In five weeks, we’ll be watching playoff baseball. Because of the new 12-team postseason format, this is the first year in which there will be four best-of-three Wild Card Series, two in the AL and two in the NL, as opposed to the single one-and-done. game in every league.
This sets up for one exciting first weekend of the playoffs, with four games on Friday and Saturday, back-to-back-to-back-to-back, and if we’re lucky, four consecutive win-or-go-home Game 3s . on sunday
I’ve written in the past about how much I loved the one-game wildcard round because it gave fans two immediate high-scoring contests to start the playoffs. One of the biggest problems casual fans have with baseball is the length of the season and the lack of marquee events. Having elimination games to start the playoffs was the easiest way for MLB to produce two major events at once.
That said, the setup for the expanded postseason is great for baseball, because having two or three straight days with four games gives MLB the kind of all-day events that other sports use to their advantage. Look at the buzz around the first Thursday and Friday of March Madness or the first weekend of the NFL playoffs; that’s what MLB hopes to replicate. Granted, those only have elimination games, while the baseball postseason consists of series, but given the choice of having two nights of one-and-done games or several days packed with four games, I think I’d rather take the latter.
We’ll be enjoying that first wild MLB weekend soon enough, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at five story lines to follow during the final month of the regular season.
1. THE OPENER
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports See the article : 10 great games with LGBTQ + romances.
“He laughs, wondering what the cleaning crew must be thinking. Those who know his story probably understand why he needs that time: He was a second-round pick and a phenom until he broke his back with the Dodgers in 2016; he went through eight organizations and recorded 395 major league plate appearances in the six years since. But a July trade back to Los Angeles, intended only to cover injuries, reignited something in the outfielder, and in just 50 games, at 31, he was the ninth-most valuable player on the best team in baseball. He forced himself into the starting lineup most days. He regained his health, got help from his hero, revived his career. So every day he gets to Dodger Stadium, he says thank you.”
That’s Stephanie Apstein, writing about Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson. In her profile of Thompson this morning, Steph details the 31-year-old’s journey back to Los Angeles, where he’s making a huge impact on the best team in baseball.
You can read Steph’s entire story here.
Trayce Thompson is Grateful to Be Back in the Land of Stars by Stephanie Apstein
2. ICYMI
Let’s take a look at some of our other great SI baseball stories from this week. Read also : Dr Disrespect thinks all shooters should be single shooters in video games.
What History Tells Us About Aaron Judge’s 61 Home Run Chase by Will Laws Will he break Roger Maris’ record? Let’s take a look at how his season compares to the other players who were on similar home runs entering September.
Albert Pujols Is Writing the Perfect End to His Legendary Career by Nick Selbe After years of struggling, the 42-year-old Cardinals slugger has returned to being one of MLB’s more prolific hitters.
MLBPA’s Efforts to Unionize Minor Leaguers Didn’t Happen Overnight by Emma Baccellieri In an interview, Tony Clark discussed the players’ association’s monumental step to represent minor league players and what it could mean for baseball.
What You Need to Know as the MLBPA Pushes to Unionize the Minors by Emma Baccellieri This is a monumental step toward improving working conditions for minor league players, but there’s still a long way to go.
How the Orioles Became the Most Unlikely Playoff Contest in MLB History by Tom VerducciNo team has ever had a turnaround quite like Baltimore this season. What is the secret? Hint: It’s much more than just “Oriole Magic.”
3. WORTH NOTING from Matt Martell
Mike Trout has hit 28 home runs this season, despite playing in just 91 games entering this weekend. That works out to an average of one home run per 3.25 games. That’s the second-best rate of his career, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he hit 17 home runs in just 53 games (a 3. To see also : The 10 Best Shooting Video Games (Updated 2022).12 rate). His best rate came in ’19, when he hit 45 home runs, the most he’s ever hit in a single season, in 134 games (one every 2.98 games). That was good enough to win his third MVP award.
4. W2W4 from Nick Selbe
As of this writing, the Yankees have a 91.9% chance of winning the American League East, according to FanGraphs. However, they haven’t looked unbeatable for a while now, going 15-24 since the All-Star break. If that kind of slide continues this weekend—when New York hits the road to face the second-place and high-flying Rays—we could see full-blown panic take over the Bronx (if it hasn’t already). The Yankees held a 13-run lead over Tampa Bay entering the second half; now, that lead is down to six.
