Tigers AL Central Magic Number Stuck After Labor Day Loss to Mets

The Tigers have a magic number of 16, which is a combination of Detroit wins and Kansas City losses, as the Royals are the second-place teams in the division. The Royals were not in action on Monday, as they had an off day. So, with the Tigers losing, their magic number didn’t budge.

Detroit also isn’t much closer to clinching a playoff berth. The Texas Rangers — the first team out of the AL Wild Card race — is red-hot and the Tigers need Texas to start losing games so it can clinch the playoff berth before the division. But the Rangers increasingly have more to play for this month.  

The Tigers are competing with Toronto to claim the top record in the American League. That would come with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Toronto lost on Monday as well, so the Tigers remain a half-game ahead in that race.

The Tigers have not won a division title since 2014, which was the last of a four-season run in which they dominated the division. In that span they went to the World Series in 2012 and reached the ALCS on two other occasions. The Tigers have not won a World Series title since their legendary 1984 team.

Detroit Tigers Magic Number Watch

Magic Number to Clinch Playoff Berth: 16

Magic Number to Clinch AL Central Title: 16

Detroit Tigers Games Remaining: 23

Detroit Tigers Remaining Schedule: Sept. 2-3, vs. New York Mets; Sept. 5-7, vs. Chicago White Sox; Sept. 9-11, at New York Yankees; Sept. 12-14, at Miami; Sept. 16-18, vs. Cleveland; Sept. 19-21, vs. Atlanta; Sept. 23-25 at Cleveland; Sept. 26-28, at Boston.

AL Central Race (after Sept. 1)

Detroit Tigers: 80-59 (lead division)

Kansas City Royals: 70-67 (9.0 games back)

Cleveland Guardians: 68-68 (10.5 games back)

Kansas City Royals Remaining Schedule (25 games): Sept. 2-4, vs. Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 5-7, vs. Minnesota; Sept. 8-11, at Cleveland; Sept. 12-14, at Philadelphia; Sept. 16-18, vs. Seattle; Sept. 19-21, vs. Toronto; Sept. 23-25, at Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 26-28, at Athletics.

Cleveland Guardians Remaining Schedule (26 games): Sept. 2-3, at Boston; Sept. 8-11, vs. Kansas City; Sept. 12-14, vs. Chicago White Sox; Sept. 16-18, at Detroit; Sept. 19-21, vs. Minnesota (four games in three days); Sept. 23-25, vs. Detroit; Sept. 26-28, vs. Texas.