The MLB Playoffs
You have endured the pain of playing 162 games in five months. With your band of brothers, you push to get as far as you can in the playoff chase. When you win, the fans and media are jubilant. But when you lose, they are distraught and criticize. The joy of winning that ring and hoisting it in the air is what you are striving for all year. Who will make it in and who will win?
There are six divisions in Major League Baseball with five teams in each of them to hold the 30 teams. Six divisions are split evenly (three each) into the National League and the American League. Each division winner and two wild card winners (the two best records of teams that didn't make the playoffs) make it in. These two wildcard teams from each league play a one-game playoff to determine who makes the last playoff spot. Whoever wins these play-in games enter with the rest of the teams, and they play a divisional series (called the ALDS and NLDS) for a best of five. Every team that makes the playoffs plays in the divisional series, and whichever team wins each series plays in the NLCS (National League Championship Series) or ALCS (American League Championship Series) in a best of seven. Once the winner comes from each of those series, the two remaining teams play in the World Series, a best of seven that most of the world watches and enjoys.
Division by Division Breakdown:
AL East:
This division is setting up to be a two horse race between the red hot Toronto Blue Jays and the infamous New York Yankees. The Blue Jays acquired some key pieces at the MLB Trade Deadline a few weeks ago. Both the Blue Jays and the Yankees have been in a struggle to make or get deep in the playoffs in the past few years. This is not a surprise for the Blue Jays, who historically are not a very successful organization, but it is for the New York Yankees who have a wide leading record of 27 World Series rings. I think the Blue Jays will win the AL East and the Yankees will get one of the two AL Wild Card spots.
AL Central:
For the AL Central, one team has pretty much demolished the competition and was the runner up in last year’s World Series. The Kansas City Royals burst onto the scene by beating all odds (no one thought they would get there last year) with a great bullpen and a feared lineup. This got them to the World Series where they lost to the San Francisco Giants in the maximum of seven games. This series was very competitive and the Royals are back on track to make another World Series run. I don't see any team from the AL Central overtaking the Royals in the standings and it is doubtful any team from this division will be one of the wild card teams (except the Minnesota Twins, who have a very outside shot).
AL West:
The AL West is probably the second most competitive division in the MLB with three teams that could win the division or make the wild card. The Houston Astros have the best chance to win the division after years and years of mediocrity. They went through a long rebuilding phase, and it looks like they are at the top to stay led by star rookie shortstop Carlos Correa and start starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel. Another team in this division with a good chance to make the playoffs is the Texas Rangers. I think they could overcome the Astros and win the AL West or they could be one of the two wild card teams. The Rangers made a gigantic move at the trade deadline by trading for star left handed pitcher Cole Hamels and it looks to be paying off. The last team in the AL West with a shot to make the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels. They are led by star centerfielder Mike Trout (one of the best in the game, if not the best) and first baseman, Albert Pujols. The Angels have the firepower to get to the playoffs, but it all depends on their pitching to get there
NL East:
The NL East is also a two horse race (just like the AL East) between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals, two teams that don't like each other. The Mets have some good history behind them but have been accustomed to some bad teams over the past few years. The Nationals do not have the same history as the Mets but have had a better past couple of years. They are led by quality starting pitching and star outfielder Bryce Harper while the Mets are solid all the way around. I think both teams have an equal shot but it will have be the division winner as the wild card spots will be hard to get (which will be highlighted in the NL Central).
NL Central:
The NL Central is by far the craziest and most competitive division in the MLB. There are three very good teams in the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and the St. Louis Cardinals. All three teams excel at different facets of the game and have different histories. The Pittsburgh Pirates shine at starting pitching and feature one of the best players in the game in centerfielder, Andrew McCutchen. The Cubs are known as the laughingstock of baseball not having won a World Series since 1908 but have the best young talent in the league. They are led by infielders Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Addison Russell while also having restored star starting pitcher, Jake Arrieta. This young talent does not have playoff experience but will make the Cubs good for the next few years. The Cardinals have a long successful history, including many World Series championships but have been plagued by injuries this year, yet somehow they are still in the thick of the playoff race. The Cardinals always find a way of making and winning in the playoffs which I expect to continue. I think three teams from this division make the playoffs: one from winning the division and two from the wild card.
NL West:
The NL West has a clear front runner in the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team known for spending a lot of money and payroll to improve their roster. This expensive roster has paid off well for them as they are having a great year. The Dodgers have a great chance at winning the NL West, but the San Francisco Giants could also win it. The Giants have won the World Series three times in the last five years but do not have the same star power as previous years. The Dodgers Would have to have a serious meltdown not to win the NL West.
Wildcards:
The AL Wildcard race will be one to watch for sure with many teams having a chance to make it in. The last game of the season could count as to whether a team makes in the wildcard or not and that makes it exciting. For the NL Wild Card race, the Cubs and the Pirates (if neither win the NL Central) look like the frontrunners for the two spots, but anything can happen in sports.
The 2015 MLB Playoffs will be full of excitement and will break many fans’ hearts as well as fill them.
Photos by Kansas City Star and San Francisco Chronicle
