Hello, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  Last time I made a post on here, Opening Day was right around the corner!  Now, as of the writing of this blog post, three weeks of the MLB baseball season went by.  As they say, “Time flies by when you’re having fun,” and these three weeks have gone by so fast!  Here are some of my thoughts along with some interesting storylines to start the 2023 MLB season.

The Rays Red Hot Start

Before the season, the expectations of the Tampa Bay Rays were not low, but not necessarily high though.  Definitely not this high.  As of this writing of this blog on April 13th, the Rays defeated the Red Sox to cap off a 13-0 start to the season.  That’s right: they haven’t lost a game yet.  This undefeated streak ties two such other streaks, that of the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1987 Brewers.  The only streak greater than them dates back to the 1884 Saint Louis Maroons, which shows the gravity of the history that they are currently making and could make.

The impressive statistic that stands out got me is that they have outscored opponents 101-30, which shows that not only has their offense been dominant with faces like Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe in the lineup, but their pitching has been too, with stars like Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs, and Drew Rasmussen.

Many people online were making jokes about how their first three series, namely against the Tigers, Nationals, and Athletics, were all “Mickey Mouse wins.”  This is an understandable argument, as all three teams are significantly worse than the Rays and most teams in the league, but it is important to note that the twelfth and thirteenth wins were both picked up against the Red Sox– a division rival and a solid team, which means that the Rays truly may be a force to reckon with this season.  Let’s see how much longer the streak goes- and who they lose to.

Length of Games Are Significantly Smaller

The MLB made a plethora of rules changes in the past offseason that started taking effect this season.  Among them are a balanced schedule which has every team playing against every other team, larger bases, and the addition of a pitch clock.  The latter has gone through much controversy, especially with the many clock violations that altered games in spring training.

However, it seems like players and fans are becoming more accustomed to the pitch clock.  In fact, MLB put out a statement outlining how the clock, among other rule changes, has been beneficial.  Per the release that was made available yesterday, games are now significantly faster, the average nine-inning game now being two hours and thirty-seven minutes as opposed to the length of three hours and nine minutes of last season.  The rules have also allowed for more offensive action such as the batting average increasing from .243 to .248 and the stolen base rate increasing to 80 percent.

While there may be woes now, I think this is beneficial in the long run for the game due to the fact that it would reel in new fans that used to see it as a slow and boring sport.  I also think that it helps for getting rid of unnecessary time wasting actions, which is beneficial for the same reason.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Baseball Bash, and I’ll be signing off for now!  See you soon.

Hello and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  It has been a while, but an exciting development is happening soon in Major League Baseball: Opening Day!  In fact, as of the writing of this blog, it is tomorrow, March 30th!  There is certainly a lot to look forward to this year, one especially including the first season with the rule changes(mentioned in previous blogs) and how they will affect the quality and time of the games.  Let’s take a look at some of the matchups:

Hello and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  It has been a while, but an exciting development is happening soon in Major League Baseball: Opening Day!  In fact, as of the writing of this blog, it is tomorrow, March 30th!  There is certainly a lot to look forward to this year, one especially including the first season with the rule changes(mentioned in previous blogs) and how they will affect the quality and time of the games.  Let’s take a look at some of the matchups:

Yankees vs. Giants

The New York Yankees(my team) play against the San Francisco Giants in the Bronx in one of two games to kick off Opening Day at 1:05 pm.  The pitching matchup is very interesting: long-term Yankee ace Gerrit Cole faces off against Logan Webb, a pitcher who recently emerged as one of the best.  Interesting storylines to keep track of for the game includes a few with Aaron Judge.  This will be his first game as captain of the Yankees

after signing a nine-year, 360 million dollar deal with them this past offseason.  He is the first Yankee captain since Derek Jeter, so this title holds deep significance for Yankee fans in NYC and the rest of the world.  On top of that Aaron Judge was majorly considering signing with the San Francisco Giants this offseason as this was his favorite team growing up and he would’ve been able to play close to home.  However, citing “unfinished business” among other things, Judge decided to stay in New York and become the captain.  

