MLB Pennant Race 2022: 1st Berth Clinched, Are the Yankees Truly Back?

While many sports fans (myself included) were focused on the beginning of another sport's season, there was still a postseason push going on in Major League Baseball. The month of September is closing in on the midpoint, and there are still some intriguing storylines out there--as the season enters the final 24 days. They are as follows:

The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to lock in a spot in the 2022 Postseason, doing so with a win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. The Dodgers took the game by a score of 11-2, and that win was all they needed, as they entered the day with a magic number of just one to clinch a postseason berth. This is the Dodgers' tenth consecutive trip to the postseason, and it has seen so many NLCS appearances, three pennants, but only one championship (2020). The Blue Crew appear to be on the verge of eclipsing their franchise wins record, but time will tell if that results in their second championship on three seasons.

What's Next: Because the Dodgers clinch the season series over San Diego, their magic number to clinch the National League West is only two. The Dodgers can actually clinch the division as soon as Tuesday, as their road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks starts on Monday. After a day off, the Dodgers head to San Francisco for three against the Giants, as they begin their quest for a bye and possibly home field.

Has the New York Yankees' groove returned? The last week says they have. The Yankees returned to The Bronx for home series against the Minnesota Twins (four games) and the division rival Tampa Bay Rays (three games), and the week was a successful one--taking three of four against the Twins, but the Rays series was the important one. It didn't look good at first; the Yankees' bats struggled in the first game, but they picked up in the next two games--ten runs each in both games. This also includes Giancarlo Stanton homering on Saturday and Sunday; his first homers since returning from the injured list. Saturday's victory clinched the season series against the Rays. As a result, the Yankees' magic number to clinch the American League East is 16.

What's Next: The Yankees have a short week ahead of them; a two game set against the Red Sox in Fenway, followed by a three game set in Milwaukee against the Brewers.

The St. Louis Cardinals' knack for coming back from certain death has returned in the 2022 season; they were once, at least, five games out in the National League Central--now they're leagues ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. They did this before in 2021, going on a lengthy winning streak to lock in one of the National League's two (at that time) Wild Card spots. The centerpiece of the Cardinals' season has been their returning superstar, Albert Pujols, who is back in St. Louis for what appears to be a farewell run. Pujois has been on a quest to become the fourth-ever batter to reach 700 career home runs, and his latest game saw Pujols hit HR #697, which moved him past Alex Rodriguez for fourth all time. Only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), and Babe Ruth (714) have more home runs.

What's Next: As for the Cardinals overall, their magic number to clinch the division is 14. They are at home for this entire week, a two game set against the Brewers, and an actual five-game series against the Cincinnati Reds (played in four days). If the Cards sweep the two game set, they will clinch the season series.

One spot is clinched, but there are still 11 left to grab. The Wild Card positions remain unchanged from the previous week (SEA/TB/TOR in the AL; ATL/PHI/SD in the NL), despite the Atlanta Braves temporarily being in first place in the National League East during this past week. The final three and a half weeks of the season will be quite intriguing!

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