After a painful 2020 of team quarantines and empty stadiums filled with cardboard cutouts, 2021 was a great year for baseball. From epic trades to record breaking no-hitters, the league seems to be back and better than ever, and it will be exciting to see who makes it to the end. It’s clear as the regular season begins to wind down, that fans are on the edge of their seats to see who will have a shot at the 2021 World Series.
For context, here is a quick overview of what the 2021 postseason will look like (Source: MLB).
American League Wildcard game (#6 seed in AL plays @ #5 seed in AL): Oct. 5
National League Wildcard Game (#6 seed in NL plays @ #5 seed in NL): Oct. 6
American League Division Series (ALDS) A, games 1-3: Oct. 7-11
ALDS B, games 1-3: Oct. 7-11
ALDS B and A, games 4-7: TBD
National League Division Series (NLDS) A, games 1-3: Oct. 7-11
NLDS B, games 4-7: TBD
NL and AL Championship Series: Oct. 15-24
2021 World Series: Oct. 26-Nov. 3
We already know that the playoffs will include two California teams in the National League West, the Giants and the Dodgers, as well as the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central, and the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox in the American League. So, who else can we expect to make the cut?
National League West:
The San Francisco Giants have clinched the spot for the playoffs, thanks in part to pitcher Kevin Gausman who strikes out more than five players for every one he walks (ESPN). The Giants, who just halted their 9-game winning streak with a loss to the Padres on the 16th, will be playing whoever wins the National League Wildcard game. The Los Angeles Dodgers are trailing behind the Giants by 2 games, but with former Washington Nationals Max Scherzer and Trea Turner now in LA, and with Scherzer boasting an ERA (Earned Run Average) of .78 since joining the dodgers in July, and Turner with a batting average of .325 (ESPN), things are looking up for the boys in blue. They have a chance of avoiding the Wildcard (awarded to one of the two teams in each league that qualify for the postseason without winning their division), and instead taking the title of top team in the NL West, but either way they definitely have a spot secured for the 2021 postseason.
NL Central
The Milwaukee Brewers have clinched the division and headed to the playoffs with 94 wins and a .599 PCT (winning percentage) (CBS MLB). They look to be primed for a deep postseason run due to a combination of streaky bats and an elite pitching staff. Brandon Woodruff has consistently been one of the best in the league. Emerging star Corbin Burnes is in the running for the Cy Young award (an award that goes out to the best pitcher in the league every year) and Josh Hader is also one of the best relievers in the league. The St. Louis Cardinals just recently lost their first game after a 5 game winning streak, and were neck and neck with the Cincinnati Reds for a Wildcard spot, but the Cardinals were able to come out on top. This means that the Wildcard game will be the Cardinals versus either the Dodgers or the Giants, whoever doesn’t clinch the NL West.
NL East
The East is looking like a bit of a mess as of now. The three teams on top -- the Braves, the Phillies, and the Mets -- all play either really well or terribly given the week. With a .538 win percentage, the Braves are the best bet for the playoff spot despite their loss to the Giants upon return of SF pitcher Alex Wood (MLB). The Mets have shown inconsistency this season, just losing to the Phillies last Sunday night, and unfortunately I don’t predict that they have a Wildcard game in their future. The Phillies, 2nd in NL East, have been facing an uphill battle to make it to the postseason. With right-fielder and possible MVP Bryce Harper batting .315 and the emergence of young prospect Bryson Stott, things were looking hopeful for Philadelphia at the beginning of the season (Phillies Nation). There are many possibilities for why the Phillies fell off the map this season. While they have a small chance at making the playoffs, they would have to count on a huge mistake by the Braves, and so cannot control their own destiny.
American League West
The Astros are also in the running for a chance to get to the World Series, as a favorite in the American League. Outfielder Chas McCormick helped propel Houston ahead last Sunday night against the Diamondbacks (Baseball Reference). McCormick and fellow rookie Jose Siri hit back to back homeruns to give the Astros “one of the best wins we’ve had in a long time,” according to team manager Dusty Baker (MLB). In theory the A’s could make a grab for the spot, they have the talent, and they have the opportunity to get a Wildcard, so I wouldn't bet against them. The Mariners realistically don’t have a shot at the Wildcard spot with 88 wins and a winning percentage of .557. In order to make the playoffs at all they would need Oakland to collapse down the stretch or Houston to lose almost all of their remaining games, neither of which is realistic at this point.
AL Central
Despite the suspension of pitcher Mike Wright earlier last week due to him intentionally throwing at Angel’s pitcher Shohei Otani, the Chicago White Sox are carrying on and pushing to the end of a pretty successful season (ESPN). The Sox have a hefty lead over anyone in their division, with 90 wins (Sports Chicago), and have won their division. Behind them in the AL Central are the Cleveland Indians with 77 wins and a .490 winning percentage, followed by the Tigers. Neither of these two teams have a strong enough record to get the Wildcard for this season.
AL East
A Yankees fan who is a fellow sophomore at Skidmore told me the other day that “any team that doesn’t drop their entire philosophy and start doing what the Rays are doing is archaic.” Teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox spend about $200 million a year on players, but the Rays spend about $70 million. They also get better use out of players making around $1 million a year than some teams get with players making $30 million. Whatever the Rays are doing, it’s working -- there’s a reason they are headed to the playoffs as division leaders and still economically the one of the smartest teams in the league.
The strongest teams besides the Rays are looking like the Red Sox, Blue Jays and the Yankees, but currently it is anyone’s game when it comes to the Sox and the Blue Jays. While The Yankees -- huge apology in advance to the 99% of this school that are Yankees fans -- have been playing some horrible baseball this season, they are still a stacked team with an all star lineup (CBS MLB). While their September has been so rough that many Yankees fans doubted that they would make it, they are looking like a good bet for the American League Wildcard game. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are higher in wins than the Blue Jays at 88, though Toronto is only one game behind and definitely has the potential to take that spot out from under Boston. Boston does have an easier schedule lined up, meaning they have a better chance at winning their upcoming games than do the Blue Jays. As of now, it’s looking more and more like the Red Sox and the Yankees will take the two AL Wildcard spots, with the Rays clinching the spot for playoffs.
The playoffs are certainly looking promising, and fans are starting to get excited. But the question of who will take home the Commissioner's Trophy at the end of the year is one that can only be answered later on into the postseason – once more pitches have been thrown and more wins are taken.