Milwaukee (Washington, 20-16).
Kansas City 2, Milwaukee 0 — June 15-16 at Milwaukee.
Kansas City 2, Milwaukee 0 — June 17-18 at Kansas City.
Boston 2, Kansas City 1 — June 19-21 at Kansas City.
Baltimore 2, Boston 1 — June 23-25 at Boston.
Baltimore 3, Cleveland 0 — June 26-28 at Baltimore.
Texas 3, Baltimore 1 — June 29-July 2 at Baltimore.
ANGELS 3, Texas 0 — July 3-5 at Arlington.
ANGELS 2, Colorado 0 — July 7-8 at Denver.
ANGELS 2, Seattle 2 — July 9-12 at Seattle (Angels, 20-19).
ANGELS 4, Boston 0 — July 17-20 at Anaheim.
ANGELS 2, Minnesota 1 — July 21-23 at Anaheim.
Texas 2, ANGELS 1 — July 24-26 at Anaheim.
Texas 2, New York (AL) 2 — July 27-30 at Arlington (New York, 35-19).
Texas 2, San Francisco 1 — July 31-August 2 at Arlington.
Texas 3, Houston 0 — August 3-5 at Arlington.
Seattle 2, Texas 1 — August 7-9 at Seattle.

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Dick Allen Award
	W	L	P	T	G	D	A
St. Louis	36	19	17	3	46	11	14
Chicago	14	11	8	2	15	2	5
Arizona	10	7	5	2	10	2	3
Pittsburgh	9	14	7	2	10	1	3
Cincinnati	6	12	6	1	6	1	2
Milwaukee	7	9	5	1	4	0	1
Colorado	3	4	2	1	4	0	1
Miami	5	5	3	1	3	0	1
New York	3	3	2	1	3	0	1
Philadelphia	3	5	2	0	0	0	0
DODGERS	2	5	2	0	0	0	0
Washington	3	4	2	0	0	0	0
San Diego	1	2	1	0	0	0	0

Numbers in bold indicate league leaders.

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts. Standings are given in order of games holding the title.

2015 Dick Allen Award results
(Total runs tiebreaker given if series ends in a tie.)

St. Louis 1, Chicago 1 — April 5-8 at Chicago (St. Louis, 3-2).
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — April 10-12 at Cincinnati.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 13-16 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 0 — April 17-19 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Washington 1 — April 21-23 at Washington.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 24-26 at Milwaukee.
St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 1 — April 27-30 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 0 — May 1-3 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, Chicago 1 — May 4-7 at St. Louis.
Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1— May 8-10 at Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh 2, Philadelphia 2 — May 11-14 at Philadelphia (Pittsburgh, 15-12).
Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 1 — May 15-17 at Chicago.
Chicago 2, San Diego 1 — May 19-21 at San Diego.
Arizona 2, Chicago 1 — May 22-24 at Phoenix.
St. Louis 3, Arizona 0 — May 25-27 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, DODGERS 1 — May 29-31 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — June 1-3 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, DODGERS 1 — June 4-7 at Los Angeles.
Colorado 2, St. Louis 1 — June 8-10 at Denver.
Miami 3, Colorado 1— June 11-14 at Miami.
Cincinnati 2, Miami 1 — June 19-21 at Cincinnati.
Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 1 — June 23-25 at Pittsburgh.
New York 3, Cincinnati 0 — June 26-28 at New York.
Chicago 3, New York 0 — June 30-July 2 at Chicago.
Chicago 2, Miami 1 — July 3 at Chicago.
St. Louis 2, Chicago 2 — July 6-8 at Chicago (St. Louis wins total runs tiebreaker, 19-17).
Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 1 — July 9-12 at Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee 3, Pittsburgh 0 — July 17-19 at Milwaukee.
Arizona 3, Milwaukee 1 — July 23-26 at Phoenix.
Arizona 2, Washington 2 — July 23-26 at Washington (Arizona wins total runs tiebreaker, 24-21).
Arizona 2, Cincinnati 1 — August 7-9 at Phoenix.

