It All Comes Down to This...(Part 3)

It's Monday and it only means one thing: it's the final week of the 2025 Major League Baseball season. The Postseason is within our sights and we're ready for it. In case you've missed the first two parts of this series, links to my previous stories will be found down below, so you can catch up on the happenings of the Wild Card races.

https://shopping-feedback.today/unbalanced/it-all-comes-down-to-this%3C/a%3E

https://shopping-feedback.today/unbalanced/it-all-comes-down-to-this-part-2%3C/a%3E

In Part three of this series, I'll update everyone on the latest Wild Card races in both the American and National League. Plus, a catcher is now part of MLB history, surpassing a legend and being tied with another. An AL team is the first to clinch a division title and finally, a veteran pitcher has announced his retirement after almost two decades.

American League Wild Card Standings (as of 9/21/2025)

• New York Yankees (88-68)
• Boston Red Sox (85-71)
• Cleveland Guardians (84-72)
• In the hunt: Houston Astros (84-72)

*Tied with the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot

In Part two of my story, I stated that the Houston Astros held the final Wild Card spot. Now, the surging Guardians have sole possession of it, at least for the time being. So, it would be interesting to see which team would be the last one standing and who will miss the playoffs.

Let's talk about my beloved Texas Rangers. I wish I had better news for my fellow Rangers fans. After being swept by their division rival Astros and Miami Marlins, they now have a record of 79-77. They haven't won a series since taking two of three from the New York Mets. Between both the Astros and Marlins series, the Rangers were outscored 31-19 during their six-game span. They have Monday off before resuming their final two series of the season on Tuesday, starting with the Minnesota Twins and then the Cleveland Guardians to close out their season. If the Rangers were to take two out of three from both teams, there's a chance that it may not be enough for them to reach the playoffs. Let's say, hypothetically, the Rangers swept both teams, would that propel them to see October? That has yet to be seen, but it's a wait and see approach. If the Rangers don't make it to the playoffs, one question remains: Will Bruce Bochy return as the Rangers skipper in 2026 or will the organization move on from him and hire a new manager? His fate may rest in these final two series.

Congratulations are in order for Cal Raleigh. Last Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, he made history by surpassing the late, great Mickey Mantle by hitting his 55th home run. This was the most home runs by a switch hitter, while the 56th dinger, he tied with Ken Griffey, Jr. for the Mariners single-season record. The AL MVP candidate has been having a spectacular season and the entire league has noticed. In case you were wondering what his stats were in the aforementioned game: he went three-for-five, with a double, two homers, three RBI, and an additional run scored. As of the writing of this story, they're in first place in the American League West.

Everyone had very low expectations for the Toronto Blue Jays before the season began. They predicted them to have another sub-.500 year. However, they weren't going to retreat and disappear so easily. The Blue Jays currently have a record of 90-66 and not only that, they're the first AL team to clinch a playoff berth. The winner of the American League East hasn't been decided yet, because the New York Yankees are currently two games behind the Blue Jays. It'll come down to the wire, as both teams battle it out for the division crown.

Onto the National League...

The Milwaukee Brewers have already punched their ticket to October, but they won their third consecutive National League Central division title. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League East title. Remember, they already clinched a playoff spot. But wait, there's more! Two more teams have since clinched playoff berths. They are the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. That means one final playoff spot is up for grabs. Let's see how the National League Wild Card standings have fared over the past week.

• Chicago Cubs (88-68)
• San Diego Padres (85-71)
• Cincinnati Reds (80-76)

In the hunt: New York Mets (80-76)

*Tied with the Reds for the final Wild Card spot

Since my last story, the Mets had the final Wild Card spot, but now, they're tied with the Reds for it. The Reds are a team that I didn't expect to be involved in a Wild Card chase. Just like the situation with the Astros and Guardians, it'll be interesting to see who would be triumphant in securing the last playoff spot. Both teams, however, have to worry about the Arizona Diamondbacks, which they have a record of 79-77, just a game back for the final Wild Card spot. So, don't count them out just yet. It'll be three teams vying for a chance to see October. We'll have to wait until next week, where I'll update everyone one last time before the Postseason begins.

Finally, a veteran pitcher has decided to hang up his cleats at season's end. Clayton Kershaw announced last week that he would be retiring after 18 seasons, all being spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This announcement was made a little over a week after Anthony Rizzo announced his retirement from baseball. I recently shared my thoughts about him in a previous story and I'm glad that he's retiring, which was long overdue. Honestly, he should've done that after being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLDS. However, I won't miss him at all. I'll explain the main reason why in a bit. At first, I admired his pitching and talent. I wished that he were a Texas Ranger, because he would've been a great addition to the team and won at least one World Series title. Me and fellow Rangers fans would've welcomed him with open arms. He and I are from Texas, but I would've loved to see him in a Rangers uniform. Fast forward to now, the main reason why I won't miss Clayton Kershaw is because he apparently despises LGBTQ+ people. As a Rangers fan who is gay, I was very disappointed and shocked by the things that he said about people like me. He made disparaging remarks about the LGBTQ+ community in an interview during Pride Month in 2023 and during this year's Pride Month, which is recognized annually by 29 out the 30 teams in Major League Baseball except for the Rangers, he was wearing his Dodgers rainbow-themed hat. Not only that, he had written Bible verses next to the Dodgers logo, which appeared to be anti-LGBTQ+. In conclusion, Clayton Kershaw is a heartless bigot. I called him out on his bigotry in my previous stories about him. As I've stated previously, everyone has the right to their own personal beliefs. I have no issues with anyone's faith. However, when someone uses their faith as an excuse to hate a group of people just for existing and not harming anyone, that's the moment where I lose respect for them. I could no longer support or defend Clayton Kershaw ever again. Are all Christians hostile towards LGBTQ+ individuals? No, because there are some out there who are allies of us. I'm not going to give Kershaw a pass, just because he's retiring and he will never get a pass from me at all. His true demeanor shows how much I've lost all respect for him. Him being a devout Christian is not a hall pass for him to lump all of us in a box and see us as bad people. Based on the many videos I've seen of him on YouTube and the comments from baseball fans, many labeled him as an angry pitcher and being in his feelings over the smallest things. This is why many people don't take him seriously. Clayton Kershaw retiring is a breath of fresh air for me, because the Dodgers can finally move on from this petty, bigoted drama queen. Yes, I said it and make zero apologies for saying that. Because of his antics, I'll never recognize him as one of the best pitchers that have ever played the game. Plus, I'll never see him as "The Face of the Dodgers." That honor should go to Freddie Freeman. I'm not one to wish the Dodgers or Clayton Kershaw well, but all I can hope for Kershaw is that he'll enjoy retirement and be at peace with himself. I'll just leave him be.

Be sure to come back here next week for one final update on the AL and NL Wild Card chases. Fall has officially arrived, and October Baseball is within our sights.