The playoffs begin Tuesday. Your wild card matchups:
Milwaukee (92-70) hosts Arizona (84-78)
(Winner plays Los Angeles)
The Serpents, who might well have the top two votegetters in Rookie of the Year voting in Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno, are one of two teams to make the playoffs that allowed more runs than they scored. Still, any team that can start Zac Gallen can win a game, and if you win one ya just have to split the other two.
Milwaukee doesn’t have any more offense than Arizona; they are kinda mediocre, really, and have a shocking number of regulars who batted like .210. But they have an absolute shutdown bullpen and Corbin Burnes, so they could easily win this 2-0 and allow one run the entire time.
Miami (84-77) at Philadelphia (90-72)
Winner plays Atlanta
The Marlins allowed 55 more runs than they scored, a new record for a team in the postseason. They were nine games better than their Pythagoerean. Their offense was the worst in the National League, and they have no obvious frontline starters. It would be a sensational upset to beat the Phillies but, again, it’s just two wins.
The Phillies are much the same as last year; they hit home runs a lot, and a pitching rotation of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker is as good a three man attack as you’ll see in this round. They really should win this.
Minnesota (87-75) hosts Toronto (89-73)
Winner plays Houston
Minnesota quietly had a great September and they also quietly led the American League in homers, but they have a huge number of guys injured right now - Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton,. Royce Lewis, and more are out and their ability to return in uncertain. However, the team is deep and the pitching staff is healthy and looking good. Don’t sleep on this team. They’ll break their 18-game playoff losing streak.
Toronto, in a reversal of team image, had a terrific year pitching and fielding - the starting rotation was crazy good despite Alek Manoah imploding, outfield defense was the best in baseball by a mile - but couldn’t score runs. Nothing about the offense appears to be improving, so Toronto needs to win some 2-1 games to advance through any round of playoffs. On paper they are the better team but I doubt their ability to hit enough to go far.
Tampa Bay (99-63) hosts Texas (90-72)
Winner plays Baltimore
Hard to say how good the Rays are; they are on paper a terrific team, but they have significant injuries and their best player is away because of the… unpleasantness. They always seem to come up with more guys, but the players who amassed 99 wins are not all in the lineup Tuesday.
Texas blew the division title and the bye today; you never know with these guys. Just in September at one point they lost four in a row, then lost six in a row, then lost four in a row, then lost six in a row. They hammer the baseball but I am not delighted with the pitching staff. Best middle infield in baseball, maybe in the last decade, right? Loaded with talent. They’ll be good for a long time.