When looking at the American League, there are currently seven teams within three games of the final Wild Card spot.

Coincidentally, that final Wild Card spot is currently held by the 62-64 Texas Rangers.

It's very possible that a team with a record under .500 could make the playoffs, and it's worth noting that six of these seven teams have a negative run differential.

For reference, the Rangers, who currently would be the last AL team in the playoffs, have a -42-run differential, while the Detroit Tigers, a team that is only one game back at 61-65, have a +83-run differential.

To really make things weird, the New York Yankees, who have an 8.5-game cushion and are currently the top Wild Card team, only have a +87-run differential.

It's safe to say the AL West is a three-team race, but for the time being, it's only the Rangers who are giving the Houston Astros a run for their money. 

When looking at the AL East, three teams currently have a winning record, and all three are projected to make the playoffs. There's a world where the Toronto Blue Jays, a team that's only half a game behind the Rangers, also make it in.

With how competitive the East is compared to the West, it's no secret that winning the division would give the Rangers the best chance of making it into the postseason.

Having not made the playoffs since winning the World Series is incredibly odd, but those are the cards the Rangers have been dealt.

Knowing they're only one game back of the Astros, the Rangers must cash in on Houston's three-game skid. Both teams are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, but not a single team in the division has won more than five of their last 10.

If the Rangers want to end their multi-year playoff drought, they're going to have to prove themselves.

While they've won two of their last three, the Rangers are just 3-6 in their last nine, a stretch that's come immediately after they won four straight from Aug. 4-8.

Aug. 24-30 sees a crucial six-game road trip that features them playing the AL Central division-leading Chicago White Sox along with the team with the best record in all of baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Early September sees the AL's best team, the Tampa Bay Rays, come to town for a four-game slate, and they'll also have to do battle with the AL East's Boston Red Sox and Blue Jays in a six-game homestand from Sept. 15-20.