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Harmon Killebrew Award
	W	L	P	T	G	D	A
Minnesota	17	14	10	2	22	5	7
ANGELS	12	8	6	1	14	3	4
New York	10	11	6	2	14	2	4
Baltimore	9	8	5	2	13	2	3
Kansas City	13	7	7	2	11	2	5
Texas	7	7	4	2	7	0	2
Tampa Bay	5	5	3	1	3	0	1
Boston	6	13	5	1	3	0	1
Chicago	3	7	4	1	1	0	1
Seattle	2	2	1	0	0	0	0
Toronto	4	2	2	1	0	0	0
Cleveland	1	5	2	0	0	0	0

Numbers in bold indicate league leaders.

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts. Standings are given in order of games holding the title.

2015 Harmon Killebrew Award results
(Total runs tiebreaker given if series ends in a tie.)

Kansas City 3, Chicago 0 — April 6-9 at Kansas City.
Kansas City 3, ANGELS 0 — April 10-12 at Anaheim.
Minnesota 2, Kansas City 1 — April 13-16 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Cleveland 1 — April 17-19 at Minneapolis.
Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1 — April 20-22 at Kansas City.
Chicago 2, Kansas City 1 — April 23-26 at Chicago.
Baltimore 1, Chicago 0 — April 29 at Baltimore.
Baltimore 2, Tampa Bay 1 — May 1-3 at Tampa Bay.
New York 3, Baltimore 1 — May 7-10 at New York.
Tampa Bay 3, New York 1 — May 11-14 at Tampa Bay.
Minnesota 2, Tampa Bay 1 — May 15-17 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Chicago 1 — May 22-24 at Chicago.
Minnesota 3, Boston 0 — May 25-27 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Toronto 1 — May 29-31 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Boston 2 — June 2-4 at Boston (Minnesota, 13-11).
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 0 — June 8-10 at Minneapolis.
Boston 2, Kansas City 1 — June 19-21 at Kansas City.
Baltimore 2, Boston 1 — June 23-25 at Boston.
Baltimore 3, Cleveland 0 — June 26-28 at Baltimore.
Texas 3, Baltimore 1 — June 29-July 2 at Baltimore.
ANGELS 3, Texas 0 — July 3-5 at Arlington.
ANGELS 2, Seattle 2 — July 9-12 at Seattle (Angels, 20-19).
ANGELS 4, Boston 0 — July 17-20 at Anaheim.
ANGELS 2, Minnesota 1 — July 21-23 at Anaheim.
Texas 2, ANGELS 1 — July 24-26 at Anaheim.
New York 2, Texas 2 — July 27-30 at Arlington (New York 35, 19).
New York 2, Chicago 1 — July 31-August 2 at Chicago.
New York 2, Boston 1 — August 4-6 at New York.
Toronto 3, New York 0 — August 7-9 at New York.

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Regional Leagues

West League Overall W     L      Pct.     GB DODGERS 37 24 .606 — Houston 38 25 .603 — San Francisco 37 28 .569 2 Arizona 33 31 .516 5½ ANGELS 35 33 .515 5½ Oakland 30 31 .492 7 Seattle 30 32 .484 7½ San Diego 30 34 .469 8½ Texas 27 36 .429 11 Colorado 20 43 .317 18	North Division W     L      Pct.     GB San Francisco 37 28 .569 — Arizona 33 31 .516 3½ Oakland 30 31 .492 5 Seattle 30 32 .484 5½ Colorado 20 43 .317 16 South Division W     L      Pct.     GB DODGERS 37 24 .606 — Houston 38 25 .603 — ANGELS 35 33 .515 5½ San Diego 30 34 .469 8½ Texas 27 36 .429 11
Sunday's results Oakland 5, Houston 4 Seattle 4, Texas 2.	Monday's games No games scheduled.

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East League Overall W     L      Pct.     GB New York (NL) 36 23 .610 — Toronto 35 27 .565 2½ Washington 35 29 .547 3½ New York (AL) 32 29 .525 5 Baltimore 34 31 .523 5 Tampa Bay 33 32 .508 6 Atlanta 30 32 .484 7½ Boston 28 34 .452 9½ Philadelphia 25 34 .424 11 Miami 21 38 .356 15	North Division W     L      Pct.     GB New York (NL) 36 23 .610 — Toronto 35 27 .565 2½ New York (AL) 32 29 .525 5 Boston 28 34 .452 9½ Philadelphia 25 34 .424 11 South Division W     L      Pct.     GB Washington 35 29 .547 — Baltimore 34 31 .523 1½ Tampa Bay 33 32 .508 2½ Atlanta 30 32 .484 4 Miami 21 38 .356 12½
Sunday's results Toronto 2, New York (AL) 0. Tampa Bay 4, New York (NL) 3 Miami 4, Atlanta 1.	Monday's games No games scheduled.

