IT'S POSTSEASON SEASON. I have arisen from my tomb of higher education on this occasion to prognosticate the proceedings of playoff baseball. In true college student fashion, I am waiting to the last possible moment to make this post, as the NL Wild Card Game is tonight. I'm not willing to waste more breath on the intro, because time is of the essence. I'm arranging by league, and then by seeding. Let's go. AMERICAN LEAGUE1. Houston Astros Regular season record : 107-55 How Davids so quickly become Goliaths. It feels like just yesterday that the upstart 2015 Astros overcame the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Game for the right to take on the top-seeded Kansas City Royals. Now, one World Series championship and two game-breaking pitching acquisitions later, here they are. Fresh off a club record 107 wins and armed with the scariest starting triple threat since Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine, they're primed to "take it back", true to their new social media slogan and rallying cry. They have an insane list of names at their disposal. On offense - murderer's row. Franchise cornerstones José Altuvé, George Springer, Alex Bregman, and Carlos Correa are back, and they're joined by on-base machine Michael Brantley and rookie sensation Yordan Alvarez. Don't forget about Yuli Gurriel, Josh Reddick, and Robinson Chirinos. This offense has been firing on all cylinders for two months and it'll take a near-immovable object to handle this near-unstoppable force. Of course, that only works if you can score runs off them. Good luck with that. Their top three pitchers are Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke. Those names--it doesn't feel right. It feels like if someone went on franchise mode of a video game and cheesed the system. Last year's Red Sox, as unstoppable as they were, could only dream of a rotation this dominant. Verlander and Cole in particular are certain to be number 1 and number 2 in the AL Cy Young conversation; the only question is how you order them. Both reached 300 strikeouts over the season. Cole will be the more intriguing storyline in my opinion; he's on a contract year. He is all but guaranteed to get a record-smashing contract in free agency for a pitcher. Who will he sign with? The Astros' results this season may determine this; it may not. The Astros also have Wade Miley as their fourth starter. Let's not forget the bullpen. While it isn't the best unit in the AL, it boasts shutdown names like Ryan Pressly, (sigh) Roberto Osuna, and Will Harris. Brad Peacock will be available in a long relief role. This team is deep, this team is multifaceted, and this team is DEADLY. Winning a single game against these guys on their home turf will be a Herculean task. To do so multiple times unprecedented. That's what it'll take to beat them, as they have the top record in baseball. We'll see if anyone is up to it. 2. New York Yankees Regular season record: 103-59 Here they are. My boys. It's hard to believe this is the first time in seven years that the Yankees have stood atop their own division. They didn't get there in remotely the fashion anyone expected. Some of the people in the above photo were completely unknown before this season made them into stars. This was not the season of the juggernaut firing on all cylinders, crushing all in its path with pure talent and payroll. It was a season of uncertainty, of steps forward followed by steps back, of injury. Literally, record-setting injury misfortune. And yet. One hundred three wins. The exact total amassed by the 2009 World Champions. I'm so proud of these guys. But if they're going to make it back to the World Series, they will have to get past at LEAST one other 100-win team. Here's the lineup they figure to use to try to get there, at least until the next injury muddies it up again. Aaron Judge, Gary Sánchez, a revitalized Giancarlo Stanton, and sophomore sensation Gleyber Torres lead the offense. Free agent signing DJ LeMahieu was endlessly valuable for the Yankees, staying healthy all year and playing three positions on the field while reaching base at a fantastic clip at the top of the order. Veteran legend Brett Gardner set a career high in home runs at age 36. And, oh yeah, Edwin Encarnación is here too. A struggling Luke Voit and--gulp--declining Didi Gregorius fill out the lineup thanks to--what else--injuries. Gio Urshela, a revelation at third base, got hurt on the final day of the regular season, and his status is uncertain. Aaron Hicks and Mike Tauchman will likely miss the entire playoffs. The latter bit of news sucked as