The main culprit for the Yankees was the offense, which is hitting .225 in the second half (25th in the majors) and slugging .378 (23rd). In the first half, they ranked 12th in batting average (.246) and first in slugging (.445). The only one doing his part was, you guessed it, Aaron Judge: in 38 games since the All-Star break, he’s hitting an absurd .326/.477/.780 with 18 home runs. So disappointing has the Yankees’ offense been that they’re starting to call the kids. No. 2 prospect, shortstop Oswaldo Peraza, is set to make his major league debut this weekend. Their other highly touted prospect named Oswaldo — that is, utility man Oswaldo Cabrera — has been a spark since he joined the big leaguers in mid-August. Their arrival likely means a little less playing time for struggling infielders Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres, not to mention outfielder Aaron Hicks, who has already been squeezed out of the lineup.
Other weekend series with playoff implications include the Mariners and Rangers matching up in Cleveland, the Twins facing the White Sox in Chicago and an NL West tilt between the Padres and Dodgers in Los Angeles. Oh, and let’s not forget, Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani’s next start on the hill is scheduled for Saturday at home against the first-place Astros.
5. THE CLOSER from Emma Baccellieri
With Atlanta rookie Spencer Strider’s 16-strikeout masterpiece last night, I realized I can’t remember the last game like that off the top of my head. Probably, I figured with strikeout rates as high as they are, it was a little late. But it turns out it’s been more than three years since a pitcher last struck out 16 or more: No one until Strider had done it since Walker Buehler on June 21, 2019. That makes it the longest such span since the 1950s . (There were four years between Herb Score striking out 16 in ’55 and Sandy Koufax doing it for the first time in ’59.) Which led me to something else: Sure, we’ve seen more strikeouts than ever in recent years. , but achievements like these are diminishing. It turns out that the ability (or permission) to go deep into games is as important here as the ability to collect Ks. The 10’s brought fewer 16-plus-K games than any decade since the 50’s! There were fewer of the entire league combined in the last decade (15) than there were only of Nolan Ryan in his career (16). So when will we get one? Taste it. The next one might not come for a while.
It’s all ours today. We’ll be back in your mailbox next Friday. In the meantime, share this newsletter with your friends and family, and tell them to sign up at SI.com/newsletters. If you have any questions or comments, send us an email at mlb@si.com.
Was Atlanta Braves a wild card team?
Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves, the San Diego Padres, and the Houston Astros (like the wild card).
Who are the wild card baseball teams? The three wild card spots are currently occupied by the Mariners (65â54), Rays (62â54) and Blue Jays (62â54). There are four teams within four games of the last wild card spot: the Twins, Orioles, White Sox and Red Sox, in that order.
Who are the two wild card teams in the National League?
The 2021 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason contested between the two wild card teams in the National League (NL): the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
How many Wild Card teams in MLB?
Six teams from each league qualify for the postseason, three division winners and three Wild Card winners. The top two seeds in each league receive first-round byes to advance to the Division Series. In each Wild Card Series, the team with the third-best record among division winners will face the No.
Who won the wildcard in the National League?
| Year | Winner | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Original Format | ||
| 2019 | Milwaukee Brewers | 89â73 |
| 2020 | Cincinnati Reds | 31â29 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 29â31 |
How many teams made MLB Playoffs 2021?
Major League Baseball expanded its playoff field in the COVID-shortened 2020 season but the playoffs returned to the standard 10-team format in 2021. While league officials pushed for a 14-team MLB postseason format in 2022, players wouldn’t go for it. and decided on a 12-team final.
How will MLB playoffs work in 2022? There will be four best of three wildcard series taking place in the first round, spanning both leagues. The division winners with the third best record will face the wild card teams with the worst record, and the remaining teams will face each other.
How many baseball teams make the playoffs in 2021?
Major League Baseball expanded its playoff field in the COVID-shortened 2020 season but the playoffs returned to the standard 10-team format in 2021.
How do the MLB playoffs Work 2021?
The format All six division winners will earn playoff berths, but not all will get the benefit of rest they currently enjoy. Instead, the division winners with the two best records will receive first-round byes, with the remaining division winner and three wild cards meeting in a best-of-three wild card series.
How many teams in the MLB playoffs 2022?
This year’s postseason will feature a new format, expanding the pool of teams from 10 to 12 and replacing the two single-elimination Wild Card Games with four best-of-three Wild Cards, which will be followed by a best-of-five Division. Series.
How many teams are left in the playoffs?
There are eight teams left.
Who is left in the 2022 NBA playoffs? 2022 NBA Playoffs schedule The Warriors, Mavericks, Heat and Celtics are the four remaining teams in the NBA Playoffs.
What teams are still in the playoffs 2022?
The Warriors, Mavericks, Heat and Celtics are the four remaining teams in the NBA Finals. Below is the game and broadcast schedule for the first three rounds of the 2022 NBA Finals. The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 2nd.