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Center League Overall W     L      Pct.     GB Kansas City 41 24 .631 — St. Louis 41 26 .612 1 Detroit 36 28 .563 4½ Chicago (NL) 32 29 .525 7 Pittsburgh 33 34 .493 9 Minnesota 32 36 .471 10½ Milwaukee 27 35 .435 12½ Cincinnati 28 37 .431 13 Cleveland 27 36 .429 13 Chicago (AL) 28 40 .412 14½	North Division W     L      Pct.     GB Detroit 36 28 .563 — Chicago (NL) 32 29 .525 2½ Minnesota 32 36 .471 6 Milwaukee 27 35 .435 8 Chicago (AL) 28 40 .412 10 South Division W     L      Pct.     GB Kansas City 41 24 .631 — St. Louis 41 26 .612 1 Pittsburgh 33 34 .493 9 Cincinnati 28 37 .431 13 Cleveland 27 36 .429 13
Sunday's results Kansas City 5, Chicago (AL) 4. Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 4 Cleveland 8, Minnesota 1.	Monday's games Detroit at Kansas City.

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Ordinal Divisions

First Division W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 9 4 .692 1 San Francisco 16 9 .640 — Tampa Bay 15 10 .600 1 Washington 16 12 .571 1½ Toronto 10 13 .435 5 DODGERS 13 18 .419 6 Atlanta 13 20 .394 7 ANGELS 5 11 .313 6½	Second Division W     L      Pct.     GB Texas 12 8 .600 1 Kansas City 25 19 .568 — New York (AL) 11 9 .550 2 Cincinnati 17 17 .500 3 Detroit 20 21 .488 3½ Pittsburgh 17 20 .459 4½ Milwaukee 14 17 .452 4½ Cleveland 18 23 .439 5½
Sunday's results No games scheduled. Monday's games Washington at DODGERS.	Sunday's results No games scheduled. Monday's games Detroit at Kansas City.

Third Division W     L      Pct.     GB Arizona 13 8 .619 — Minnesota 14 10 .583 ½ Philadelphia 9 7 .563 1½ Boston 11 9 .550 1½ Seattle 14 13 .519 2 Chicago (NL) 7 8 .429 3 Colorado 13 18 .419 5 Oakland 9 17 .346 6½	Fourth Division W     L      Pct.     GB Chicago (AL) 8 4 .667 ½ New York (NL) 13 8 .619 1 San Diego 8 7 .533 2 Houston 8 8 .500 2½ Baltimore 7 11 .389 4½ Miami 8 14 .364 5½
Sunday's results No games scheduled. Monday's games Philadelphia at Arizona.	Sunday's results No games scheduled. Monday's games No games scheduled.

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Itinerant Leagues

Chub Feeney League W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 39 19 .672 — Chicago 33 25 .569 6 San Diego 21 21 .500 10 DODGERS 22 21 .512 9½ New York 25 24 .510 9½ Milwaukee 22 26 .458 12 Miami 15 27 .357 16 Cincinnati 17 31 .354 17	Joe Cronin League W     L      Pct.     GB Minnesota 19 15 .559 — New York 20 16 .556 — Texas 27 23 .540 — ANGELS 22 21 .512 2½ Cleveland 23 22 .511 1½ Tampa Bay 21 21 .500 3 Chicago 22 25 .468 4½ Houston 17 28 .378 8
Sunday's results Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 4. Monday's games ANGELS at Chicago.	Sunday's results Cleveland 8, Minnesota 1. Monday's games Cincinnati at San Diego.