Another is that of young shortstop Anthony Volpe.  Volpe recently made the Opening Day roster for the Yankees at just 21 years old, which was the same age that Derek Jeter was called up as well.  He had a stellar Spring Training, with mind-boggling plays like this:

ANTHONY VOLPE WHAT A PLAY pic.twitter.com/wwhXcBoO8M

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 28, 2023

For the Giants, they had an underwhelming offseason.  One connection they have to New York other than Judge, however, is Michael Conforto.  Conforto was a longtime player of the Yankee crosstown rival New York Mets and is able to return to New York City for his first game.  That will be an interesting storyline to follow too.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox

We are staying within the AL East with this matchup, but this will be an interesting one too.  The pitching matchup will feature veterans Kyle Gibson vs Corey Kluber, both veteran pitchers that joined their respective teams this offseason.  I expect this game to be an offensive battle.   

When it comes to the Orioles, their offseason was dormant.  No big moves or blockbuster trades.  However, two exciting young players are looming for the Orioles, and they are in the form of Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.  The young infielder and catcher(respectively) bring great arm talent along with stellar batting numbers.  This is the first full year for both of them and I expect both to breakout in a major way for Baltimore.

For the Red Sox, their story is of loss.  They lost superstar shortstop Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres and are now relying more on third baseman Rafael Devers, who just signed a long term deal, to be the centerpiece of their offense.  They were also able to acquire Justin Turner, who should definitely help the offense reach new heights next year.  While I don’t see them winning their division, they definitely have the possibility of being more competitive than last season.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Texas Rangers

This game sees a vintage pitching matchup with Aaron Nola facing off against Jacob DeGrom.  DeGrom, who was a longtime Met and built his reputation there, is now on the Rangers after signing a five-year, 185 million dollar contract with them this past offseason.  DeGrom is no stranger to the Phillies as his previous squad, the Mets, play them many times every year which gives him valuable experience for this opening day matchup.

For the Phillies, the main story is of injuries.  Superstar outfielder Bryce Harper is still recovering from surgery while Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL during spring training and the team is expecting to have only Harper back in a few months.  The offense still is able to feature new star shortstop Trea Turner, who just came off of an excellent World Baseball Classic performance.  Other prominent stars that they still have is catcher J.T. Realmuto and slugger Kyle Schwarber.  It is to be determined how this core, along with the entire team, will do without Harper and Hoskins.

For the Rangers, all the attention seems to be on DeGrom.  DeGrom has been very injury prone during the past few years and has not really been able to pitch full seasons, so Rangers fans definitely are wishing he can give them “DeGrominant” performances all season.  It will be interesting to see how he does in a new team that certainly is nothing like the New York Mets.

With Opening Day coming up, there is a lot to look forward to.  Will a team go for a surprise run to start the season?  Will there be surprising signings?  All we can do now is wait and take it all in now that baseball’s back.  Until then, thank you for reading another edition of Baseball Bash, and I will see you soon!

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  Spring training begins this Friday, believe it or not, and I, along with the baseball world, am getting more and more excited by the day.  That being said, there have been a few developments in the MLB leading up to the beginning of spring training this weekend.

Shohei Ohtani

One of the biggest free agents following this season will be two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.  Ohtani, if he keeps up the performance that he has had over the past few positions, could be looking to sign a contract as large as 500 million dollars, the largest contract in MLB history.  Many people are saying that his career is being wasted in Anaheim, and Ohtani moving to another other team would give him higher odds to see pitching appearances in the playoffs, and ultimately, the World Series.

For Ohtani, it seems that the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets would be the biggest suitors for him after his contract season with the LA Angels this year.  After all, his agent said recently that Ohtani has the “right to explore free agency”, and the Mets and Dodgers are some of the largest spenders in the league

given the Mets’ new owner(Steve Cohen) and the Dodgers current load of superstars the likes of Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, and Max Muncy.  It will be interesting

to see where he ends up after this season.  I would like him to win a World Series.

Spring Training- a Guinea Pig Exhibition

With Spring Training starting one short day, it also means the new game rules will be taken for a spin.  As MLB.com writer Anthony Castrovince put it, we are about to embark on a spring exhibition season “unlike any other in baseball’s history.”  It makes sense when you consider the changes themselves- a pitch timer, the shift essentially becoming extinct, and so much more.  Spring training will allow for the league to make changes, if necessary, before the regular season starts.  This is a good move because it often is the case that making necessary changes can happen too late- so the spring training period serving as this buffer for the MLB to truly test out these rules at a professional level is important in giving the ideal season to fans, players, and coaches.

