Jacob Petrarca
Staff Writer
In this issue:
MLB Playoff Preview
NFL Week 3+4 Recap
NBA + NHL Season Previews
The Major League Baseball regular season just wrapped up. Plenty of storylines and historical achievements dominanted the headlines, and at the end of it all, 12 teams are left to compete for the World Series title and the Comissioner’s Trophy. Let’s take a look at those teams.
THE HEAVY FAVORITES
Los Angeles Dodgers (111-51), 1st in NL West, 1st in NL. Last WS championship- 2020
It was buisness as usual for the Dodgers in 2022. Winners of the National League West from 2013 to 2020, and winners of 106 games last season (2nd to the San Francisco Giants’ 107), the Dodgers are back where they belong on top of the division, far ahead of the second-place Padres, and winning a franchise record 111 games. Despite the loss of pitching stud Walker Buehler due to a season ending injury, the Dodgers are led by a fearsome staff of former 20-game winner Julio Urias, 3-time Cy Young winner and 2014 NL MVP Clayton Kershaw, and the surprising Tony Gonsolin. The Dodgers by far are the best pitching staff in baseball, with a league best 2.80 ERA. At the top of the batting order is speed threat Trea Turner, and 2 former league MVP’s: Freddie Freeman (who finished second in the NL in batting at .325) and Mookie Betts. Freeman was the big splash in the offseason for the Dodgers, having been signed from the Atlanta Braves, where he beat LA in the NLCS last year en route to a World Series Championship. The Los Angeles offense is the most profiecient offense in baseball, leading the league with 847 runs scored, or about 5.23 per game. Fully expect the Dodgers to make another appearance in the NLCS, which would be their league-leading 7th since 2013 and 3rd straight. They’re also heavy favorites to win the National League for the 4th time in six seasons. It’s worth noting that every World Series champion since 2016 has either been the Dodgers or beaten the Dodgers in the playoffs. They’ll continue their journey towards an 8th championship when they play the winner of the New York Mets and San Diego Padres in the Division Series next week.
Team Leaders:
Freddie Freeman (.325 BA, .918 OPS, 100 RBI) Mookie Betts (35 HR) Trea Turner (100 RBI, 27 SB)
Julio Urias (17 W, 166 K) Tony Gonsolin (2.14 ERA) Craig Kimbrel (22 SV)
Houston Astros (106-56) 1st in AL West, 1st in AL. Last WS appearance – 2019. Last WS championship – 2017
Like how the New England Patriots in the NFL used to do it, the Astros don’t rebuild, they reload. Despite losing key pieces to their recent success in past offseasons (Gerrit Cole in 2019, George Springer in 2020, and Carlos Correa in 2021), the Astros simply refuse to quit. They coasted to their 5th AL West title in 6 seasons (losing out to the Oakland Athletics in the COVID-shortened 2020 season) and by all accounts are the most complete team (at least on paper) in the American League. Led by their infield of Trey Mancini (a trade deadline pickup from Baltimore), Jose Altuve, rookie sensation Jeremy Pena, and Alex Bregman with Kyle Tucker in the outifeld and Yordan Alvarez at DH, not to mention a dominant, AL-best pitching rotation led by Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, and Cristian Javier, the Astros should be making their 6th straight ALCS appearance, en route to a potential 4th World Series apperance and 2nd World Series title in that span. Of course, with the sign-stealing scandal of their lone championship, which was won in 2017, the Astros are desperate to get the monkey off their back and win a legitimate World Series. They start their run with a Division Series matchup against the winner of the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.
Team Leaders:
Yordan Alvarez (.306 BA, 37 HR, 1.019 OPS) Kyle Tucker (107 RBI, 25 SB)
Justin Verlander (18 W, 1.75 ERA) Cristian Javier (194 K) Framber Valdez (194 K) Ryan Pressly (33 SV)
Atlanta Braves (101-61) 1st in NL East, 2nd in NL. Last WS championship – 2021
11 months ago, on November 2, 2021, the Braves defeated the Astros, 7-0, winning their first World Series title in 26 years. They accomplished all this without Ronald Acuna Jr, one of the young superstars in the game today, who suffered a season ending injury in July. Over the offseason, they lost franchise face Freddie Freeman, who signed with the Dodgers and contributed heavily to their NL-best 111 wins by leading the majors in batting. They replaced Freeman with Matt Olson, acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics, and acquired closer Kenley Jansen from the Dodgers, who led the National League in saves this season with 41. It was a slow start for the Braves this season, as they stumbled out of the gate to a 23-27 record at the end of May. However, a 14 game winning streak throughout the first half of June set the Braves right back on track. Acuna Jr is back in 2022, but isn’t the only Brave producing on offense. Austin Riley was the National League’s Player of the Month for July and should finish in the Top 3 in MVP voting. Shortstop Dansby Swanson and catcher Travis d’Arnaud are also key veteran pieces. But it isn’t just the experienced delivering for Atlanta. Rookie of the Year candidates Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider are also winning games for Atlanta. Strider is part of a stellar pitching rotation for Atlanta that includes Charlie Morton, Max Fried and 20-game winner Kyle Wright. The Braves have a good shot at becoming the first team since the 2000 New York Yankees to successfully defend a championship, and they improved their chances greatly with a run of 78-34 since June 1st, coming back from a 10.5 game deficit in the National League East to win a 5th straight division title. They’ll begin their run by taking on the winner of the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.