Bud Selig West W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 45 24 .652 — Texas 31 26 .544 8 DODGERS 27 23 .540 8½ Minnesota 25 25 .500 9½ San Diego 26 25 .510 9 ANGELS 23 26 .469 12 Milwaukee 27 33 .450 13½ Houston 20 28 .417 14½	Bud Selig East W     L      Pct.     GB Chicago (NL) 38 30 .559 — New York (AL) 24   19 .558 1½ Cleveland 32 27 .542 1½ Tampa Bay 24 23 .511 3½ Chicago (AL) 30 30 .500 4 New York (NL) 26 29 .472 5½ Miami 18 31 .367 10½ Cincinnati 21 39 .350 13
Sunday's results Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 4. Cleveland 8, Minnesota 1. Monday's games ANGELS at Chicago (AL). Cincinnati at San Diego.	Sunday's results Cleveland 8, Minnesota 1. Tampa Bay 4, New York (NL) 3. Monday's games ANGELS at Chicago (AL) Cincinnati at San Diego.

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Major Leagues

American League West Division W     L      Pct.     GB Houston 61 52 .540 — ANGELS 59 51 .536 ½ Texas 55 55 .500 4½ Seattle 52 60 .464 8½ Oakland 51 62 .451 10

National League West Division W     L      Pct.     GB DODGERS 62 49 .559 — San Francisco 59 52 .532 3 Arizona 54 56 .491 7½ San Diego 52 60 .464 10½ Colorado 47 62 .431 14

East Division W     L      Pct.     GB New York 61 49 .555 — Toronto 61 52 .505 1½ Baltimore 56 54 .509 5 Tampa Bay 56 56 .500 6 Boston 50 62 .446 12

East Division W     L      Pct.     GB New York   59 52 .540 — Washington 57 53 .510 1½ Atlanta 51 61 .451 8½ Philadelphia 45 67 .402 14½ Miami 44 68 .393 15½

Central Division W     L      Pct.     GB Kansas City 66 44 .604 — Minnesota 55 56 .525 11½ Detroit 54 57 .486 12½ Chicago 51 58 .468 14½ Cleveland 51 59 .464 15

Central Division W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 71 40 .640 — Pittsburgh 65 44 .596 5 Chicago 62 48 .564 8½ Cincinnati 49 60 .460 21 Milwaukee 48 65 .425 24

Sunday's results ANGELS 5, Baltimore 4, 11 innings. Cleveland 8, Minnesota 1. Boston 7, Detroit 2. Toronto 2, New York 0. Oakland 5, Houston 4. Seattle 4, Texas 2. Kansas City 5, Chicago 4. Tampa Bay 4, New York (NL) 3. Monday's games ANGELS at Chicago. Detroit at Kansas City. Baltimore at Seattle.

Sunday's results Pittsburgh 13, DODGERS 6. Arizona 5, Cincinnati 4, 10 innings. Miami 4, Atlanta 1. Chicago 2, San Francisco 0. Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 4. Philadelphia 5, San Diego 3. Colorado 6, Washington 4. Tampa Bay 4, New York 3. Monday's games Washington at DODGERS. Philadelphia at Arizona. Cincinnati at San Diego. Colorado at New York.

Today's standings: July 20, 2017

Here are the standings across the Major Leagues through July 19 in all the competitions, including the Henry Aaron, Dick Allen and Harmon Killebrew traveling trophies, the West, East and Center regional leagues, the ordinal divisions with promotion and relegation, and, of course, the Major League playoff races, among others.

Traveling Trophies

Henry Aaron Award
	W	L	P	T	G	D	A
DODGERS	15	10	8	1	22	6	7
San Francisco	14	13	8	1	17	4	6
San Diego	10	7	5	1	13	3	4
Pittsburgh	6	3	3	1	6	1	2
Milwaukee	5	7	4	1	6	1	2
Kansas City	5	2	3	1	5	1	2
Boston	3	5	3	1	3	0	1
Baltimore	6	4	3	1	7	1	1
ANGELS	9	2	4	1	8	2	2
Texas	3	4	2	1	3	0	1
Seattle	2	2	1	0	0	0	0
Washington	2	2	1	0	0	0	0
Colorado	6	10	5	0	0	0	0
Arizona	2	7	3	0	0	0	0
Chicago (NL)	1	2	1	0	0	0	0
Miami	1	2	1	0	0	0	0
Atlanta	3	4	2	0	0	0	0
Cleveland	0	3	1	0	0	0	0

Numbers in bold indicate league leaders.

