MLB Postseason Preview
(Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
By Daniel Casanta, Contributing Writer
The Major League Baseball regular season concluded earlier this week on September 30th. After 162 deciding games, twelve World Series hopefuls have played their way into the playoffs. In both the American League and National League two teams have emerged as the favorites to meet in the World Series, however, multiple clubs look to make a run themselves. It all kicked off on Oct. 1 with the wild card series.
The Favorites
For the first time in over ten years, no team has won over 100 games in the regular season, but two teams have separated themselves as favorites to emerge from their respective leagues. The Yankees and the Dodgers both earned byes into the divisional rounds giving them an upper hand as the postseason kicks off.
The AL East division champion New York Yankees (94-66) look to win their first World Series since 2009, their longest drought since the 28 years between 1978 and 1996. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have established themselves as two of the best players in the league and will be the keys for the Bronx Bombers to go all the way. The Yankees pitching staff led by Gerrit Cole can shut down opposing lineups and take the Yankees to the World Series, but they must play smart baseball to get there.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64) won the NL West division by 5 games to clinch their first-round bye. Following Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50 home run and 50 stolen base season he will be the key to the Dodgers run as he gets ready for his first postseason appearance. The Dodgers are led by hot bats that must stay hot if they want to make a run. While their pitching staff is riddled with injuries, it will ultimately be their hitting that determines how far they can go.
The Hopefuls
In the AL, 3 teams look to take their shot at the Yankees. The Houston Astros (88-73) and Cleveland Guardians (92-69) won their respective divisions and will look to carry some momentum into the postseason. The Guardians earned the other first-round bye and will rest their powerful bullpen, which will be their key to making a long run this season. The Astros will face the Detroit Tigers in the wild-card round and will have to rely on their experienced lineup and rotation to lead them through the AL.
The Baltimore Orioles (91-71) will have to get out of their hitting slump if they want to make a run. However, they know the Yankees well and fared well against them going 8-5 on the season. Their pitching rotation is plagued with injuries, and the bats will need to get hot (which they can) for the Orioles to succeed this year. They are favored to get out of the wild card round.
In the NL, the Philadelphia Phillies (95-67) have emerged as the team best suited to take down the LA Dodgers this season. Behind star pitcher Zack Wheeler and standout Bryce Harper, the Phillies possess the firepower and shutdown bullpen depth needed to contend with the Dodgers. Still, the Phillies will need to navigate their week off and stay sharp for this year’s postseason.
The Field
The AL has two teams that are hoping to pull off some upsets., the Kansas City Royals (86-76) and the Detroit Tigers (86-76). The Royals finished 56-106 in the 2023 season and have turned it around nicely with their young core centered around Bobby Witt Jr. and veteran catcher Salvador Perez. The Tigers are set for their first playoff appearance since 2014 and will look to continue their improbable hot streak as the playoffs commence.
The NL’s scenario is interesting, as the top 2 teams have separated themselves from the Padres (93-69), Brewers (93-69), Braves (89-73), and Mets (89-73), although these 4 teams each possess the ability to make a run. The Padres and Brewers will rely on their bullpens to shut down opposing offenses to get them across the finish line in early November. The Braves and Mets, who split a doubleheader on Monday, September 30 to clinch a wild card spot, will both rely on their offenses to get them to the World Series.
The MLB regular season, although long, came down to the wire and has left us with 12 battle-tested teams who each look to make a run. Expect the wild card series on the AL side to be in favor of the favorites, while the NL Wild Card matches are more of a tossup. There is tons of talent on the 4 teams with first-round byes, but the rest of the field certainly can take the favorites down.
The three game wild card series between the bottom 4 qualifiers in each division kicks off on ESPN and ABC through this week, followed by the divisional series and championship series for the respective leagues as we progress throughout October. The World Series begins on Oct. 25 on FOX.
