DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers are only two games out of a playoff spot heading into this weekend, but that doesn’t mean they have any breathing room. The Cleveland Indians are out of reach for the first of two wild card spots, leaving the Tigers, Yankees and Orioles as the top three contenders for the No. That starts this weekend, against a White Sox team that has embarrassed the Tigers this season. It looked like the White Sox were taking batting practice against the kids from their alternate training site. Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire takes the ball from pitcher Casey Mize (12) in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Detroit, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020.

DETROIT The Detroit Tigers are still very much in the hunt for a playoff spot, and Friday could end up being one of the most important days left in the season. The Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros are both three games ahead of the Tigers. READ: Heres how the Tigers should shuffle their starting lineup following the JaCoby Jones injuryFriday is so important for a number of reasons. First of all, the Tigers, Blue Jays, Yankees and Twins all have doubleheaders, meaning there could be massive swings in the standings by the time the dust settles at the end of the day. Christin Stewart #14 of the Detroit Tigers is congratulated by Willi Castro #49 following a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at Miller Park on September 01, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Yankees have Gerrit Cole, James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka at the top of a solid starting rotation, but the real story is their offense. 3 because Bostons starting rotation could be one of the worst in the entire league. Cleveland has the best rotation in the division by far, headlined by new co-aces Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger. Texas could have a strong starting rotation if Corey Kluber bounces back and Lance Lynn and Mike Minor build off of last year. The Brewers could have a sneaky good pitching staff with Brandon Woodruff, Adrian Houser and Corbin Burnes.

The Detroit Tigers are the ultimate case study. To have any chance to compete, the Tigers would need to do something like this:15-8 against the Royals, Pirates and White Sox. White Sox have to bustThe Tigers need the White Sox -- this years darling sleeper in the American League -- to be a disappointment. (Getty Images)The White Sox are so intriguing because they have a wider range of possible outcomes than any team in baseball. Cron #26 (L) of the Detroit Tigers is greeted at home plate by teammate Jonathan Schoop #8 after he hit a home run during the Detroit Tigers Summer Workouts at Comerica Park on July 11, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan.