There are so many trap doors and second chances and get-out-of-jail-free cards in this modern playoff format that it's sometimes hard to find the most titillating element of September baseball: A pennant race.
Well, thank goodness for the American League West.
Three talented teams just flawed enough to keep them from breaking away will stagger around the final turn of this season with three very distinct outcomes in play:
Win the division.
Claim a wild card.
FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team
Book a tee time.