Tauchman is such an electric personality, who would no doubt serve up some unforgettable moment or two were he in the lineup. But these are the cards they're dealt. This is how they'll play 'em. Pitching is the biggest question mark the Yankees have had to face all year. The Yankees notoriously signed no marquee free agents and made no moves at the deadline. James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, and J.A. Happ are the pitchers with whom they will appear to move forward. Paxton has been lights-out since the All-Star break, but left his final start of the regular season with a tight glute, and now we're all going crazy again. Severino has 12 major league innings to his name this season, so who knows how much length the Yanks will get out of him. Happ has been better down the stretch in September, but has fallen prey to the long ball and can't consistently stay out of trouble. We all know the Yankees' true pitching strength. The bullpen. Adam Ottavino. Tommy Kahnle. Zack Britton. Aroldis Chapman (sigh). These four horsemen of the apocalypse are also joined by Chad Green, Luis Cessa, and David Hale, long relief options who can swoop in to the rescue should the starters sputter. At this point you're probably saying, "hey, buddy, you're missing a name". I assure you I have no idea who you're talking about. ...Eugh. ...You know what? Don't worry about it. Here's your team. It's not all in one piece, but it's got the depth and the next man up mentality needed to win a championship. We'll see if it's enough. 3. Minnesota Twins Regular season record: 101-61 The Bomba Squad. In a baseball landscape dominated by the long ball, these Minnesota Twins perfected the craft. They rode the home run ball to a triple digit win total, and dominion of the AL Central for the first time since 2010. I've got no idea if all three division winners in one league had triple digit win totals ever before this year, but it's something else. Somehow, the Twins are the third best team in their league. Here is that "third best team." Max Kepler. Jorge Polanco. Eddie Rosario. Miguel Sanó. Nelson Cruz. C.J. Cron. Mitch Garver. They all hit for power. Don't forget Jonathan Schoop and Jason Castro. Unfortunately, Byron Buxton has lost to the injury gods once again, necessitating center field starts from Jake Cave, but even he is hitting at an above average clip. Utilitymen Luis Arraez, Ehire Adrianza, and Marwin Gonzalez are all hurting, but all three can be back in the mix at some point in time. The offense is easily Minnesota's strength. Here's where things get tricky. José Berrios leads a pitching rotation that has been effective but not impressive. Jake Odorizzi has been impressive in his second season in Minnesota. He has a bit of a tight hamstring but should be ready for the playoffs. Martin Perez has been better than expected as a low-risk free agent signing, but it's uncertain if he can give the Twins distance in games. Kyle Gibson has been painfully average. And Michael Pineda has been suspended for PEDs. The Twins' bullpen has a solid back end. Taylor Rogers, quietly dominant last season, has repeated his brilliance this year. Noted Gamer Trevor May has been indispensable. Tyler Duffey and Ryne Harper have also been valuable. Aside from those four, you've got Sergio Romo and some question marks. This team will go as far as its pitching will be able to take it. You likely won't have to worry about offense. 4. Oakland Athletics Regular season record: 97-65 The Oakland Athletics, in direct defiance with the great powers of their sport, have won 97 games for the second consecutive season. Last year, they did it with the lowest payroll in the league. This year, they did it with the second-lowest, higher than only the team they're slated to face in the Wild Card--Tampa Bay. Moneyball was published sixteen years ago, but this conniving franchise is still armed to the teeth with cutting edge knowledge. Even with the most advanced organization in the sport right in their division, breathing down their neck constantly, they succeed. Behold the group that just kinda makes it happen time and time again. Headlining this band of misfits is the best 3rd base-1st base combo in all of baseball. Yes, that is a hot take. Yes, it is substantiated. The two Matts--Chapman at 3rd and Olson at 1st--can do it all offensively and defensively. Add to the Matts a Marcus (Semien) having a career year which will likely garner downballot MVP support. Tack on Chad Pinder and Jurickson Profar, and you have an infield for the ages. In the cavernous Oakland outfield, you've got batt