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts.

2015 Henry Aaron Award results 
(There is no tiebreaker for the Aaron. The champion keeps it unless the challenger wins outright. However, the runs are given for series ending in ties).

San Francisco 2, Arizona 1 — April 6-8 at Arizona.
San Diego 3, San Francisco 1 — April 10-12 at San Diego.
San Diego 2, Arizona 1 — April 13-15 at San Diego.
San Diego 2, Chicago (NL) 1 — April 17-19 at Chicago.
San Diego 2, Colorado 2 — April 20-23 at Denver (San Diego, 26-16).
DODGERS 2, San Diego 1 — April 24-26 at San Diego.
DODGERS 2, San Francisco 1 — April 27-29 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 3, Arizona 0 — May 1-3 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 2, Milwaukee 2 — May 4-7 at Milwaukee (DODGERS, 28-16).
DODGERS 2, Colorado 0 — May 8-10 at Colorado.
DODGERS 2, Miami 1 — May 11-13 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 2, Colorado 2 — May 14-17 (Colorado, 16-12).
San Francisco 3, DODGERS 0 — May 19-21 at San Francisco.
San Francisco 2, Colorado 2 — May 22-24 at Denver (Colorado, 31-26).
San Francisco 3, Milwaukee 0 — May 25-27 at Milwaukee.
San Francisco 2, Atlanta 2 — May 28-31 at San Francisco (Atlanta, 17-16).
Pittsburgh 3, San Francisco 0 — June 1-3 at San Francisco.
Pittsburgh 2, Atlanta 1 — June 5-7 at Atlanta.
Milwaukee 2, Pittsburgh 1 — June 8-10 at Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee 2, Washington 2 — June 11-14 at Milwaukee (Washington, 20-16).
Kansas City 2, Milwaukee 0 — June 15-16 at Milwaukee.
Kansas City 2, Milwaukee 0 — June 17-18 at Kansas City.
Boston 2, Kansas City 1 — June 19-21 at Kansas City.
Baltimore 2, Boston 1 — June 23-25 at Boston.
Baltimore 3, Cleveland 0 — June 26-28 at Baltimore.
Texas 3, Baltimore 1 — June 29-July 2 at Baltimore.
ANGELS 3, Texas 0 — July 3-5 at Arlington.
ANGELS 2, Colorado 0 — July 7-8 at Denver.
ANGELS 2, Seattle 2 — July 9-12 at Seattle (Angels, 20-19).
ANGELS 2, Boston 0 — July 17-18 at Anaheim, ongoing.

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Dick Allen Award
	W	L	P	T	G	D	A
St. Louis	36	19	17	3	46	11	14
Chicago	14	11	8	2	15	2	5
Pittsburgh	9	14	7	2	10	1	3
Arizona	2	4	2	1	3	0	1
Colorado	3	4	2	1	4	0	1
Miami	5	5	3	1	3	0	1
Cincinnati	5	10	5	1	6	1	2
New York	3	3	2	1	3	0	1
Milwaukee	6	6	4	1	0	0	0
Philadelphia	3	5	2	0	0	0	0
DODGERS	2	5	2	0	0	0	0
Washington	1	2	1	0	0	0	0
San Diego	1	2	1	0	0	0	0

Numbers in bold indicate league leaders.

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts.