Team Leaders:
Michael Harris II (.297 BA) Austin Riley (38 HR, .878 OPS) Matt Olson (103 RBI) Ronald Acuna Jr (29 SB)
Kyle Wright (21 W) Max Fried (2.48 ERA) Charlie Morton (205 K) Kenley Jansen (41 SV)
New York Mets (101-61) 2nd in NL East, 3rd in NL. Last WS appearance- 2015. Last WS championship- 1986
On October 31, 2020, while the Los Angeles Dodgers were celebrating their first World Series championship in decades, the New York Mets were being sold by the Wilpon family to hedge fund manager Steve Cohen. It was a day of joy for Mets fans, as the Wilpons were among the most hated owners in sports. The Wilpons had bought the team in November of 1986, just weeks after the Mets had won their 2nd World Series title, and to this day, that number remains the same. Although Cohen’s morals are questionable, having been implicated in an insider trading scandal in 2012, he’s definitely revamped the Mets over the last two years. Notable acquisitions made under Cohen include shortstop Francisco Lindor, relief pitcher Trevor May, outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha, 3-time Cy Young winner and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, and DH Daniel Voglebach, who was the main acquisition by the Mets at this year’s trade deadline. Serenaded by Timmy Trumpet’s Narco as he strolls out from the bullpen, Edwin Diaz has been a lights-out closer, after years of struggling since coming over in a trade from the Seattle Mariners in 2018. Homegrown talents Jacob DeGrom (winner of the NL Cy Young award in 2018 and 2019), Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso (2019’s NL Rookie of the Year and owner of the NL single-season rookie home run record with 53 that season) round out the best Mets core since that 1986 team. Managing this squad is legendary skipper Buck Showalter, who, along with the Astros’ Dusty Baker, is arguably the best manager in the sport. It’s an exciting time for Mets fans, especially after last year’s collapse that not only kept them out of the division title, but the playoffs entirely. Despite the Mets not winning the NL East for the first time since 2015, they’re still one of the best teams in the postseason. They’ll take on the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Jeff McNeil (.326 BA) Pete Alonso (40 HR, 131 RBI, .869 OPS) Starling Marte (18 SB)
Chris Bassitt (15 W) Carlos Carrasco (15 W) Max Scherzer (2.29 ERA, 173 K) Edwin Diaz (32 SV)
New York Yankees (99-63) 1st in AL East, 2nd in AL. Last WS championship – 2009
On the morning of July 9th, the Yankees held an MLB-best 61-23 record, having won the first two games of a series against the Boston Red Sox and holding a 15.5 game lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. For the next two months, the Yankees seemed to disappear, first with a mediocre 13-13 July and an abysmal 10-18 August. From August 2nd to August 16th, the team lost 11 of 13 , worst in MLB in that time as their lead shrunk to as low as 3.5 games. However, a resurgence in September woke the team right back up, and while they aren’t as dominant as they were in the first half, they’re well equipped to make a deep postseason run. While some moves made at the deadline (Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City, and Frankie Montas from Oakland) have been disappointing, they also acquired relief pitchers Scott Effross from the Chicago Cubs and Lou Trivino from the Oakland Athletics, joining a bullpen already filled with names such as Clay Holmes, Wandy Peralta, Aroldis Chapman, and Ron Marinaccio. The bullpen as a whole has been questionable, but the starting pitching has been efficient. Gerrit Cole (setting the Yankees’ single-season strikeout record with 257), Nestor Cortes Jr, Domingo German, and Luis Severino should be poised to make a strong playoff staff, but the team’s use of German in the bullpen as of late may indicate that Jameson Taillon (another reliable starter) may be the team’s #4 pitcher in October, with Severino getting bumped up to #3. Obviously, the story on offense is that of Aaron James Judge. Judge’s historic season (62 home runs, among a plethora of league-leading totals) makes him the AL MVP favorite, but Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and DJ Lemahieu have been known to produce at times. Stanton particularly has a penchant for October heroics- he homered 6 times in 7 playoff games in 2020. Adding into the mix the energy of Harrison Bader (who was acquired in a much maligned trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for fan favorite pitcher Jordan Montgomery) who is quickly softening the blow of the deal with his elite defense and timely hitting, as well as rookie Oswaldo Cabrera, the Yankees should be poised to make, at the very least, their third ALCS trip since 2017 and sixth since 2009, hoping to win the World Series for the first time since ’09 and snap the third-longest title drought in franchise history. They’ll take on the winner of the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series.
Team Leaders:
Aaron Judge (.311 BA, 1.111 OPS, 62 HR, 131 RBI) Isaiah Kiner-Falefa (22 SB)
Jameson Taillon (14 W) Gerrit Cole (257 K) Nestor Cortes Jr (2.44 ERA) Clay Holmes (20 SV)
MIDDLE OF THE PACK
St. Louis Cardinals (93-69) 1st in NL Central, 4th in NL. Last WS appearance – 2013. Last WS championship – 2011.