flippin' sideburnin' legend Mark Canha. You'll also find statistical oddball Ramon Laureano (he's terrible at defense, actually), and the reliable Robbie Grossman. Don't forget about Stephen Piscotty, who can still make some noise despite being in a far more diminished role than last year. Behind the plate WOULD be Sean Murphy, but something something September callup. So have a Josh Phegley instead. Here's the part that continues to defy logic: the pitching. Sean Manaea is healthy again, a miraculous, potentially season-saving gift from the baseball gods, and compensation for losing Frankie Montas to suspension. Other than Manaea, you're presented with a wholly unremarkable staff of Mike Fiers, Brett Anderson, Homer Bailey, and Chris Bassitt. They make it work. When presented with a one-game playoff situation, though, what's important is who you've got at the top. The A's know that from their ill-fated opener experiment in 2018 against New York, which is why getting Manaea back is so, SO huge. He's also been untouchable since his return. Now the bullpen. If I told an A's fan in mid-2018 that Blake Treinen and Lou Trivino would both turn into pumpkins and be out for the season by September, but they were still a playoff team, they'd call me a lunatic. Or assume Sean Doolittle came back somehow. Well, they found a closer in-house. Liam Hendriks, the dude who opened last year's Wild Card game is now pitching dominantly in the 9th. In addition, you've got Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria, Jake Diekman, Tanner Roark, J.B. Wendelken, and Ryan Buchter available. Again, they just make it work. Somehow. Someway. They're the impossible dream. Let's see how far the dream takes them. 5. Tampa Bay Rays Regular season record: 96-66 If a team makes the playoffs, and no one's there to watch it happen, did it? Evidently so, as we examine the curious case of the Tampa Bay Rays, who despite being in a playoff spot nearly the entire season, just could not draw a crowd. The Rays' attendance woes were so great that they drew fewer fans this season than the Orioles, Tigers, Royals, and Blue Jays, who are picking in the top 10 in next year's MLB draft. Only the Marlins had poorer attendance numbers than the Rays this season. It's an ugly storyline and one I wish I didn't have to talk about, but it's unavoidable when discussing these Rays. That said, let's recognize that the attendance problems are not the players' fault and analyze the squad they've built. The Rays have strength in numbers. They have some individual stars such as on-base god Tommy Pham and the slugger who makes Pittsburgh look stupider every passing day in Austin Meadows. But aside from that, it's just a bunch of above average guys who make a lineup that is tough to crack in its malleability. Brandon Lowe, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Diaz, Kevin Kiermaier, Willy Adames, Avisail Garcia, Travis d'Arnaud, Joey Wendle, Jesús Aguilar (remember him?), and somehow there's MORE. You never really know who Kevin Cash is gonna trot out there, which makes facing them a tough task for opposing managers. This versatility also applies to the pitching staff, which once again has foregone a traditional pitching rotation for the strategy they've pioneered and perfected: the opener. However, the injuries to the Rays staff that necessitated such a reliance on the opener have been mended, and now a one-two-three of Charlie Morton, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow is very real and very scary for prospective opponents. In addition, Ryan Yarbrough and Yonny Chirinos can give you distance with or without an opener--and Cash is trusting them both more to start games. This is, of course, the end goal of the opener strategy. The bullpen is a bit different-looking than Opening Day's. Gone are Ryne Stanek, Adam Kolarek, and Jose Alvarado--the former two to trade and the latter to injury. Here to take their place are Colin Poche and Nick Anderson. Other names you might recognize include Emilio Pagan, Diego Castillo, Oliver Drake, Chaz Roe, Jalen Beeks, and Andrew Kittredge. The Rays, despite 162 games in the books are still unpredictable as all hell, and could travel further than anyone anticipates if Kevin Cash shuffles the cards just right. NATIONAL LEAGUE1. Los Angeles Dodgers Regular season record: 106-56 You might not believe it, but 106 wins is the most a Dodgers team has ever had in the regular season. This is the best Dodgers team ever assembled, so it would seem. That's it then. No more pretenses. No more excuses. Third time must be the charm in Chavez Ravine. Cody Bellinger leads them on offense. After unanimously taking NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2017, he suffered from a bit of a sophomore slump in 2018. Both years, he has struggled in the postseason. This must be the year he gets it going. Just a glance at his numbers shows how good he's become. Alongside Bellinger, you've got returning faces Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Max Muncy and Joc Pederson. A.J. Pollock's health has been questionable, but when he's on, he's as good as the rest of them. Will Smith has been a rookie sensation at catcher. Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez can be plugged in nearly anywhere you need them to be. Don't forget Matt Beaty, playoff legend David Freese, Austin Barnes, and veteran Russell Martin, back where his career began. On the mound, Hyun-Jin Ryu is having a helluva contract year. He was the Cy Young frontrunner through the summer, but tripped up near the end. He still has fantastic numbers and figures to get the ball game 1. Behind him, the legendary Clayton Kershaw, eager to silence doubters. After him, underrated second-year gem Walker Buehler. Add to it veteran Rich Hill, and the ever versatile Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling, and you've got a pitching staff as good as any in the NL. Their bullpen is what's going to give Dodgers fans fits, though. Kenley Jansen, one of the most dominant closers of his era, has been rocky, volatile, and frustrating. He'll have to finish the job that Pedro Baez, Yimi Garcia, Adam Kolarek, Joe Kelly, (sigh) Julio Urias, and Dylan Floro started. The Dodgers could have everything go right the first eight innings. But if they can't count on Kenley, it's going to get MESSY. That said, this team won 106 games on their resourcefulness, so they could just figure something out. This team isn't invincible, though. 2. Atlanta Braves Regular season record: 97-65 Entering the 2019 season, the pressure was on the Braves to prove that last year was not a fluke. A refreshed Nationals squad and the Phillies, coming off a spending spree that landed them Bryce Harper among others, were gunning for Atlanta's divisional crown. Hell, even the Mets looked pretty good and looked to be in the hunt. The incumbent was faced with a tough test. They passed with flying colors, winning 7 more games in 2019 than the previous season. Behold the Braves, your proven kings of the NL East, in all their splendor. The Braves lineup features one of the scariest top 4 hitters in baseball. Ronald Acuña Jr. leads off, followed by his brother from another mother, the diminutive scion of Ram trucks (just look it up), Ozzie Albies. After that, Freddie Freeman, the most startlingly consistent player in baseball who just doesn't win MVPs because the NL is insane. Then there's the Bringer of Rain, Josh Donaldson, who somehow looks like a bargain despite making $20 million. Those four underpin a lineup which also features Atlanta legend Brian McCann, Matt Joyce, Adam Duvall, Dansby Swanson, and Nick Markakis, back for one last ride. Adeiny Hechavarria has turned his season around since leaving Queens for Cobb County, and Billy Hamilton is a dangerous pinch-running threat who can probably score from first on a single. The squad isn't in one piece, though. Fan favorite Charlie Culberson will miss the fun, as will backup infielder Johan Camargo. The team still has a multitude of weapons at its disposal. The pitching staff has solidified after a few months of uncertainty. Mike Soroka, rookie stallion of the True North, shall lead them. After that, The Beard, Dallas Keuchel. Julio Teheran is on a contract year, and he's a solid veteran option. Then there's Mike Foltynewicz, who turned his season around after a disastrous start. The bullpen should be stronger than regular season form by virtue of rookie hurler Max Fried, who started games, joining them there. Fried joins a cast of characters good as any in the NL. There's Sean Newcomb, Josh Tomlin, Luke Jackson, Anthony Swarzak, and Jerry Blevins, as well as July 31st acquisitions Shane Greene, Mark Melancon, and Chris Martin. It's no Yankees bullpen, but there's strength in numbers. The Braves have silenced the doubters and posted Tiger Woods images on their tombstones. Now it's time for a little more payback. 