MLB Standings 2013: Where Each Team Stands After Regular Season

With 162 games in the books, all of the playoff spots have still yet to be decided. But there's no doubt the 2013 MLB regular season has just set the stage for an epic October.

There's been a fair share of surprises along the way—under-the-radar teams that came out of nowhere and once-pegged World Series favorites that are nowhere to be found—and it's all made up for an epic conclusion over the next month.

Let's take a look at the final MLB standings. 

Final 2013 MLB Standings

(x): Won division

(y): Clinched wild-card spot

*: Texas and Tampa Bay will play a 163rd game for final AL wild-card spot. 

Division Champions

Boston Red Sox

One year removed from the failed Bobby Valentine experiment and dumping many of their marquee players, the Boston Red Sox have emerged as the class of the American League.

Though the culture change in the clubhouse may have been the biggest asset, a turnaround season from David Ortiz and newfound pitching success have played their part in the vast difference from 2012 to 2013.

The Red Sox have clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, which should bode well given the signature atmosphere at Fenway Park.

As long as Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester and John Lackey continue to show prowess on the mound, the Sox will be unbeatable in the playoffs.

Detroit Tigers

It was a 162-game slugfest, but the Tigers edged out the pesky Cleveland Indians for the top spot in the AL Central. 

Detroit finished first in the majors in batting average and second in runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. It's no secret that big bats have propelled them to success this season.

Just as well, Max Scherzer has solidified his case as a Cy Young favorite and having Justin Verlander by his side in the rotation doesn't hurt, either.

The Red Sox may be the team to beat in the AL, but the boys from the Motor City aren't far behind.

Oakland Athletics

By now, it shouldn't surprise us when the Oakland A's surprise us—but it inevitably still does.

The Athletics completed a big comeback in the standings to catch the Texas Rangers and take the AL West for the second straight year, only this time it didn't take the final day of the regular season to do so.

While they still may have to deal with the Rangers again—they play Tampa Bay for the final AL wild-card spot in Game 163—winning the division can't be discounted. Not many people will be talking about the A's with the Tigers and Red Sox looking like true World Series contenders, and that's a shame.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves got off to a hot start in the 2013 season by taking a sizable lead over the rest of the NL East, but conclusions weren't jumped to, given the Washington Nationals were lurking.

The Nats (10 games back) ended up being the only team that finished within 22 games of Atlanta. 

It was a balance of hot bats and a rounded-out rotation that allowed Atlanta to keep its foot on the gas throughout the dog days of the season. They'll need that to continue if they want to make noise in the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals came out of perhaps the most hotly contested division in the majors with their first NL Central title since 2008.

St. Louis will have one of the teams in its division in the NLDS as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati both made the playoffs, but it has proven over the course of the season to be the slightly more talented group. 

It remains to be seen if that will carry over into the playoffs, but it's no secret that this organization typically saves its best baseball for October.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Behind the dominant pitching of Clayton Kershaw, the blistering bat of Yasiel Puig and an incredible couple months in the middle of the season, the Dodgers jogged to the NL West title and won it by 11 games.

Los Angeles will be without one of its offensive stars as Matt Kemp will be out the entire postseason according to the Los Angeles Times, but this team has proven that lacking Kemp won't keep them from playing incredible baseball. 

If Puig can keep up his sensational rookie campaign and Kershaw can remain as the ace he's been, the Dodgers will have a big-time shot at the World Series.