As the MLB season draws to a close with less than one month remaining, teams are doing everything they can to win clutch games in hopes to secure their respective divisions; for five of the league’s six divisions, wild card races are heating up as the pressure intensifies to clinch a final spot in the postseason.

In the American League the usual playoff powers are going to be surprised by some small market teams. The Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago White Sox are favorites to win their divisions, and with talk surrounding the success of the White Sox, many are speculating on a potential “Northside vs. Southside” World Series between the Cubs and White Sox.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are deadlocked to play postseason ball once again, as they hold a commanding lead in the AL West. The defending World Series Champions, Boston Red Sox, will have to hold their ground in order to prevent an upset by the scrappy Minnesota Twins to secure a wild card berth.

The National League is open for much more debate. No team has more than a five game lead; the Chicago Cubs have the largest with a four-and-a-half game lead over the determined Milwaukee Brewers as of Tuesday.

In the NL East, the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will go down to the wire for the Eastern Division title, as was the case one year ago when the Phillies shocked the baseball nation, beating out the Mets by one game after trailing the Mets seven games with three weeks left in the season.

Finally, the Arizona Diamondbacks will likely wrap up MLB’s weakest division, the NL West, leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers desperate to fight for a wild card spot.

When the dust settles on the NL wild card race, it will be Brewers who will come out on top due to their outstanding pitching rotation and budding power hitters, as they contend as sleepers in their push for the World Series.

Co-written by David Cowart.