We have finally made it to the World Series! WOW that was fast, an expanded postseason full of upsets and excellent pitching performances. Lets see what the teams in these playoffs stack up.
Milwaukee Brewers: Honestly this was a down year for the BrewCrew. Several key players going cold, Ryan Braun reaching the end of his career soon, and the dumb luck of facing the Dodgers adds up to another early exit for Milwaukee. The good news is that Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff look like the future and they also could be buyers or sellers in free agency, if I am Mark Antonasio I am at a crossroads.
Cincinnati Reds: Really, all of that flash and hype only for the offense to rock themselves to bed against Max Fried and the Braves. Yes. What Cincy witnessed was a 17 on the Cleveland Scale. They only had a chance to win the series in the first place because of Trevor Bauer and Sonny Gray. Other than that lets see who went flat. Votto, Moustakas, Suarez, Winker. Yeah I think they will be back but I just think this was a missed opportunity.
St Louis Cardinals: Thank God that the Cardinals pixie dust was nowhere to be found. In this series they were just outplayed. They were no match for Padres rotation, plus if they didn’t blow their late game lead in Game 2 they wouldn’t have had to over rely on Jack Flaherty in Game 3 to clinch the series. I honestly think that even with the COVID crisis at that Minneapolis Casino the Cardinals had a ok season nonetheless.
Chicago Cubs: And with this falling of the NL Central Champion, every single NL Central Team has been eliminated before NLDS this year. This series also officially established myself as the most snakebitten sports fan in America in 2020. This was the 4th time this year that 1 of my teams were favorites to win their leagues championship only to lose prior to the Conference Finals. In this series the Cubs offense was flat and Jeremy Jefferes sealed his playoff reputation by giving up 5 runs in the 7th in Game 1. Yu Darvish was the only reason the Cubs had a chance to win the series yet they gave him no help. How does Bryant, Rizzo, and Baez fail to get a hit in this series? As a Cubs fan I would be worried about the free agent dilemmas that would hit them after 2021. I’m going to need to make a document on my crazy year aren’t I.
Toronto Blue Jays: Thank goodness the Blue Jays have those youngsters that have helped keep their championship window from 2015-16 open. This may have been a series where Tampa Bay was by far the better team, but there is a great amount that needs to be said about Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette becoming the so-called “Legacy.” For a team that went all-in at the deadline to get embarrassed by this is tough but I think they will be back considering how much talent is still in their farm system.
Cleveland Indians: Classic Cleveland Luck! Having a lead against a heated adversary, playing not to lose, and as a result blowing it in the latter stages of the game. On tonight’s edition of Tribe Talk the Indians blew two 5 run leads to those Damn Yankees and couldn’t answer back against Aroldis Chapman yet again. Even if he gave up the Homer to Rajah Davis in Game 7 a few years ago he has owned them for 3 of the last 5 years in the playoffs. It appears that this may have been the end of Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez’s time in Cleveland and their hitting core is getting weaker. You know what this means. BLOW IT UP! Seriously I would consider it with all of those bad contracts that are on the roster.
Chicago White Sox: This was the learning experience year. To me the White Sox are still a year or away from being a serious contender. Everyone thought that they were a potential lock for the World Series only to collapse and be smacked in a 3 game series by an A’s team ready to silence their doubters. In my opinion if Michael Kopech were healthy they would have a serious pitching staff. But considering that all of the stars are aligning on the South Side I think they will be back. And then they chose to fire Rick Renteria, good move for the future.
Minnesota Twins: We have just witnessed the latest addition into the Guiness Book of World Records. The Minnesota Twins have now lost 18 straight playoff games which is now an all time record. The problem for the Twins was that they had to face an Astros team on a mission. The offense like last year lived and died by the long ball. To me they were once again CLOSE BUT NEVER CLOSE ENOUGH! I still think they need to address the backend of the rotation because that is how Houston beat them. The good news is that your window of success has only just begun.