On the night of Friday, September 23rd, 2022, in the 5th inning of a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a pitching change. With 2 on and 1 out, he’d seen enough from his starter, Andrew Heaney. The fans booed. Normally, home fans wouldn’t boo such a change, instead applauding the efforts of the pitcher leaving the game, but this situation was unique. Albert Pujols was approaching home plate. In his last at bat, he’d homered off of Heaney for his 699th career long ball. The Dodgers had 104 wins and were well on their way towards the top seed in the National League playoffs- they really didn’t have much to play for. Instead, fans wanted to see something that had only been done 3 times in the history of the game- by Babe Ruth in 1934, Hank Aaron in 1973, and Barry Bonds in 2004. Roberts brought in a right-handed pitcher to replace the left-handed Heaney- Phil Bickford. This was a smart but disliked move by the 2020 World Series champion manager. Pujols’ OPS (on-base plus slugging) percentage vs left handed pitchers vs right handed at the time was significantly higher (1.144 to .661) For context, 1.144 is a league-leading average, while .661 is significantly below average. Nevertheless, Pujols roped a 1-1 slider from Bickford into the left field stands for his historic home run.
Of course, Pujols isn’t the only one producing for the Cardinals on offense. At the age of 42, one of three veterans who are playing signifcant roles for the team. Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina have still got it at their respective ages of 41 and 40. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and third baseman Nolan Arenado are MVP candidates. Lars Nootbar has quickly become a fan favorite in the outfield. The Cardinals were winners of a relativley weak National League Central, but they’ve got a penchant for deep and surprising playoff runs. In 2006, they won it all despite a mere (and MLB record-low for a full season) 83 regular season wins. And in 2011, they won the World Series after two seperate points in Game 6 where they were down to their final strike, not only winning that game but Game 7 as well. The Cardinals are a team you should never sleep on in October, and they’ll start their run at a 12th championship by taking on the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Paul Goldschmidt (.317 BA, .981 OPS, 35 HR, 115 RBI) Tommy Edman (32 SB)
Miles Mikolas (12 W, 153 K) Andre Pallante (3.17 ERA) Ryan Helsley (18 SV)
Cleveland Guardians (92-70) 1st in AL Central, 3rd in AL. Last WS appearance – 2016. Last WS championship – 1948.
Not many people expected things from Cleveland in 2022. The Chicago White Sox were heavily expected to walk away with the division for the second year running. Cleveland hasn’t won a playoff game since their 2-0 lead over the Yankees in the 2017 ALDS, losing eight straight during three playoff tries. However, an offense led by perennial MVP candidate Jose Ramirez, one of the best second baseman in baseball in Andres Gimenez, and rookie sensation Steven Kwan propelled the Guardians to their first division title in four years. A rotation topped by 2020 AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber and the young Triston McKenzie led Cleveland to having the American League’s second best ERA in the second half. It will be interesting to watch Cleveland in the postseason, as they represent the American League Central, a division that has gone by the wayside in October, losing 16 of 18 playoff games dating back to Cleveland’s 2-0 lead as the Astros and East division have dominated the league in the playoffs for the past few years. Cleveland is coming in hot- at 19-8, they hold baseball’s 3rd best record in September. They’ll look to end an MLB-long 74 year championship drought, second in the 4 major North American sports leagues to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals (last championship 1947). They take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Steven Kwan (.298 BA) Jose Ramirez (29 HR, 126 RBI, .869 OPS) Myles Straw (21 SB)
Cal Quantrill (15 W) Shane Bieber (2.88 ERA, 198 K) Emmanuel Clase (42 SV)
Toronto Blue Jays (92-70) 2nd in AL East, 4th in AL. Last WS championship – 1993
Last season, the Blue Jays very nearly qualified for a wild card spot with 91 wins, finishing a game behind the Yankees and Red Sox as the race came down to the season’s final weekend. They did this despite being moved 3 times in the season due to COVID. They opened at their spring training home in Dunedin, FL, before transferring to the site of their Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in New York, before finally ariving in Toronto at the end of July. This season, without that distraction, they were lauded as the preseason favorites to win the American League (losing AL MVP 3rd place finisher Marcus Semien and Cy Young winner Robbie Ray in the offseason but replacing them with Matt Chapman and Kevin Gausman). The Blue Jays carry arguably the American League’s best lineup into the playoffs despite things not going according to plan out of the gate.-they fired manager Charlie Montoyo and replaced him with John Schneider in July. Their offense is led by the young phenoms Vladimir Guererro Jr and Bo Bichette, All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk, Chapman, and 2017 World Series MVP George Springer who centers an outfield also featuring Lourdes Gurriel Jr and Teoscar Hernandez. The Jays’ offense is definitley potent, but the rotation of Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Alek Manoah should not be ignored and should be a deadly top 3 come October, while Jordan Romano is a shutdown closer at the end of the bullpen. They haven’t won it all since Joe Carter touched ’em all to win the 1993 Fall Classic against the Phillies, but they have a long window that should see them contend for years to come. They’ll start their 2022 playoff journey against the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Lourdes Gurriel Jr (.291 BA) Vladimir Guerrero Jr (.818 OPS, 32 HR, 97 RBI) George Springer (14 SB)
Alek Manoah (16 W, 2.24 ERA) Kevin Gausman (205 K) Jordan Romano (36 SV)
Seattle Mariners (90-72) 2nd in AL West, 5th in AL. Last WS appearance- never (first year 1977)
When the Seattle Mariners last qualified for the playoffs, the following things did not yet exist.