2015 Dick Allen Award results
(Total runs tiebreaker given if series ends in a tie.)

St. Louis 1, Chicago 1 — April 5-8 at Chicago (St. Louis, 3-2).
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — April 10-12 at Cincinnati.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 13-16 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 0 — April 17-19 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Washington 1 — April 21-23 at Washington.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 24-26 at Milwaukee.
St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 1 — April 27-30 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 0 — May 1-3 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, Chicago 1 — May 4-7 at St. Louis.
Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1— May 8-10 at Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh 2, Philadelphia 2 — May 11-14 at Philadelphia (Pittsburgh, 15-12).
Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 1 — May 15-17 at Chicago.
Chicago 2, San Diego 1 — May 19-21 at San Diego.
Arizona 2, Chicago 1 — May 22-24 at Phoenix.
St. Louis 3, Arizona 0 — May 25-27 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, DODGERS 1 — May 29-31 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — June 1-3 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, DODGERS 1 — June 4-7 at Los Angeles.
Colorado 2, St. Louis 1 — June 8-10 at Denver.
Miami 3, Colorado 1— June 11-14 at Miami.
Cincinnati 2, Miami 1 — June 19-21 at Cincinnati.
Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 1 — June 23-25 at Pittsburgh.
New York 3, Cincinnati 0 — June 26-28 at New York.
Chicago 3, New York 0 — June 30-July 2 at Chicago.
Chicago 2, Miami 1 — July 3 at Chicago.
St. Louis 2, Chicago 2 — July 6-8 at Chicago (St. Louis wins total runs tiebreaker, 19-17).
Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 1 — July 9-12 at Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee 3, Pittsburgh 0 — July 17-19 at Milwaukee.

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Harmon Killebrew Award
	W	L	P	T	G	D	A
Minnesota	16	12	9	2	22	5	7
Kansas City	13	7	7	2	11	2	5
Baltimore	9	8	5	2	13	2	3
New York	4	4	2	1	4	0	1
Tampa Bay	5	5	3	1	3	0	1
ANGELS	7	5	4	1	6	1	1
Chicago	3	7	4	1	1	0	1
Boston	5	9	5	1	3	0	1
Texas	3	4	2	1	3	0	1
Seattle	2	2	1	0	0	0	0
Toronto	1	2	1	0	0	0	0
Cleveland	1	5	2	0	0	0	0

Numbers in bold indicate league leaders.

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts.

2015 Harmon Killebrew Award results
(Total runs tiebreaker given if series ends in a tie.)

Kansas City 3, Chicago 0 — April 6-9 at Kansas City.
Kansas City 3, ANGELS 0 — April 10-12 at Anaheim.
Minnesota 2, Kansas City 1 — April 13-16 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Cleveland 1 — April 17-19 at Minneapolis.
Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1 — April 20-22 at Kansas City.
Chicago 2, Kansas City 1 — April 23-26 at Chicago.
Baltimore 1, Chicago 0 — April 29 at Baltimore.
Baltimore 2, Tampa Bay 1 — May 1-3 at Tampa Bay.
New York 3, Baltimore 1 — May 7-10 at New York.
Tampa Bay 3, New York 1 — May 11-14 at Tampa Bay.
Minnesota 2, Tampa Bay 1 — May 15-17 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Chicago 1 — May 22-24 at Chicago.
Minnesota 3, Boston 0 — May 25-27 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Toronto 1 — May 29-31 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Boston 2 — June 2-4 at Boston (Minnesota, 13-11).
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 0 — June 8-10 at Minneapolis.
Boston 2, Kansas City 1 — June 19-21 at Kansas City.
Baltimore 2, Boston 1 — June 23-25 at Boston.
Baltimore 3, Cleveland 0 — June 26-28 at Baltimore.
Texas 3, Baltimore 1 — June 29-July 2 at Baltimore.
ANGELS 3, Texas 0 — July 3-5 at Arlington.
ANGELS 2, Seattle 2 — July 9-12 at Seattle (Angels, 20-19).
ANGELS 2, Boston 0 — July 17-18 at Anaheim, ongoing.

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Regional Leagues

West League Overall W     L      Pct.     GB Houston 32 18 .640 — DODGERS 33 23 .589 2 ANGELS 34 25 .576 2½ San Francisco 31 25 .554 4 Oakland 26 25 .510 6½ Arizona 29 29 .500 7 Seattle 26 27 .490 7½ San Diego 29 33 .468 9 Texas 17 31 .354 14 Colorado 18 39 .316 17	North Division W     L      Pct.     GB San Francisco 31 25 .554 — Oakland 26 25 .510 2½ Arizona 29 29 .500 3 Seattle 26 27 .490 3½ Colorado 18 39 .316 13½ South Division W     L      Pct.     GB Houston 32 18 .640 — DODGERS 33 23 .589 2 ANGELS 34 25 .576 2½ San Diego 29 33 .468 9 Texas 17 31 .354 14
Sunday's results Houston 10, Texas 0 San Francisco 2, Arizona 1.	Monday's games Texas at Colorado. San Francisco at San Diego.

