Fifty games left in the MLB season and we are lucky enough to have five pennant races remaining. The only division that is all but statistically won is the AL West, where the Texas Rangers have pulled themselves out of the middle of the pack and nearly out of bankruptcy.

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are dueling in the AL East. This will be the division race receiving the most attention over these next couple of months and with good reason - these are the two best teams in baseball. They sit one and two in winning percentage (.624 and .609) and in scoring differential (+134 and +123). Yankees tickets and Rays tickets will both available for the postseason.

The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins are in a very good fight in the AL Central. The winner of this division will be playing the winner in the AL East, so, most likely, the winner of this division gets the honor of losing in the ALDS. Both teams have good bats and good pitching, but not great team hitting and pitching. I expect the annual second half run by the Twins to knock the White Sox out of first, probably within the last week of the season.

The Atlanta Braves hold a couple game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. The Phillies have been maligned with some sort plague weakening their stars’ defenses and landing them on the DL. The Braves were a number of experts’ pick at the beginning of the season and they will likely be correct. This Braves team has a good balance, with a decently potent offense and stingy enough pitching to make good postseason run. However, the Braves are really only displaying that excellent balance at home. They are a sub-.500 team on the road, which means the Phillies have a chance to catch them (especially with the recent addition of Roy Oswalt and despite the question at closer).

The Cincinnati Reds are overcoming their own youthfulness and holding off the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. The Cardinals are the best home team in the entire MLB, but a sub-par team on the road. This does not bode well for La Russa’s ball club. The Reds have a decent three-man playoff rotation in place, but have a questionable closer in Francisco Cordero (4.11 ERA, six blown saves in 36 opportunities). Joey Votto and Scott Rolen are carrying the offense despite its impressive offensive rank (sixth in runs in the MLB), so a slump by one of those two could allow a veteran Cardinals team to steal first.

The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are locked in war in the NL West. They are pretty much the same team after looking at the most basic stats, with the Padres having a slightly better pitching staff and the Giants having a slightly better offense. A closer look reveals the Padres have a good starting rotation, but the Giants have a better rotation. The Padres Matt Latos is the only starter with an ERA below 3.50, while the Giants have four (Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez). Conversely, the Giants have a very good bullpen, but the Padres have a great bullpen. San Francisco three setup men and a closer with an ERA below 3.00, but San Diego has four setup men and a closer with an ERA below 3.00. This is a toss up and will be one of the most fun races to watch.