– The Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Sam Raimi Spider-Man films
– The Office
– The Houston Texans
– iPhones
– YouTube
– XBox
– GMail
It was the longest drought in the four major North American professional sports (a distinction now held by the NBA’s Sacramento Kings- 2006) and it’s finally over. Spearheading this new age of Mariners baseball is Julio Rodriguez, who, after the slow starts of fellow Seattle prospects Jarred Kelenic and Kyle Lewis, is a breath of fresh air to Mariner fans everywhere, as they’ve become the feel-good team story in 2022. On the mound, Robbie Ray (2021’s American League Cy Young with Toronto) Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby were a fearsome trio on their own, and added to the mix was Luis Castillo, the top pitching name acquired at the trade deadline. Since coming over from the Cincinnati Reds, Castillo has delivered for the M’s, and has impressed so much he’s even recieved a five-year, $108 million extension. Also spearheading the Mariners offense is Cal Raleigh, the fan favorite catcher who crushed a 3-2 pitch from Domingo Acevedo off of the right field foul pole at T-Mobile Park to clinch the playoff berth for Seattle. In the infield, Ty France, Adam Frazier, Eugenio Suarez, and JP Crawford round off a strong makeup of the offensive core. They’ll begin their first playoff run in 21 years when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Julio Rodriguez (.284 BA, .853 OPS, 25 SB) Eugenio Suarez (31 HR, 87 RBI)
Logan Gilbert (13 W, 3.20 ERA) Robbie Ray (212 K) Paul Sewald (20 SV)
THE LONG SHOTS
San Diego Padres (89-73) 2nd in NL West, 5th in NL. Last WS appearance- 1998. Last WS championship- Never (first year 1969)
The San Diego Padres are most likely MLB’s most cursed team. Despite playing their first season in 1969, the Padres did not win the National League West until 1984 (and then, 1996). Their first cycle (hitter with single, double, triple, home run in the same game) was not achieved until Wil Myers in 2015. And their first no-hitter wasn’t thrown until last April, when Joe Musgrove allowed no Texas Rangers batters to reach via base hits. They’ve only qualified for the playoffs seven times in 54 seasons, which is a barren showing (The Seattle Mariners contend with five appearances in 46 seasons, and the Chicago White Sox have done it only 11 times in 118 seasons). And on August 12, 2022, star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr, recently given a 340 million dollar contract by the team, was suspended for the rest of the season and into 2023 for the use of clostebol, a banned steroid. This coming after his being injured for the first half through a motorcycle accident, Tatis has quickly tainted both the contract and his own reputation as one of the faces of baseball. Despite all this, the Padres have managed to qualify for the playoffs in a full season for the first time since 2006, as one of the National League’s three wild card teams. Taking up Tatis’ spot as the de facto leader of the team is Manny Machado, who is mashing at third base, leading the team in several offensive categories. Ha-Seong Kim, acquired in the 2020-21 offseason as an international signing from Korea, is filling Tatis’ shoes nicely at short. Jake Cronenworth and his “Crone Zone” man second base, and trade deadline acquisition Josh Bell platoons at first with fellow trade piece Brandon Drury. Of course, Bell was not the biggest name in his own trade, despite an All-Star appearance with the Pirates in 2019. Bell was acquired with star outfielder Juan Soto, often called the “modern Ted Williams”, from the Washington Nationals, who’ve been in a fire sale for the past couple of seasons, seeing their 2019 championship core (Soto, Anthony Rendon, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner) disappear. Soto is not everything the Padres had hoped, batting .236 with a relatively average .778 OPS, with 6 HR in San Diego, but he’s still one of the most talented players in the game today. On the mound, Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Mike Clevinger make a solid starting 4 in the rotation. The bullpen is where question marks are raised. Since coming over from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade, Josh Hader has been absolutely abysmal, pitching to an 7.31 ERA, although he’s improved in September. Padres fans can only hope Hader finds himself in October, as well as the rest of the team, as they’ve played to a pedestrian 28-27 record since August 4, worst among playoff qualifiers in that time period. The postseason is about hot teams and cold teams, and the Padres will have a chance to prove themselves when they take on the heavily favored New York Mets in the Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Manny Machado (.298 BA, .898 OPS, 32 HR, 102 RBI) Ha-Seong Kim (12 SB)
Yu Darvish (16 W, 197 K) Joe Musgrove (2.93 ERA) Nick Martinez (8 SV)**
**Taylor Rogers had 28 SV for the Padres before being traded to Milwaukee on August 1st in the Josh Hader trade
Philadelphia Phillies (87-75) 2nd in NL East, 6th in NL. Last WS appearance- 2009. Last WS championship- 2008.