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East League Overall W     L      Pct.     GB New York (NL) 28 19 .596 — Washington 31 24 .564 1 Toronto 31 26 .544 2 Tampa Bay 28 25 .528 3 New York (AL) 27 25 .519 3½ Baltimore 29 27 .518 3½ Atlanta 26 25 .510 4 Boston 25 31 .446 7½ Miami 19 30 .388 10 Philadelphia 19 31 .380 10½	North Division W     L      Pct.     GB New York (NL) 28 19 .596 — Toronto 31 26 .544 2 New York (AL) 27 25 .519 3½ Boston 25 31 .446 7½ Philadelphia 19 31 .340 10½ South Division W     L      Pct.     GB Washington 31 24 .564 — Tampa Bay 28 25 .528 2 Baltimore 28 25 .518 2 Atlanta 26 25 .510 3 Miami 19 30 .388 9
Sunday's results Toronto 4, Tampa Bay 0 Philadelphia 8, Miami 7.	Monday's games New York (NL) at Washington. Tampa Bay at Philadelphia.

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Center League Overall W     L      Pct.     GB Kansas City 33 19 .635 — St. Louis 32 21 .604 1½ Detroit 33 27 .550 4 Chicago (NL) 25 25 .500 7 Minnesota 31 32 .492 7½ Pittsburgh 26 29 .473 8½ Milwaukee 25 28 .472 8½ Cleveland 23 27 .460 9 Cincinnati 21 30 .412 11½ Chicago (AL) 24 35 .407 12½	North Division W     L      Pct.     GB Detroit 33 27 .550 — Chicago (NL) 25 25 .500 3 Minnesota 31 32 .492 3½ Milwaukee 25 28 .472 4½ Chicago (AL) 24 35 .407 8½ South Division W     L      Pct.     GB Kansas City 33 19 .635 — St. Louis 32 21 .604 1½ Pittsburgh 26 29 .473 8½ Cleveland 23 27 .447 9 Cincinnati 21 30 .412 11½
Sunday's results Kansas City 4, Chicago (AL) 1 Cleveland 5, Cincinnati 3, 11 innings. Milwaukee 6, Pittsburgh 1.	Monday's games Chicago (NL) at Cincinnati Pittsburgh at Kansas City.

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Ordinal Divisions

First Division W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 7 3 .700 1 San Francisco 14 8 .636 — Tampa Bay 14 8 .636 — Washington 16 12 .571 1 Toronto 8 12 .400 5 ANGELS 5 8 .385 4½ Atlanta 9 15 .375 6 DODGERS 9 16 .360 6½	Second Division W     L      Pct.     GB Texas 10 6 .625 ½ Kansas City 20 15 .571 — New York (AL) 9 7 .563 1½ Cincinnati 15 15 .500 2½ Pittsburgh 14 16 .567 3½ Detroit 18 20 .474 3½ Cleveland 16 20 .444 4½ Milwaukee 13 16 .348 4
Sunday's results DODGERS 5, Washington 0. Monday's games DODGERS at Atlanta.	Sunday's results Cleveland 5, Cincinnati 3, 11 innings Milwaukee 6, Pittsburgh 1. Monday's games Pittsburgh at Kansas City.

Third Division W     L      Pct.     GB Minnesota 12 7 .632 — Seattle 10 7 .588 1 Arizona 10 8 .556 1½ Boston 11 9 .550 1½ Chicago (NL) 4 4 .500 2½ Philadelphia 6 7 .462 3 Colorado 11 14 .440 4 Oakland 9 17 .346 6½	Fourth Division W     L      Pct.     GB Chicago (AL) 8 4 .667 — New York (NL) 9 6 .600 — Houston 8 8 .500 1½ Miami 6 7 .462 2 Baltimore 7 11 .389 4 San Diego 2 4 .333 3
Sunday's results Oakland 14, Minnesota 1. Monday's games No games scheduled.	Sunday's results No games scheduled. Monday's games No games scheduled.

