Time will be the biggest enemy for many of the teams looking to reach post-season play.

With the calendar flipping to September, Major League Baseball officially begins its' pennant races. At present, 16 teams still have an eye on the playoffs but the number will dwindle dramatically over the next week as the calendar, not the opposition, becomes the biggest enemy. None of the six divisional races could be described as neck and neck with the slimmest margin being Detroit's 4.5 game lead over Minnesota.

With that in mind, it's time to handicap what should be a very interesting stretch run, culminating on the first weekend in October.

A.L. EAST

The Yankees, for all intent and purposes, are home and cooled. They have a six-game lead with 32 games left to play, and only three remaining against the Red Sox who'll require some help if they want to cut into that deficit. Barring a collapse, which doesn't seem likely seeing as they've won 67 of their last 98 games (.683), this will allow them to set their rotation for what should be a long playoff run. The Red Sox must now turn their attention towards securing the Wild Card.

A.L. CENTRAL

Midway through May this division was up for grabs. The Tigers, Twins and Royals were tied at the top, with White Sox and Indians just a small win streak behind. Since then, the Tigers wrestled control but their 4.5 game lead is not as solid as it appears. Beginning on September 18th, of their final 16 games, 13 are against the Twins and White Sox. Adding a couple of more games to their lead before then would be recommended because this could all come undone very quickly over the last two weeks should the Tigers slump.

A.L. WEST

For the first time in years, the Rangers, who normally would have wilted by now in the Texas heat, are the second seed in the West sitting five games behind the Angels. Los Angeles' other team has been out in front since spring training and their only worry is a rotation lacking experience due to injuries. The acquisition on the weekend of Scott Kazmir from the Rays will help, especially his 4-0 combined record against the Yankees and Red Sox this season.

A.L. WILD CARD

The schedule is definitely in the Red Sox favour, with 20 of their final 32 games - including the last seven, all at Fenway Park - against teams that are a combined 82 games below .500. The Rangers are done with the Red Sox this season and will need some help to reel them in. Tampa Bay remains on the fringe of the race, but they do have six games remaining with the Red Sox (they lead the season series 8-4) so they have some control over their destiny.

N.L. EAST

The Phillies 8-game lead over the Braves and Marlins is rock solid. The defending World Series champs are 32-21 within the division and haven't shown any signs of faltering, especially after acquiring Cliff Lee and his 2008 A.L. Young Award at the trade deadline. The only thing that could halt the Phillies from getting back to the Fall Classic is their bullpen, closer Brad Lidge in particular. Their light schedule in September means they'll qualify for the post-season easily, after that fingers will be crossed in Philly.

N.L. CENTRAL

The Cardinals own baseball's biggest divisional lead, currently 10 games over the Cubs, thanks to 24 wins in their last 31 games. Like the Yankees, the only real thing they have to worry about is health and setting their post-season rotation. For the Cubs, they are still in the Wild Card mix, but it will be 'wait until next year' for the 101st straight year when it comes to World Series aspirations.

N.L. WEST

The Dodgers, despite the distraction of Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension after failing a performance-enhancing drug test, have been out front and coasting all season long. Their six-game lead over the Rockies and Giants is solid thanks to a 35-16 record within the division. The Giants last shot at catching the Dodgers is the six head-to-head games remaining with their most bitter rival. The Dodgers lead the season series 7-5.

N.L. WILD CARD

The Rockies and Giants are currently in a virtual dead-heat atop this race, 3.5 games clear of the Braves and Marlins. San Francisco swept Colorado over the weekend to draw even and they have only three games remaining against each other. The team to keep an eye on is the Cubs who have an easier schedule down the stretch, with 13 games remaining against the Mets, Pirates and Reds, who are a combined 52 games below .500.

-------------------------

If the playoffs started today, the matchups would be quite intriguing. In the A.L., the Yankees would open hosting the Tigers, while the Red Sox would to travel to Anaheim to face the Angels. In the N.L., the Cardinals would host either the Giants or Rockies while the Dodgers would host the Phillies. A lot of ball still to be played and those matchups could alter slightly, but it says here that these matchups would be top shelf and after six months, the right teams would have qualified.