Neither the Houston Astros nor the Texas Rangers have a very good record.
Despite that, someone has to win the AL West Division. It may be taken by a team with a .500 mark, or even below. But there will be a division champ by the final day of the regular season, which is this upcoming Sunday, Sept. 27.
With where the Astros and Rangers currently sit, there’s also the potential that a tiebreaker comes into play, so it’s worth considering how that might play out.
What Is Astros-Rangers Tiebreaker?
The tiebreaker to determine a division winner among teams with the same record is head-to-head season series.
Whichever team won more of the 13 games between these divisional foes would then finish above the other if they had the same overall record.
MLB doesn’t have a potential ‘Game 163’ to break a tie anymore. It’s just determined by the head-to-head marks.
Who Holds Astros-Rangers Tiebreaker?
The tiebreaker is held comfortably by the Astros.
They won 9-of-13 in the season series against the Rangers, a 9-4 mark that left no doubt as to which ballclub the tiebreaker belongs to.
In a practical sense, that means the Rangers have to finish the season with a better record than the Astros to win the AL West Division. If they’re tied, the title goes to Houston.
AL West Standings, Schedule
Through action on Tuesday, Sept. 22, everything is all square in the AL West.
The Astros won on Tuesday night, while the Rangers lost.
That leaves both teams with identical 78-79 marks.
If the season ended today, Houston would make the playoffs over Texas because of the tiebreaker.
It doesn’t end today, of course. Each has five games left, none against one another. They could have the exact same outcomes, or one could finish stronger than the other to win the division.
Houston will begin its final five games with one more game in Seattle. They play the Mariners on Wednesday night. From there, the Astros travel down to Sacramento. They finish the season with four road games against the Athletics.
The Rangers’ final five games start Wednesday night at home when they host the Mets, who beat them 6-3 on Tuesday. Texas will then host the Mets again on Thursday afternoon.
From there, the Rangers travel to Minnesota, where they conclude the regular season with a three-game series against the Twins.
Every possible permutation is still in play, including both teams finishing strong and one sneaking up to win the final AL Wild Card spot, too, although that’s unlikely at this point.
The most likely outcome is that one of these teams from the Lone Star State goes to the playoffs, and the other stays home — and there’s still everything to play for in the final five days of the regular season.
Who Holds Astros-Rangers Tiebreaker? AL West Division Could Come Down to Head-to-Head Record