San Diego Padres: Slam Diego got slammed by their big brothers YET AGAIN! This in my opinion was no series, the Padres were no match for the Dodgers power and pitching combination. I think like the White Sox this was a learning year. They have a 3 headed monster in the rotation, Machado and Tatis are going to be entering their primes next year, and they have a chance to be a World Series Contender for years to come. DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY!
Miami Marlins: The Marlin Curse is dead. You suffered horrible pain Miami residents WELCOME TO THE MLB! Honestly this year couldn’t have been any better for them. A team that was a tank and a half at the beginning of the season made the playoffs with several players overachieving but we got to see the emergence of a potential dominant pitching staff. I think there is a certain guy in Cleveland you guys could get to come to South Beach next year. All I can say now is Good Job Jetes (Derek Jeter)!
New York Yankees: Yankee Doodle went to Petco and suffered horrible and agonizing pain to Rays on the rise. Honestly you have to give them credit for their dominant play in September in which they held off Dem O’s in the playoff race and beat the Indians again. But in my opinion there are a few things that killed them.
- They couldn’t hold a lead
- Judge and Sanchez went ice cold
- Aroldis Chapman being the playoff mystery box again
- Aaron Boone’s overmanaging
I think they will be back because they are the Yankees and they have plenty of money because of the New York market.
Oakland Athletics: Remember how much the A’s dominated the Astros the last few years? Well Dusty Baker played the Reverse Card as Houston bashed the A’s and Billy Beane’s hopes and dreams yet again. Once again the starting rotation couldn’t rise up to the challenge of facing a dominant lineup in the playoffs. The Astros are a machine on offense yes but how could Oakland lose to a team that is without Justin Verlander and Roberto Osuna. Only in Oakland! Just as I was about to release this document Billy Beane has stepped down as GM to take on a new role as a sports blog host. Honestly the Moneyball era in Oakland is one of the most snakebitten eras in the history of baseball. The amount of talent that this franchise has had since 2000 and they can’t win a game in the ALCS is to me the equivalent of a horror movie. Protect him well Baseball Gods.
Atlanta Braves: Another example that in my opinion shows that the modern MLB is rigged. The Braves literally did everything they could do to make it to their 1st World Series in 20 years and win their first title since 1995.
- They crushed Kershaw
- They had a 3-1 series lead
- Max Fried had a scoreless streak that was tough to beat
- And they made the NLCS for the first time in forever in their fans minds
Then LA talents and abilities that were buried under the Hollywood Sign jumped out and crushed the Braves young and exciting team. The death blow was Mookie Betts home run robberies without a gun, and the legendary BelliBomb in Game 7 not to mention the implosion of the Braves bats. There needs to be serious consideration for the backend of the bullpen. That unit won’t last either. WAIT A MINUTE THEY GAVE 10 RUNS IN THE FIRST INNING OF A PLAYOFF GAME AGAIN!
Houston Astros: We might be experiencing another edition of 4 Days in October. The Astros have erased a 3-0 deficit to the Rays. This is their time to strike back for last year. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG! Well it appears that the Astros only came back in this series because Kevin Kiermaier was injured in games 4-6. In the games he played, Tampa Bay was 4-0. Considering that Justin Verlander and Roberto Osuna were out this was a nice moment for Houston to go this far without them. All I can say is, How good would you be if you still had Gerrit Cole?
The final two teams have been settled together in Arlington Texas for the holy grail of the National Pastime. Who is the NL Representative?
