Opinion

If you can remember as far back as early August, then you can remember a time when the American League West race was between the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels and nobody else.

Now, here we are to ask with total seriousness if the Texas Rangers have become the team to beat. Because baseball is weird like that.

While there's still plenty of baseball to be played—we've got two-plus weeks of the regular season to go and a full slate of playoff action yet to come—the upcoming offseason and free-agent market have begun to become visible on the horizon.

And what a free-agent market it's shaping up to be.

Overlooking Curtis Granderson has been a given. 

The New York Mets have so many storylines swirling around their clubhouse this season, and the New York and national media alike are covering them all top to bottom.

The scramble for the National League Central is easily the most intriguing division race in baseball. And, with a tip of the cap to Spinal Tap, the intrigue is about to get cranked up to "11." 

Entering play Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals (89-54) sit in first place, the Pittsburgh Pirates (86-56) are 2.5 games out in second place and the Chicago Cubs (82-60) are 6.5 games off the pace in third.

If Zack Greinke hasn't cleared space in his trophy case yet, he'd better get busy. Because, while the race for the National League Cy Young Award isn't over, the Los Angeles Dodgers' right-hander looks more like the prohibitive front-runner with each superlative start.

Heading into the final weeks of the MLB season, about half of the division races are all but wrapped up. The Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals are the three division leaders with a sub-five-game lead.

In this slideshow, we’ll discuss each division leader’s biggest concern for either the rest of the season, or the postseason. Even if its lead is seemingly infallible, each team has a concern moving forward.

Be sure to leave your thoughts on each division leader’s biggest concern in the comments section.

The wins are great, but the injury curbs some of the enthusiasm. 

The Toronto Blue Jays went into the Bronx knowing a series win could give them a significant cushion in the American League East. On Saturday night, they secured that victory, taking the first three games of a four-game weekend against the New York Yankees to pump their division lead to 4.5 games. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There is nothing small about Big Papi.

The smile. The swing. The “bombs.” The strut. The stature. The numbers. The persona. The divide among fans and media over his legacy. 

They're all bigger-than-big, even in an era of supersized everything.

NEW YORK — The ceremony will be simple, the New York Yankees say.

Nothing elaborate. No special guests. Just a nice little acknowledgement of what Alex Rodriguez did by reaching 3,000 hits.

Simple...as if anything with Rodriguez can ever be simple.

Just like what the Yankees did after Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit, except with A-Rod, nothing can be just like Jeter.

Let's face it. The possibility exists that the New York Yankees will render this article moot in no time at all. All they have to do is win their next three games, and they're back atop the AL East.

But you sure get the sense that's not going to happen, don't you?