A sport, which was once “America’s pastime,” seems more like a sport to “pass the time” in between football seasons lately.

It is really a shame, too, considering four of the six divisions have teams within 6 1/2 games of each other, and both Wild Card races have teams separated by 3 1/2 games or less, as of Wednesday night.

Yes, there are only three weeks left, and 6 1/2 games seems like too great of a deficit to overcome for some.

But I have seen crazier things happen — hello, 2008-09 Mets.

So, in an effort to keep our oldest game off the backburner during the most hotly-contested month of its season, I offer baseball fans a well-deserved breakdown of the upcoming playoffs.

American League Wild Card: I was really hoping to get a chance to see the Rangers get a crack at the playoffs with all of their young talent, but the boys in Beantown are going to have an easier road getting there with a slight two-game lead.

Eleven of the Red Sox’ next 20 games are against teams below .500, versus the Rangers’ eight out of 20.

AL West: The Angels’ division lead is not comfortable, but they have been consistent all season.

They feature a pitching staff that doesn’t blow people away statistically, yet manages to keep games within reach. Their bats lead the majors in average, and they are second in runs scored.

AL Central: The Tigers will not relinquish their 6 1/2-game lead — especially with the stellar starting pitching they have at the top of their rotation.

Exhibit A: 100-mph flamethrower Justin Verlander.

AL East: Yes, the Evil Empire strikes back. And it is about time, considering the outrageous sums of money the Yankees have poured into players’ contracts.

C.C. Sabathia did not look so great early on, but he is 7-1 in his last 10 starts.

Oh, I forgot – their lineup mauls anyone and everyone.

This division is already locked up.

National League Wild Card: Another tough one to decide, but in the end, Colorado should outlast San Francisco for the final spot in the NL.

Starting pitcher Jason Marquis is having a career year, and this team has a knack for finding ways to squeak out wins with their backs against the wall.

NL West: The Dodgers have pretty much owned this division all season, with some minor threats from the Rockies, but their powerful lineup led by Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp should hold off Colorado for the last few weeks.

The recent addition of Jim Thome also makes this nightmare of a lineup even more frightening to face.

NL Central: The St. Louis Cardinals took control of this division last month and have not looked back.

The 1-2 punch of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright is the best in the big leagues and is built for success in the playoffs.

Also, in perhaps the biggest deal before the trade deadline, the Cardinals dealt for slugger Matt Holliday to protect slugger Albert Pujols — nasty.

NL East: The defending champion Philadelphia Phillies look even better than last year.

The acquisitions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez to shore up their rotation for the final push has paid huge dividends.

Offseason pickup Raul Ibañez is reaping the benefits of hitting to the short porches of the Phillies’ ballpark.

So, with the teams set, here is how I see the playoffs unfolding:
AL Divisional Series: The Yankees in four over the Red Sox, and the Tigers over the Angels in five.

AL Championship Series: The Yankees over the Tigers in five.

NLDS: The Cardinals over the Rockies in four, and the Phillies over the Dodgers in five.

NLCS: The Cardinals over the Phillies in seven.

World Series: The Yankees over the Cardinals in seven in an epic Fall Classic.

Reach Erik at emschimm@asu.edu.