MLB Standings: New York Yankees & Kansas City Royals in Trouble With Toronto Blue Jays?

By Damon Salvadore First Posted: Sep 15, 2015 12:25 PM EDT

The final games of the 2015 Major League Baseball season are upon us. Fewer than 20 games remain in this MLB season, and the standings are getting tighter than ever. The No. 1 seed in the American League is still up for grabs, with numerous teams in contention to get that home field advantage in the postseason.

At the moment, the Kansas City Royals are in first place in the AL. The Royals, who won the AL last season, may be in first place, but they're in a big slump right now. The Royals have lost eight of their last 10 games. The biggest concern for the Royals lately has been their ace pitcher, Johnny Cueto. Cueto was acquired at the trade deadline from the Cincinnati Reds, but he hasn't adjusted well to AL hitters. Cueto is 2-6 with a 5.43 ERA as a Royals starter this year.

The Royals offense has been steady all year long, ranking fifth in runs scored. Unfortunately for the Royals, Canada's lone team is catching up to them.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been the most impressive team since the All Star break, thanks to an incredible trade deadline. The Blue Jays have quietly snuck up on the Royals, and are now just two wins behind them for the top spot in the AL.

We haven't seen the Blue Jays make the playoffs since the 1993 season, when Joe Carter was on the team. As it stands now, the Blue Jays are 82-61, and they've won three of their last four games. The Blue Jays offense has been the best in the majors this year, ranking first in home runs hits, runs scored, slugging percentage and total bases. Josh Donaldson is the favorite to win the AL MVP this year with his 38 home runs and 119 RBI.

The Blue Jays are 4-3 against the Royals this season, and they will not play each other again. So, in other words, if the Blue Jays and Royals are tied at season's end, the Blue Jays own the tie breaker based on head-to-head matchups.

Speaking of head-to-head matchups, the Blue Jays are 11-8 against their American League East rival, the New York Yankees. The Blue Jays are in first place in the AL East division, and they will play the Bronx Bombers three more times this season, which will all be at home.

The Yankees are presently 79-64, good enough for a wild card playoff spot, but they could be in some trouble. The Yankees have pitching issues and injuries that are all out of their control. The most notable injury, of course, is Mark Teixeira, who is out for the remainder of the season with a bone fracture in his shin. Teixeira leads the Yankees with 31 home runs hit, tied with Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees pitching has now fallen to 17th overall in the league, and they are not dominating at home like they are capable of. They can still win the division, but they must also be concerned about the Texas Rangers, who also hold a wild card spot in the AL. The Los Angeles Angels and Mike Trout have been the biggest disappointment in the second half of the season, falling out of a wild card spot. That wrist injury has taken a huge toll on the reigning AL MVP.

If the season were to end today, the Yankees and Rangers would play each other in a winner-take-all wild card game. The winner of that game would play the No. 1 seed Royals in the second round. Meanwhile the Blue Jays and Houston Astros would face off in the second round of the playoffs.