​To say the 2026 American League has been underwhelming would be generous. Entering play Monday, six AL teams are above .500 and just five have a positive run differential. As a byproduct of all this mediocrity, only three AL teams are more than 5.5 games out of a playoff spot as the calendar turns to September.Which squad will emerge from the mess that is the Junior Circuit to advance to the World Series? Here’s a reason to believe in a few of them.New York Yankees Why believe in the Yankees this season? They’ve gone through the war of attrition that is the regular season and come out the other side as one of the top two teams in the American League. Most teams would be finished if they lost a player such as Aaron Judge for more than half the season. But while their offense has suffered without Judge, the Yankees have found ways to keep winning. Losing Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton for extended periods of time also could’ve been the Yankees’ breaking point. Yet through every injury and missed game, New York kept plugging along and has carried the second best-record in the AL into September. What if this team is able to get mostly healthy by October? Just Judge’s presence in the Yankees’ lineup would be a boost, and if he’s able to deliver 70% of his MVP form, it would give this offense a very capable and motivated hitter who has had half a season to rest his body. Meanwhile, on the mound, the trio of Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried are as good as it gets, with the ability to shut down the opposing lineup every time out. With the lineup almost healthy, the Yankees’ confidence should only grow from here. And a healthy and confident Yankees lineup should terrify the rest of the AL. — DorseyTampa Bay RaysThe Rays’ consistency amid the chaos of mediocrity below them in the American League standings has been admirable and is worth respecting as we head toward October. Other than an ugly trip to Boston coming out of the All-Star break, Tampa Bay has generally avoided any serious skids this season and has racked up series wins, often in dominant fashion: The Rays have completed 14 sweeps this season, the most in MLB by a healthy margin (the Red Sox are second with 10). With a clear path to claiming the top seed on the AL side of the bracket, the accompanying home-field advantage could be especially valuable to this year’s Rays club: Not only is Tampa Bay’s 46-23 mark at Tropicana Field the second-best home record behind Atlanta (48-23) this MLB season, but also by winning percentage (.667), it’s tracking as the second-best home record in a full season in franchise history, behind only 2008 (.704; 57-24), when the Rays made their first trip to the Fall Classic. With an offensive superstar in Junior Caminero and a stellar pitching staff that received reinforcements at the deadline, the Rays have the pieces to carry over their regular-season excellence and make a real run at the franchise’s first World Seri