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Itinerant Leagues

Chub Feeney League W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 34 15 .694 — Chicago 28 23 .549 7 DODGERS 20 19 .513 9 New York 19 20 .487 10 Milwaukee 18 20 .474 10½ San Diego 13 15 .464 10½ Miami 13 19 .406 12½ Cincinnati 12 26 .316 16½	Joe Cronin League W     L      Pct.     GB Minnesota 16 9 .640 — Cleveland 20 15 .571 1 ANGELS 17 14 .548 2 New York 14 12 .538 2½ Texas 20 20 .500 3½ Tampa Bay 19 20 .487 4 Chicago 16 21 .432 6 Houston 14 25 .359 9
Sunday's results New York 3, St. Louis 1, 18 innings. Monday's games Chicago (NL) at Cincinnati.	Sunday's results Houston 10, Texas 0. Monday's games No games scheduled.

Bud Selig West W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 38 20 .655 — Minnesota 22 19 .537 7½ ANGELS 18 16 .529 8 DODGERS 22 21 .512 8½ Texas 24 23 .510 8½ Milwaukee 23 24 .489 9½ San Diego 17 20 .459 10½ Houston 17 24 .415 12½	Bud Selig East W     L      Pct.     GB Cleveland 28 19 .596 — New York (AL) 18   15 .545 3 Chicago (NL) 32 28 .533 2½ Chicago (AL) 24 24 .500 4½ Tampa Bay 20 21 .488 5 New York (NL) 19 23 .452 6½ Miami 16 23 .410 8 Cincinnati 16 34 .320 13½
Sunday's results New York (NL) 3, St. Louis 1, 18 innings. Houston 10, Texas 0. Monday's games No games scheduled.	Sunday's results New York (NL) 3, St. Louis 1, 18 innings. Cleveland 5, Cincinnati 3, 11 innings Monday's games Chicago (NL) at Cincinnati.

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Major Leagues

American League West Division W     L      Pct.     GB ANGELS 50 40 .556 — Houston 51 43 .543 1 Texas 43 48 .473 7½ Seattle 42 50 .457 9 Oakland 43 51 .457 9

National League West Division W     L      Pct.     GB DODGERS 53 40 .570 — San Francisco 49 43 .533 3½ Arizona 42 48 .467 9½ San Diego 43 49 .467 9½ Colorado 39 51 .433 12½

East Division W     L      Pct.     GB New York 50 41 .549 — Baltimore 46 45 .505 4 Tampa Bay 47 47 .500 4½ Toronto 47 47 .500 4½ Boston 42 49 .462 8

East Division W     L      Pct.     GB Washington   49 41 .552 — New York 48 44 .522 2 Atlanta 43 49 .467 7 Miami 38 54 .413 12 Philadelphia 32 62 .340 19

Central Division W     L      Pct.     GB Kansas City 55 35 .611 — Minnesota 50 42 .543 6 Detroit 45 46 .495 10½ Cleveland 44 47 .484 11½ Chicago 42 48 .467 13

Central Division W     L      Pct.     GB St. Louis 58 34 .630 — Pittsburgh 53 38 .582 4½ Chicago 49 41 .544 8 Cincinnati 40 49 .449 16½ Milwaukee 41 52 .441 17½

Sunday's results Boston at ANGELS, postponed. Kansas City 4, Chicago 1. Baltimore 9, Detroit 3. Houston 10, Texas 0. New York 2, Seattle 1. Oakland 14, Minnesota 1 Toronto 4, Kansas City 0. Cleveland 5, Cincinnati 3, 11 innings. Monday's games Boston at ANGELS, doubleheader. Seattle at Detroit. Pittsburgh at Kansas City. Tampa Bay at Philadelphia. Texas at Colorado

Sunday's results DODGERS 5, Washington 0. San Francisco 2, Arizona 1. Chicago 4, Atlanta 1. Milwaukee 6, Pittsburgh 1. Philadelphia 8, Miami 7. New York 3, St. Louis 1, 18 innings. Colorado at San Diego, postponed. Cleveland 5, Cincinnati 3, 11 innings. Monday's games DODGERS at Atlanta. Chicago at Cincinnati. New York at Washington. San Francisco at San Diego. Miami at Arizona. Pittsburgh at Kansas City. Tampa Bay at Philadelphia. Texas at Colorado.