The Philadelphia Phillies took an interesting direction this past offseason. They sacrificed defense, signing outfielders who were better suited at DH -Kyle Schwarber from the Boston Red Sox and Nick Castellanos from the Cincinnati Reds. Joining them in the outfield was Bryce Harper, the 2-time NL MVP. However, a May injury restricted Harper on defense. Fortnuatley, this year was the first full season that the National League played with the designated hitter- allowing Harper to stay in the lineup. He did miss some time, although not as much as he would have. However, the Phillies finished with the fourth-fewest errors in all of baseball. In the infield, Rhys Hoskins (1B) Jean Segura (2B) Alec Bohm (3B) Bryson Stott (SS) and JT Realmuto (C) helped the Phillies to their first playoff appearance since 2011, ending the NL’s longest drought, along with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Kyle Gibson on the mound. The Phillies have only won two championships (tied for fewest among Original 16 teams with Cleveland) and will be looking for #3. They take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Alec Bohm (.280 BA) Kyle Schwarber (46 HR, 94 RBI, .827 OPS) JT Realmuto (21 SB)
Zack Wheeler (12 W, 2.82 ERA) Aaron Nola (235 K) Corey Knebel (12 SV)
Tampa Bay Rays (86-76) 3rd in AL East, 6th in AL. Last WS appearance – 2020. Last WS championship (Never- first season 1998)
The Rays are the most well-run organization in the American League, and are doing so extremely quietly. American League Cy Young favorite Shane McLanahan heads the top of a pitching rotation featuring unassuming names such as Drew Rasmussen and Corey Kluber, who won the Cy Young award with Cleveland twice, and pitched a no-hitter with the Yankees last year. Returning is Tyler Glasnow, who returned from Tommy John surgery on Sept. 28 and will be part of the Rays’ pitching plans going forward. A bullpen of Jason Adam, Colin Poche, Pete Fairbanks, Brooks Raley, and JT Chargois should be an effective combination for Tampa Bay in October. As a staff, the Rays have the AL’s 3rd best earned run average in the second half, behind the Astros and Guardians. The Rays went 51-30 at home, and a mere 35-46 on the road, so it’ll be tough sledding going forward as the American League’s 5th seed. On offense, 2021 Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena and young phenom Wander Franco lead a lineup that’s been among MLB’s most banged-up throughout the season. It should be interesting to see how the Rays fare- they’ve been among MLB’s best these past few seasons – a World Series appearance in 2020 and a 100-win season last year- they’ll seek their first championship and begin their run against the Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card Series.
Team Leaders:
Yandy Diaz (.296 BA, .824 OPS) Randy Arozarena (20 HR, 89 RBI, 32 SB) Isaac Paredes (20 HR)
Shane McLanahan (12 W, 2.54 ERA, 194 K) Jason Adam (8 SV) Pete Fairbanks (8 SV)
The playoffs begin on Friday, October 7, with Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series. Below are my predictions of the upcoming series.
Note: I am not a time traveler, do not spend money based on my picks, I don’t know the lottery numbers.
American League Wild Card Series 1: Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays. Season Series: CLE 4, TB 2
The Rays have been among MLB’s best-run organizations, and it led to back-to-back division titles in 2020 and 2021. While they didn’t win the East this year, they’re still poised to make a deep playoff run. Cleveland played great in September, although it was mostly against mediocre teams. However, there’s one more factor to consider- the series will be away from the Rays’ home of Tropicana Field. Given the Rays’ sub-.500 record on the road, and the Guardians’ series win over the Rays in Cleveland from the 27th to the 29th of September, my pick is Cleveland to advance to the American League Division Series, winning a playoff series for the AL Central for the first time since Cleveland won the ALCS in 2016. Prediction: Cleveland wins, 2-1.
American League Wild Card Series 2: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners. Season Series: SEA 5, TOR 2
This is the most intriguing of the 4 matchups in the series, although I think the advantage will go to Seattle because of their excellent pitching rotation. Toronto’s lineup is great, and they’ve got the home crowd on their side, but I think that 2 of Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, and George Kirby can win Seattle two games. Expect a pitcher’s duel in game 1, and two-high scoring affairs in games 2 and 3 as the series goes full-length and the Mariners win their first playoff series since 2001. Prediction: Seattle wins, 2-1.
National League Wild Card Series 1: St. Louis Cardinals vs Philadelphia Phillies. Season Series: PHI 4, STL 3.
As I said in the team previews, you should never sleep on the Cardinals in the postseason. With 2 MVP candidates in the infield, the resurgence of Albert Pujols, and the dominant outfield play of Lars Nootbar, the Cardinals should be making their first Division Series appearance since 2019. The Phillies are great, but they don’t have the stuff to beat the Cardinals. Prediction: St. Louis wins, 2-1.
