Magic number watch: Where MLB's pennant races stand on Sept. 8

Jason Foster

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Magic number watch: Where MLB's pennant races stand on Sept. 8 image

The magic number is the combined number of wins by the first-place team and losses by the trailing team that will eliminate the trailing team from winning the division.

Here is how the magic numbers for Major League Baseball's division titles look on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 8:

MORE: Worst September collapse of every team | Full standings

AL East

First-place team: Blue Jays

Magic number to eliminate:
2. Yankees (26)
3. Rays (15)
4. Orioles (13)
5. Red Sox (13)

AL Central

First-place team: Royals

Magic number to eliminate:
2. Twins (15)
3. Indians (12)
4. White Sox (10)
5. Tigers (7)

AL West

First-place team: Astros

Magic number to eliminate:
2. Rangers (24)
3. Angels (20)
4. Mariners (16)
5. A's (9)

NL East

First-place team: Mets

Magic number to eliminate:
2. Nationals (21)
3. Marlins (6)
4. Braves (4)
5. Phillies (2)

NL Central

First-place team: Cardinals

Magic number to eliminate:
2. Pirates (21)
3. Cubs (19)
4. Brewers (Eliminated)
5. Reds (Eliminated)

NL West

First-place team: Dodgers

Magic number to eliminate:
2. Giants (17)
3. Diamondbacks (12)
4. Padres (11)
5. Rockies (4)

Jason Foster

Jason Foster Photo

Jason Foster joined The Sporting News in 2015 after stops at various news outlets where he held a variety of reporting and editing roles and covered just about every topic imaginable. He is a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and a 1998 graduate of Appalachian State University.