With eight weeks remaining in MLB's 2022 regular season, what's the best-case scenario for each of the 30 teams?

Will the Los Angeles Dodgers set the record for wins in a single season?

Could the Toronto Blue Jays do what seemed impossible one month ago and catch the New York Yankees to win the AL East?

Are the Boston Red Sox or San Francisco Giants going to make the playoffs?

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Please note that we're only looking at best-case scenarios for the rest of the regular season. Obviously, winning the World Series is the best-case scenario for the 18 teams that still have realistic postseason aspirations, but we're setting our sights on early October rather than the end of it.

Please also note that we're talking about realistic scenarios. The A's aren't going 52-0 the rest of the way to win the AL West.

Teams are listed in alphabetical order. Statistics and records are current through the start of play on Tuesday, August 9.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks: Melancon Gets His Mojo Back; Carroll Steals the Show

Mark Melancon is sputtering through one of the worst seasons of his career, but the Diamondbacks have the 37-year-old 2021 MLB saves leader under contract through next season before a mutual option in 2024.

He has been OK over the past two months, although save opportunities have been few and far between in Arizona. It would be great for the D-backs if he finishes strong, closing out games in which presumed September call-up Corbin Carroll provides a good chunk of the offense.

 

Atlanta Braves: Another 29-16 Surge to an NL East Crown

Losing four out of five against the New York Mets last weekend was a great big step in the wrong direction, but Atlanta isn't out of it yet. The team is seven games back with seven games remaining against the Mets—all seven of them in Atlanta.

Take care of business in those games and beat up on the likes of the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals along the way, and Atlanta can storm into the postseason just like it did one year ago.

 

Baltimore Orioles: Make the Playoffs (After Upper Management Threw in the Towel)

Despite trading Trey Mancini and Jorge Lopez by last week's deadline—essentially telling their fans they aren't trying to make the playoffs this season—the Orioles put together a five-game winning streak from Aug. 1-6 to remain firmly in the hunt for a wild-card spot.

And it's not like the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians or Chicago White Sox did much of anything at the trade deadline to improve their postseason odds.

The Orioles will need to beat up on the Blue Jays to pull it off, though. Even after the current series concludes, they still have 12 games left against Toronto.