National League Wild Card Series 2: New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres. Season Series: SD 4, NYM 2
A matchup that would’ve been a lot more intriguing with Fernando Tatis Jr in the San Diego lineup, I think this will be a relatively easy win for New York, with aces Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer on the hill, the Padres have an uphill battle. Prediction: New York wins, 2-0.
American League Division Series 1: Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners. Season Series: HOU 12, SEA 7.
The Mariners are a great story, but after throwing their top 3 arms in the Wild Card Series, they’ll be no match for a juggernaut Astros team that has made 5 straight American League Championship Series appearances. They’ll maybe squeak out a game at home, but the Cinderella run ends here. Prediction: Houston wins, 3-1.
American League Divison Series 2: New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians. Season Series: NYY 5, CLE 1
With the three headed monster of Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes Jr, and Luis Severino, the Yankees are built for the ALCS. Cleveland has arms, but they’ll be messed up by a full length Wild Card Series. It’s the same case as the Mariners- they might win one game, but don’t expect a victory. Prediction: New York wins, 3-1.
National League Division Series 1: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets. Season Series: NYM 4, LAD 3
The Mets will be hard pressed beating the Dodgers, after using deGrom and Scherzer to beat San Diego. Hats off to the Mets, who put up their best season in decades, but they’ll have to try again in 2023. It’ll be close, but LA will be making its 6th NLCS trip in 7 years. Prediction: Los Angeles wins, 3-2.
National League Division Series 2: Atlanta Braves vs. St. Louis Cardinals. Season Series: ATL 4, STL 3
Winning the division was huge for the Braves, who can now use the first-round bye to set their rotation. In revenge for St. Louis’ 2019 NLDS victory, the Braves will be winning this series in 4 games. Prediction: Atlanta wins, 3-1.
American League Championship Series: New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros. Season Series: HOU 5, NYY 2
This is the most interesting matchup in the entire postseason, should it happen. When these two teams last met, it was before the trade deadline, and now the teams are vastly different and improved. It’s going to be a tough call, but the energy of Harrison Bader and Oswaldo Cabrera can give the Yankees a boost that was missing when these teams last played. New York returns to the Fall Classic, vanquishing Houston in 7, although if they lose one game at Yankee Stadium, that will be a big blow that might be enough to give Houston the series. Prediction: New York wins, 4-3.
National League Championship Series: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves. Season Series: LAD 4, ATL 2
For the third year running, we’ll get Dodgers-Braves in the NLCS. The Dodgers won in 2020, and the Braves in 2021. These teams are pretty evenly matched, although the Braves winning their series faster will be what they need, allowing them to properly set their rotation and win the series in a full 7 games. Prediction: Atlanta wins, 4-3.
World Series: New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves.
For the 5th time in their history, the Yankees and Braves will square off in the Fall Classic. These teams are pretty evenly matched, although, with the Yankees getting the monkey of Houston off their back, that will give them a little something extra to capture a 28th championship. Prediction: New York wins, 4-3.
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles are flying to an undefeated 4-0 start in 2022.
All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Of course, baseball isn’t the only thing going on. Week 3 in the NFL got off to a sloppy start, with the Cleveland Browns scraping out a 29-17 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Around the league, the undefeated Buffalo Bills met the undefeated Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for the battle of first place in the AFC East. The game was surprisingly low scoring, as Tua Tagovailoa’s Dolphins took down Josh Allen’s Bills, 21-19, with a chaotic final sequence featuring a Dolphins punt that was deflected off of a lineman’s posterior, and an attempted spike by the Bills that could not be achieved because the Bills ran out of time. Three touchdowns were scored in the game, but instead of going to Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Stefon Diggs like you’d expect, they instead belonged to Devin Singletary, Isaiah McKenzie, and River Cracraft. Tagovailoa left with a head injury that would have greater effect in Week 4 (see below) and was replaced with the Dolphins’ backup, journeyman Teddy Bridgewater.
The Cincinnati Bengals picked up their first win of the season, albeit against the lowly New York Jets, winning 27-12 on the strength of 3 passing touchdowns from Joe Burrow. The winless Tennessee Titans beat the winless Las Vegas Raiders, 24-22, sending the Raiders to the bottom of the AFC West. The upset of the week belonged to the Indianapolis Colts, who took down the perenially contending Kansas City Chiefs, 20-17, on a final-minute, go ahead touchdown pass from former MVP Matt Ryan to wide reciever Jelani Woods, and limited Patrick Mahomes to 262 yards and 1 touchdown. The Jacksonville Jaguars showed up and beat Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers, 38-10. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, the top pick in the 2021 draft, looked great, passing for 3 touchdowns in the win. In a rematch of the 2020 NFC Championship game, Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers took a quiet one from Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 14-12. The Philadelphia Eagles stayed undefeated (only undefeated team with Miami) as they soundly beat the Washington Commanders, 24-8. The week did end with a couple of duds, however, with the Denver Broncos winning a sloppy Sunday Night game against the Denver Broncos, 11-10, in a game that featured 49ers QB Jimmy Garroppolo committing a safety and an interception on the same play, accidentally stepping out in the back of the end zone as he passed, and gifting Denver 2 points that ultimatley decided the game. This blunder had only been committed once before in NFL history, by former Detroit Lion field general Dan Orlovsky, who did so during the Lions’ winless 0-16 season in 2008. The 49ers won’t finish the season winless, but it’s a rough start so far for the team that rallied to the NFC Championship game last season. On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys won the first NFC East divisional game of the season, as they beat the previously undefeated New York Giants, 23-16, in the second career NFL start for Cowboys QB Cooper Rush, who took over following Dak Prescott’s injury last week.
