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Mariners and Astros Clash in Thrilling AL West Race as Playoffs Loom
15 Aug
Summary
- Mariners and Astros battling for AL West title
- Mets and Yankees struggling in wild card races
- Devers finding form for Giants, but playoff hopes dim
As of August 15th, 2025, the race for the American League West division title is heating up between the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros. The Mariners, who have not won the division since 2001, have been bolstered by the additions of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez at the trade deadline and are currently playing their best baseball of the season, winning 10 of their last 13 games.
However, the Astros, who have won the division in five of the last eight seasons, are not going down without a fight. Despite dealing with several key injuries, the Astros have managed to keep pace with the surging Mariners, setting up a thrilling finish to the regular season.
Elsewhere in the American League, the New York Yankees and New York Mets, two of the preseason favorites, have struggled to maintain their footing in the wild card races. The Guardians, led by the MVP-caliber play of José Ramírez, have taken advantage of the Yankees' and Mets' woes, closing in on the final wild card spots.
In San Francisco, slugger Rafael Devers has finally started to find his groove with the Giants, hitting four home runs in August. However, with the Giants sitting five and a half games out of a playoff spot, Devers' resurgence may be too little, too late to save their postseason hopes.
