AL Wild-Card Race: Which MLB Teams Will Prevail Down the Stretch?

The American League wild-card race this year has a different look and feel to it, but the younger teams may find it hard to hold on down the stretch.

We're use to the usual suspects—like the Red Sox, Twins and Angels—crowding the top of the standings each September. However, 2012 has taken on a different look, and now young squads like the Orioles and Athletics are bounding toward strong finishes and potential playoff games—which was heretofore unheard of for them.

The young teams who have shown promise all year will find it difficult to sustain their success as September rolls around and the heat of the postseason looms. The following two teams, however, will muster enough energy to pull out the first-ever two wild-card spots.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels began the season with their gears grinding.

Albert Pujols was struggling, the starting staff was inconsistent, and the team couldn't pull out games that they were supposed to win.

Since their slow April start, they have developed a serious identity, and with young star Mike Trout energizing an impressive offense and Cy Young candidate Jared Weaver having another stellar season, this team looks primed for a deep postseason run. (Weaver is currently second in the league in wins with 16, fifth in ERA with a 2.74 clip, and first in WHIP with an amazing 0.98 tally.)

With Pujols coming back from an injury, the Angels look to play solid baseball down the stretch. The team will have an important matchup with the Athletics during the third week of September, so it will have to bank on solid performances from its star players.

Tampa Bay Rays

It's all about pitching with the Rays, and they continue to have some of the best young arms at the ready each night.

Currently, Tampa Bay has the second-best team ERA in baseball with a 3.28 mark. (Not surprisingly, the Nationals, with the best record in baseball, come in at No. 1.) Hellickson, Shields and Price have all lived up to their billing, with the latter having had another Cy Young-type season.

Offensively, the Rays have struggled. The team is ranked third-to-last in baseball offensively, with a very poor .236 team batting average to date.

With that said, the Rays have been a winning team since 2008 because of their ability to get solid starting pitching and bullpen help when the games are at the highest level. I see the team's young arms leading them throughout September. They're just too good to suddenly drop off significantly. Pitching wins come playoff time, and the Rays are the best out there.