The Cincinnati Bengals won again in Week 4, beating the Miami Dolphins 27-15 to make Philadelphia the league’s only undefeated team, however the Bengals’ win was largely overshadowed by an injury sustained by Tagovailoa, who was cleared to return by a doctor affilliated with the NFL Player’s Association.. Being a Thursday game, the Dolphins were coming off of a short week, so it was a questionable decision from the start, and it only got worse when the quarterback sustained a second head injury, in a tackle made by Bengals lineman Josh Tupou in the second quarter. Tagovailoa departed the stadium on a stretcher, and the doctor, unnamed at this point, was dismissed by the NFLPA.
The NFL left the country for the first of many times in 2022, as the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints dueled not in the Superdome in New Orleans, but at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Vikings won, 28-25, when a field goal attempt from Saints kicker Blake Gillkin double-doinked off the goalposts and out as time expired. The Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions put up a great show at Ford Field in Detroit, with the Seahawks edging out the Lions 48-45, despite the Lions’ best efforts in nearly overcoming a 16-point third quarter deficit. Incidentally, that is the first score of that kind in NFL history, a phenomenon known as “Scorigami”. Austin Ekeler’s 3 touchdowns led the Los Angeles Chargers to a 34-24 win over the Houston Texans, and the Philadelphia Eagles became the only team to remain undefeated through four weeks as they edged out the Jacksonville Jaguars, 29-21. To the surpise of many, the Jaguars remain atop the AFC South with their 2-2 record despite the loss. The Buffalo Bills overcame a 17-point deficit against the Baltimore Ravens and won, 23-20, on a field goal from Tyler Bass as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Zach Wilson returned this week for the New York Jets, and passed for 252 yards and one touchdown in a 24-20 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, to keep the Jets improbably one game behind the first-place Dolphins and Bills in the AFC East. The Las Vegas Raiders won their first game as they defeated the Denver Broncos, 32-23. 2-time defending champion NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers threw only his 4th career pick six as the Green Bay Packers took down the New England Patriots in overtime, 27-24. The Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers met to conclude Sunday’s festivities at Raymond James Stadium, the site of Super Bowl 55, where the two teams met and Tom Brady’s Buccaneers took down Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs to capture the franchise’s second championship. In the rematch, the Chiefs got somewhat of a revenge, as Kansas City outslugged Tampa Bay, 41-31. Week 4 concluded as the San Francisco 49ers beat the LA Rams, 24-9, to knot the entire NFC West up with a 2-2 record.
The Colorado Avalanche and Golden State Warriors look to defend their titles in 2023.
Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (right)
Gabriel_Landeskog_in_2012.jpg: Sarahderivative work: Avaholic, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (left)
Hockey and basketball are right around the corner. The puck drops on the NHL season on Friday, October 7, when the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks play a pair of games internationally at Prague. The Colorado Avalanche are defending champions, having knocked off the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in six games when the two teams met in June. Having won their first title since 2001 when Ray Borque hoisted the Cup, the Avalanche look to repeat. Despite losing key cogs in goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Washington Capitals and center Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames, they still look like a strong team with young phenom Cale Makar on defense, captain Gabriel Landeskog, and center Nathan MacKinnon.
Not to be underestimated are the Lightining. In 2021, they became the second team to repeat as champions this century (Pittsburgh Penguins, 2016-17) and came within 2 wins of becoming the first team to win three straight since the New York Islanders famously won four in a row from 1980 to 1983. With stud goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky between the pipes, and a top line featuring stars such as Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Victor Hedman, the Lightning look poised to win the Eastern Conference for a fourth year running, something that has not been accomplished since those Islanders teams.
Also in the mix to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup in the summer of 2023 are the Carolina Hurricanes (went on a dominant run in the playoffs that saw only one home loss in their two rounds) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (holder of the longest championship drought in the league (1967) and haven’t advanced to the second round since 2004, but with reigning MVP Auston Matthews), they’re still one of the strongest teams in the league.
On the hardwood, the NBA season tips off October 18 with a couple of marquee matchups. The Philadelphia 76ers are in Boston to play the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics, while the Golden State Warriors, winner of the NBA Finals in 2022 for the 4th time in 8 seasons, take on Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Phoenix Suns, winners of an NBA-best 64 games in 2021-22, but were bounced in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks, who are a strong team of their own featuring star point guard Luka Doncic. Despite not winning a playoff game in 2022, the Brooklyn Nets look to rebound led by a trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons. The team that beat them, the Boston Celtics, continue to be led by their core of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum, despite the suspension of their head coach, Ime Udoka, for one year for violating team policy for a relationship with staff. Udoka, who led the Celtics to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, was about to begin his second season in that role, which will now be filled by Joe Mazzulla. They along with 29 other teams look to dethrone the Warriors, who are led by veterans Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, who, in a league rife with free-agent and trade drama, have stayed loyal to Golden State all these years (Curry since 2009, Thompson since 2011, and Green since 2012)
October is certainly one of the best months on the sporting calendar. I’ll be back in two Wednesdays with the next issue of the Payoff Pitch, with MLB playoff recaps, Week 5 and 6 of the NFL, and early reactions to the NHL season.
