# Final AL Playoff Predictions: Who’s In & Who’s Out?

An episode of [Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1486883874), 26 Aug 2026, 1 h 01 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/6a8f56e4be860ffaa2e91c12/media.mp3

DVR, Eno and Jed Lowrie make their final American League playoff predictions, picking all three AL division winners and three Wild Card teams as the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, White Sox, Guardians, Mariners, Rangers and Astros battle for October. DVR still can't quit the Seattle Mariners. Seattle enters the stretch run within striking distance of the AL West and owns an extremely favorable remaining schedule, but defensive shortcomings and an inconsistent offense leave plenty of reasons to question whether the Mariners can actually get back to October. Jed also offers a player's perspective on what happens inside a clubhouse when a team with postseason expectations starts to fall apart late in the season, drawing on his experience with the 2011 Boston Red Sox. The conversation turns to the Blue Jays and whether Toronto can find another gear before time runs out. Then, Eno digs into one of his favorite kinds of rabbit holes: batting stance changes. Carson Benge's impressive rookie season sparks a deeper look at why hitters open or close their stance, how those adjustments can affect vision and swing mechanics, and what Fernando Tatis Jr.'s changes reveal about the tradeoffs hitters make at the plate. Finally, Name That Dude returns! DVR puts Eno and Jed to the test with clues about a mystery former MLB player before the conversation inevitably turns into baseball cards, heat maps and Statcast ideas. Rates & Barrels is your home for smart baseball analysis, MLB trends, advanced stats, fantasy baseball and everything happening around the league with Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris and Jed Lowrie. Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment! First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Contributor: Jed Lowrie Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis #MLB #MLBPlayoffs #Baseball #Yankees #Mariners #RatesAndBarrels 00:00 — Final AL Playoff Predictions 03:12 — The AL Playoff Race Is Chaos 08:38 — Can the White Sox Win the AL Central? 13:19 — Why Cleveland Can Make a September Run 16:49 — DVR Still Believes in the Mariners 19:35 — Mariners vs. Astros in the AL West 23:17 — When a Contender Starts Falling Apart 24:59 — Can the Blue Jays Save Their Season? 29:19 — Final AL Playoff Picks 31:41 — Carson Benge's Breakout Rookie Season 34:40 — Why Hitters Change Their Stance 46:30 — What Fernando Tatis Jr. Changed 52:14 — Name That Dude Returns 56:21 — The Mystery Player Revealed 56:56 — What Should Be on the Back of a Baseball Card? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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