3. St. Louis Cardinals Regular season record: 91-71 As the dust clears from the ungodly battle that is the National League Central division, one team must stand alone atop the totem pole. St. Louis, fresh off a Stanley Cup, proved it wasn't going to use that as an excuse to pass up a shot at the Commissioner's Trophy. The Cardinals, perennially respectable but never overpowering, had missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, all while staying above .500 and staying in the fight. This year, they finally outlasted their rivals, and now the Central is all theirs. Paul Goldschmidt is the story. He had a roughly average first season in Cardinals colors, but the postseason is the perfect chance to change the narrative. Alongside him are Paul DeJong, Marcell Ozuna, and Kolten Wong. Matt Carpenter has lost a step, but he might find that special salsa again in the postseason. Yadier Molina returns behind the plate, and looks splendid for 36. Harrison Bader could awaken his bat again to go alongside a sterling glove hand. José Martinez and Dexter Fowler are still here, for what it's worth. Maybe Tyler O'Neill will go on one of his tears where he's the best hitter in baseball before reverting back to being average. This offense is quite frankly weak in comparison to other division winners, but there's nothing a little Cardinal Magic can't fix. The rotation was a spot of bother for the Cardinals in the first half, as they struggled to field competitive pitching. In the second half, they were treated to Ultra Instinct Jack Flaherty, unstoppable after the All-Star Break. Behind him, Miles Mikolas has taken a step back, but if he can keep his slider under control he should be bueno. Dakota Hudson has been extremely valuable for St. Louis and doesn't get enough credit despite somewhat troubling peripherals. Adam Wainwright is still here and can still do damage, even at the ripe old age of 37. Can he add another piece of hardware in his storied career? The bullpen has also been unpredictable. While Giovanny Gallegos and John Gant have been unexpected heroes, Jordan Hicks blew his arm out and forced Carlos Martinez to take over as closer. While certainly a downgrade, he's been effective in his new role down the stretch. Andrew Miller is here, too, but a broken down version of himself that might not get it done in important situations. They might rely upon more youthful options in Tyler Webb, John Brebbia, and Daniel Ponce de Leon. We'll have to see what the late-inning strategy is for these Redbirds, as it will likely be a critical determining factor in whether or not they fly far. 4. Washington Nationals Regular season record: 93-69 How about this? This team couldn't have gotten off to a worse start for a team looking for one last gasp at glory before their window closed. With no Bryce Harper to lead them, the much mocked and much-maligned Nationals seemed destined for a date with the cellar for the foreseeable future. Then, something changed. The Nats soon turned around and delivered on the potential their star-studded cast of characters presented. Style finally met substance. Is this the year they finally win a playoff series? What if they're not satisfied with just one? A child shall lead them. Twenty-year old Juan Soto continues to defy belief with light tower power and unprecedented plate patience for a man his age. Then there's Anthony Rendon, who somehow only barely made it into the All-Star game and should absolutely get NL MVP votes, he's that good. Don't forget Trea Turner, who rides outstanding glovework, blinding speed, and exceptional bat to ball skills. Rookie Victor Robles, who's about as fast and defensively proficient as they come in center field, joins Soto and the spunky Adam Eaton in the outfield. Howie Kendrick is 35 and doesn't look a day over 25 at the plate. Gerardo Parra isn't exactly good, but he's fun, and you can tell how much the clubhouse rallies around him. Add to that veteran presence in Kurt Suzuki, Matt Adams, Brian Dozier, and Ryan Zimmerman, and you have one of those Wild Card teams that can easily go toe-to-toe with division leaders. The fun doesn't stop there. The Nationals' pride and joy, as always, lies in their rotation. Max Scherzer. Stephen Strasburg. Patrick Corbin. Anibal Sanchez. These names strike fear into the hearts of batters nationwide, and they'll be hungrier than ever as this playoff window nears its close. I don't need to explain just how good they are. Just go to Baseball Reference. Their dominance speaks for itself. Welp. Here we are. The Nationals bullpen. Here come your favorite jokes about how bad they are. This fruit is hanging so low, it's touching the ground. Yet, they have a strong back end. Sean Doolittle is their closer, and Daniel Hudson their setup man. Austin Voth has been nasty and you probably haven't heard of him, which only bodes well for him. ...Aside from them, things get dicey. Wander Suero has been dominant at points and completely overmatched in others. Tanner Rainey has been good, but can he stand out? Fernando Rodney is Fernando Rodney. Hunter Strickland can't keep it together. Javy Guerra isn't really the guy I'd have out there. Jeremy Hellickson is bad. If the starters can get deep into games and get some run support, the Nats should be fine, but it's not that easy in the playoffs where the best of the best are always waiting to pounce on one small mistake. The Nats know that better than anybody. Here they are, maybe one last time. Can the Nationals turn the narrative around? 