MLB Final Regular Season Standings
| AL East | W | L | Games Back |
| New York Yankees | 99 | 63 | 0 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 92 | 70 | 7 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 86 | 72 | 13 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 83 | 79 | 16 |
| Boston Red Sox | 78 | 84 | 21 |
| AL Central | W | L | Games Back |
| Cleveland Guardians | 92 | 70 | 0 |
| Chicago White Sox | 81 | 81 | 11 |
| Minnesota Twins | 78 | 84 | 14 |
| Detroit Tigers | 66 | 96 | 26 |
| Kansas City Royals | 65 | 97 | 27 |
| AL West | W | L | Games Back |
| Houston Astros | 106 | 56 | 0 |
| Seattle Mariners | 90 | 72 | 16 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 73 | 89 | 33 |
| Texas Rangers | 68 | 94 | 38 |
| Oakland Athletics | 60 | 102 | 46 |
| NL East | W | L | Games Back |
| Atlanta Braves | 101 | 61 | 0 |
| New York Mets | 101 | 61 | 0* |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 87 | 75 | 14 |
| Miami Marlins | 69 | 93 | 32 |
| Washington Nationals | 55 | 107 | 46 |
*Braves won tiebreaker by winning season series with Mets 10-9*
| NL Central | W | L | Games Back |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 93 | 69 | 0 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 86 | 76 | 7 |
| Chicago Cubs | 74 | 88 | 19 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 62 | 100 | 31 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 62 | 100 | 31 |
| NL West | W | L | Games Back |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 111 | 51 | 0 |
| San Diego Padres | 89 | 73 | 22 |
| San Francisco Giants | 81 | 81 | 30 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 74 | 88 | 37 |
| Colorado Rockies | 68 | 94 | 43 |
| AL Wild Card | W | L | Games Back |
| WC1: Toronto | 92 | 70 | |
| WC2: Seattle | 90 | 72 | |
| WC3: Tampa Bay | 86 | 76 | |
| Baltimore | 83 | 79 | 3 |
| Chicago | 81 | 81 | 5 |
| Minnesota | 78 | 84 | 8 |
| Boston | 78 | 84 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | 73 | 89 | 13 |
| Texas | 68 | 94 | 18 |
| Detroit | 66 | 96 | 20 |
| Kansas City | 65 | 97 | 21 |
| Oakland | 60 | 102 | 26 |
| NL Wild Card | W | L | Games Back |
| WC1: New York | 101 | 61 | |
| WC2: San Diego | 89 | 73 | |
| WC3: Philadelphia | 87 | 75 | |
| Milwaukee | 86 | 76 | 1 |
| San Francisco | 81 | 81 | 6 |
| Arizona | 74 | 88 | 13 |
| Chicago | 74 | 88 | 13 |
| Miami | 69 | 93 | 18 |
| Colorado | 68 | 94 | 19 |
| Cincinnati | 62 | 100 | 25 |
| Pittsburgh | 62 | 100 | 25 |
| Washington | 55 | 107 | 32 |
MLB Final Stat Leaders (Regular Season)
Batting Average: Jeff McNeil, New York Mets, .326
On Base + Slugging Percentage: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 1.111
Home Runs: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 62
Runs Batted In: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Pete Alonso; New York Mets, 131
Pitching Wins: Kyle Wright, Atlanta Braves, 21
Earned Run Average: Justin Verlander, Houston Astros, 1.75
Strikeouts: Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees, 257
Saves: Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians, 42
Stolen Bases: Jon Berti, Miami Marlins, 41
NFL Standings (through Week 4)
| AFC East | W | L | T |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| New York Jets | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| New England Patriots | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| AFC North | W | L | T |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| AFC South | W | L | T |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Houston Texans | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| AFC West | W | L | T |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Denver Broncos | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| NFC East | W | L | T |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| New York Giants | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Washington Commanders | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| NFC North | W | L | T |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Chicago Bears | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Detroit Lions | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| NFC South | W | L | T |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| NFC West | W | L | T |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2 | 2 | 0 |
NFL League Leaders (through Week 4)
Passing Yards: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers- 1,250
Passing Touchdowns: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions; Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs; Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens; 11
Rushing Yards: Saquon Barkley, New York Giants, 463
Rushing Touchdowns: Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions, 6
Recieving Yards: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins, 477
Recieving Touchdowns: Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills; Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders, 4
Field Goals: Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders, 12
Longest Field Goal: Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints, 60 yards, Week 4
Interceptions: Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills, 4
Sacks: Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers, 6