AL East owns the Yankees

There is over a month remaining in the regular season, and there are only 12 spots available to compete in the postseason. One of the best ways for a team to secure a playoff spot is to play well against their division rivals. In fact, that is the second tiebreaker to determine which teams gets a spot in the playoffs.

For some teams, their strong intra-division records show why they are locked into a playoff spot. For others, like the New York Yankees, it shows why they are currently holding onto a spot for deal life.

AL East standings by intra-division record

The New York Yankees are in trouble if they have to go to a intra-division record tiebreaker. The team is clinging onto a playoff spot, as they have an abysmal 14-19 record against their division rivals. That spells bad news, especially with other teams in the Wild Card chase having better intra-division records.

Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox have the best record against rival teams at 20-13. The Toronto Blue Jays, who have a 4.5 game lead in the AL, hold a 19-17 intra-division record.

AL Central standings by intra-division record

Luckily for the Detroit Tigers, who have been skidding since the trade deadline, would still hold the intra-division tiebreaker, going 20-11. However, the Cleveland Guardians aren’t far off, going 22-13 against AL Central foes. Still, the Tigers have a 6.5 game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central standings.

The Kansas City Royals, meanwhile, are four games back of the Yankees for the final Wild Card spot. At 16-17, the Royals would hold the tiebreaker advantage over them.

AL West standings by intra-division record

The Seattle Mariners might be in second place in the division, but they are thriving against their rivals. On the year, the Mariners are 25-17, and no team in the division is even close. The Los Angeles Angels, meanwhile, have the second-best intra-division record at 17-15.

The Houston Astros are 16-17 when facing division opponents. As of Aug.12, they have just a one game lead over the Mariners for first place. They’ll need to pick up some more wins, especially against the Mariners.

NL East standings by intra-division record

The Philadelphia Phillies sit in first with a 16-12 record, while the New York Mets trail with a 15-11 record. But in the actual standings, the Phillies hold a six game lead over the Mets, who have been free-falling since the trade deadline.

The Atlanta Braves actually have the most division wins with 18. Yet, they are way outside the playoff picture.

NL Central standings by intra-division record

The biggest surprise of the season have been the Milwaukee Brewers, who let various stars leave over the years yet are still playoff contenders. Not only that, but they hold the best record in baseball at 74-44. In terms of intra-division records, Brewers have the best at 18-12.

The Chicago Cubs, who have watched the Brewers steal first place and never look back, have a 19-15 record.

The St. Louis Cardinals are 16-17, while the Cincinnati Reds are 15-18. Both are firmly in the Wild Card mix.

NL West standings by intra-division record

The Los Angeles Dodgers simply have thrived against their division rivals. They hold a 19-7 intra-division record, the best in all of baseball. This will come in handy if they keep at it, as the San Diego Padres are 17-13 against division rivals.

Surprisingly, the Arizona Diamondbacks are 19-14 against the NL West opponents, despite the fact they sold at the trade deadline.