5. Milwaukee Brewers Regular season record: 89-73 On September 10th, the Brewers lost their heartbeat. Christian Yelich suffered a broken kneecap and was done for the season. Despite this, they kept on living. Riding a torrid September in a similar fashion to last year's divisional champions, the Brewers secured the last remaining playoff berth in the NL over the Cubs. Thirteen wins in their final eighteen games, without the help of the reigning NL MVP. It is a Cinderella story. But has the clock already struck 12? Yelich isn't the only one hurting. Eric Thames, Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun have all suffered injuries in September and while Thames looks to be back, it's unclear for the other two. (UPDATE: all three are in the lineup and ready to go. That's huge.) Mike Moustakas has mashed in Yelich's absence, but can he carry a team? How about the rookie Keston Hiura? Yasmani Grandal is valuable behind the plate, but will he get the yips in the playoffs again? Orlando Arcia can field, but can he hit? Do they have anybody worth a damn off the bench? There's so many questions. Probably not enough answers. The Brewers' pitching staff has been in a state of flux all year. Gone are Jhoulys Chacin and Wade Miley. Here to stay, Zach Davies, Brandon Woodruff, Adrian Houser, and Chase Anderson. Like the lineup, it's a rotation that raises more questions than answers, but at least Woodruff is here at all. Here's hoping that oblique holds up. Then there's the bullpen, which has gone from a monolith to...presentable. Josh Hader remains, and he's sure to do a lot of heavy lifting. Brent Suter finally returned and looked dominant in a small sample. Drew Pomeranz has put it together. Junior Guerra can get it done. Jordan Lyles should be effective in a smaller role. Aside from that...here come the question marks. Matt Albers? Jimmy Nelson? Do the Brewers even TRY with Corbin Burnes? Craig Counsell is presented with a CVS receipt filled with questions, and he'll need to find answers. He did it in September, but October is a different beast. Can the Crew tame it? Prediction Time!Here's where it gets spicy. I'm gonna make this quick, because this post is long enough, but I'll predict how I think every series will end up when it's all said and done. Bonus: Championship Series and World Series MVPs. Time to break out the crystal ball. Lukewarm takes incoming! AL Wild Card Game - A's beat Rays (1-0)
NL Wild Card Game - Nationals beat Brewers (1-0) ALDS - Yankees beat Twins (3-2), Astros beat Athletics (3-2) NLDS - Braves beat Cardinals (3-1), Dodgers beat Nationals (3-2) ALCS - Astros beat Yankees (4-2). MVP - Gerrit Cole NLCS - Braves beat Dodgers (4-3). MVP - Ronald Acuña Jr. World Series - Astros beat Braves (4-2). MVP - Michael Brantley How do you like my unsubstantiated shots in the dark? I hate 'em, too. Yankees losing to Houston? Nationals losing to LA? I hate it. HATE IT. Here's hoping these are inaccurate. I want a Nats-Braves NLCS and I want it NOW. ...Oh, yeah, Yankees, please win the World Series. Thank you. Aaaaaanyway. Congrats on getting to the end of this post! I'm glad I was able to get it in just before the playoffs started. Feel free to shout your hot takes at me via my personal Twitter, @JeremyN75, which I'll just be using to post from now on because the blog account just doesn't have any followers, heh. Or you could yell at me on Discord, JeremyN75#1957. Thanks, y'all. Enjoy the postseason.
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About MeI'm Jeremy, and I like baseball. Watching it and writing about it mainly. This is where the latter goes. My other hobbies include video games, singing, biking, and slacking off. I live in New Jersey and go to school at Goucher College in Baltimore. That's me on TV! If you want a better look, check out this video. Watch the stands on Kyle Lewis' home run very closely. Look for the skinny guy with the Yankees hat.
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