The MLB regular season is finishing up this week, which means that playoffs are starting soon. Here are some key notes for every team in the postseason.
Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers have the best record in the MLB and they have been the team to beat all year. The Brewers are an extremely well-rounded team in the league, as they are strong at nearly every position and have a deep bullpen so their starting pitchers do not need to worry about throwing a full nine innings. The Brewers will likely have a bye for the first week of the playoffs and will face either the San Diego Padres or the Chicago Cubs the first weekend of October.
Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays have all but locked in the first seed in the American League. This mainly comes in tribute to their hitting; Bo Bichette, George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero are all ranked in the Top 10 in batting average on the season. The Blue Jays are expected to play another AL East opponent in the playoffs in either the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees.
Seattle Mariners: The Mariners are relying on the long ball to get them deep into the playoffs. Catcher Cal Raleigh is leading the MLB in home runs with 58 on the season and third baseman Eugenio Suarez is ranked fifth with 47. Raleigh is putting together an exceptional hitting season as a catcher and is currently ranked second in AL MVP odds.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies have been a two-headed monster this season. Designated hitter, Kyle Schwarber, has the second most home runs this season with 53 and shortstop Trea Turner has the fifth highest batting average in the MLB this season with a .305. Philadelphia will need some strong starts from pitcher Christopher Sanchez who is second in the NL Cy Young Award rankings (The Cy Young award goes to the best pitcher in each league).
Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal has been the best pitcher in baseball this season. Skubal is single-handedly keeping the Tigers in contention. So far the rest of their position players have been mediocre. Skubal is posting the second best ERA in baseball at 2.23 and is trailing only Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet in strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani is once again one of the best players in baseball. As a once in a generation pitcher/hitter combo, he is the favorite for NL MVP at -10000 odds (meaning you would have to gamble $10,000 to win $100). The reigning champions are looking to repeat, and with the highest payroll in MLB history, it is very possible.
New York Yankees: Right fielder Aaron Judge is currently the best hitter in baseball, posting a league high batting average at .326 and is fourth in total home runs at 49. Judge’s stats make him the favorite for AL MVP. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton and left fielder Cody Bellinger are also having solid seasons at the plate, hitting .268 and .271 respectively.
Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have a young core of Pete Crow Armstrong, Nico Hoerner and Kyle Tucker who are all hitting above average this season. Additionally, the team has Cade Horton, who is the best rookie pitcher in the MLB and is currently expected to be the NL Rookie of the Year.
On The Edge:
American League: The Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros are all vying for the final two spots in the AL. These three teams are all within one win of each other, and no one has really pulled ahead yet.
National League: The Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks are in a very similar situation to their AL counterparts; all of these teams have very similar records and are going to have to stack together wins to get into the playoffs.