Los Angeles Dodgers: No team in baseball has spent more over the last 7 years in terms of free agency than the LA Dodgers. This franchise has one of the richest histories in baseball let alone every American sports league. This year’s version of Dodger Blue has once again returned to the World Series for the 3rd time in 4 years. Everyone including myself said after last year’s collapse against the Nationals that Dave Roberts should have been fired. But so far he has redeemed himself. In the Wild Card Round they smacked the Brewers in convincing fashion again, in the NLDS they once again played big brother on San Diego and humiliated one of the most enjoyable teams in baseball. In NLCS against the Braves they had no chance they said, they were choking they said, they were after 3-1 they said. WELL LOOK AT THEM NOW! Most of the core like Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Max Muncy, and Walker Buelher among others are back from previous years but new faces have emerged as well. Exhibit A Mookie Betts. Their big fish this past offseason has not only played up to his contract but is in the prime of his, a true 5 tool player that LA has lacked for a few years. Kike Hernandez has been reliable as ever this year. Many said he was a one hit wonder in 2017 but has turned the clock back to his performance against the Cubs in that series. Blake Treinen and Jake McGee have been the set-up men to Jansen that the Dodgers lacked last season and both have been solid after a skid in the regular season. Then there are their 2 Top Prospects in Dustin May and Gavin Lux who both have had impacts for them in small packages this postseason. Lux has barely played but you can’t take him lightly. In my opinion if they win it all they will give their insufferable fans its first title since Kirk Gibson and the Bulldog (Orel Hershiser) ran all over the Mighty A’s. Their opponent like those A’s teams is also full of homegrown talent.
Tampa Bay Rays: Oh my goodness gracious! Yet another Tampa Bay team has reached the Finals in their respective leagues. The Rays in my opinion are young, exciting and full of likeable stars that are hungry for early success. Ever since Joe Maddon left for Dem Cubbies the Rays were stuck in the basement or close to it with limited crowds and the possibility of moving to Montreal. They were baseballs versions of the diamond dogs. But something wonderful happened. In 2018 the Rays in some ways overachieved expectations and finished with a 90 win season yet missed the playoffs. Then in 2019 they made the playoffs only to lose to Houston in a Game 5 in the ALDS. Look at the results this year. Smacked Le Canadians aka the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series, beating the Yankees in an epic 5 games, and avoiding a reverse sweep at the hands of the aforementioned Astros. When I saw them last year during my yearly baseball tour I was impressed with the talent on the roster. And here is what they have. Kevin Kiermaier, the face of the franchise and perhaps the best fielding outfielder in baseball. Even though he was injured against the Astros he has been the reason why you can’t hit the ball in the outfield against the Rays. Brandon Lowe is an unlikely power source. The year he has had in terms of the regular season and early in the playoffs has been what they have been missing at that position since Ben Zobrist 10 years ago. Then there is their new God Randy Arozarena. He was their Top Prospect this season but has put up power numbers that rival Carlos Beltran, Daniel Murphy, and Nelson Cruz. Then there is their electrifying pitching staff. Blake Snell, one of the best pitchers in the AL has been the rock of the rotation in the playoffs and throughout the last few years. Charlie Morton the impact veteran of the staff. He may be in his mid 30s but he has the ability to shut lineups down in key moments. The most powerful guy in the rotation is Tyler Glasnow who is the new age Nolan Ryan. A man who has been a tone setter in almost every game he has appeared in. The rest of the core features Austin Meadows, Willy Adames, Ji Man Choi, Mike Zunino, Hunter Renfroe, as well as Michael Brosseau, and top flight closer Nick Anderson there really isn’t a weak spot. I will say this has been an excellent job by the front office of the Rays. Taking a team that was nearly bankrupt and turning them into a World Series Contender for years to come. It’s the City of the NBA Finals Champions vs the City with the Stanley Cup! WHO WILL GET THEIR YEARLY BRAGGING RIGHTS!
Prediction: This series is a matchup of star contrasts. The Rays vs their old GM, The Small Market Low Payroll Rays vs the Big Spenders of the Dodgers, and who wants their second parade of the month. This series is literally David vs Goliath! The King must have told the Rays use a certain armor to fight this beast but Tampa Bay said We have to fight our fight. In this case even with the Rays underdog story in this series LA gets the monkey of their backs in 6. Let’s Play Ball!
Bragging Rights Sports 