I am personally looking forward to the Yankees’ spring training as we will be able to see young prospects play with pros(just like the other teams).  One particular player is Anthony Volpe, a shortstop, who played a high school near where my hometown and is a phenom in his own right, has been building his way up rapidly in the minor leagues

, and even has been said by some people that he should be called up.  His fielding is outright masterful, but seeing him bat against pro

pitchers would be more telling for fans where he stands in terms of being called up.

Spring training is here, and I think that it will be one for the ages.  Cya soon, baseball!

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  The first slate of spring training games start in 16 days, and the excitement for the upcoming MLB is only going up.

That being said, this is also a World Baseball Classic year.  The World Baseball Classic is a global baseball tournament that occurs every four years, and is an Olympic tournament of sorts where teams representing various countries around the world play in a tournament to win a championship and be crowned “World Champions.”  It has gained immense popularity in the world and has spread the game of baseball in the process.  It runs from March 7th to March 21st this year.

This is very evident given the fact of how the tournaments played out in past years.  Japan won the first two classics in 2006 and 2009, with Dominican Republic following suit in 2013 and USA winning its first ever Classic in 2016.

Usually, many players in the MLB have gone off to play in the tournament representing many of the participating countries.  In fact, the Dominican Republic produces about 10 percent of all players in the MLB, so its no surprise that they have had players the like of Jose Bautista and Melky Cabrera represent them, who are both known MLB players.

That being said, the World Baseball Classic this year looks to be very exciting.  A ton of players from the MLB are playing, representing many different countries other than the United States.  For one, the Japanese team seems loaded- not surprising given that is the next country after the United States in terms of baseball popularity.  Players the likes of Shohei Ohtani- one of the best players in baseball right now and firebrand rookie Seiya Suzuki from the Cubs are on the roster for this year so I expect them to make a deep run.

Another team that is compelling is Puerto Rico.  Their roster this year has  players like Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor, along with lights out closer Edwin Diaz from the Mets.  They had deep runs in the past, and I have my money on them as the sleeper pick to win the championship.

One other team of note is Venezuela- they are incredibly loaded this year.  They have Ronald Acuna, Jose Altuve, and Salvador Perez, which already makes them one of the best teams in the tournament.  Not only that, but they also have a solid pitching rotation which includes Eduardo Rodriguez and Pablo Lopez.

Perhaps the most insane team in terms of roster is Dominican Republic- as expected.  Many of the names on the roster for this year include MLB superstars such as Rafael Devers, Manny Machado, Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto, and Vlad Guerrero Jr.  This is perhaps the team that most resembles the MLB given the lineup, and is very telling of the aforementioned international appeal of the sport.

All in all, this edition of the World Baseball Classic is looking to the best one yet.  It will certainly be exciting to see not only the superstars we already know, but also the top prospects who will be able prove themselves.  Let’s see what happens!

Hello, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  There has been no significant news from the MLB as of late.  One thing is for sure though: the hype for the upcoming season is only building.  I am personally looking forward to see how the new rules affect the games and what the overall effect on the season will be.  I know for a fact that it will be a season unlike something we have never seen before   However, there were two stories I wanted to highlight here.  For one, McCutchen is back home!  That’s right, he signed a contract and is coming back to the Pirates where he played since the beginning of his career and until he went to play with the Phillies and eventually Brewers.  Another story is that of Scott Rolen who was just inducted into the Hall of Fame.

First things first, some of the biggest news to come out of this offseason was that of Andrew McCutchen’s return to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He signed a 1-year, 5 million dollar contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates to return for the 2023 season.  In what will be a homecoming for him, McCutchen started and spent most of his career there, and has an intimate connection with the organization, fans, and the city.  As a baseball fan, it will be quite fun to see him in a Pirates uniform again.

Part of this fun is looking into the past and seeing how he did as a Pirate.  That was his best baseball and what helped lead the Pirates to three consecutive playoff  appearances from 2013-2015.  He had five all star appearances as a Pirate and was one of the best players in the league at the time.  He batted as high as .327 which was the third highest batting average that same year.  It can be seen why he became beloved by the city of Pittsburgh.

Another story as of late has been the one of the 2023 MLB Hall of Fame class.  One inductee that stands out is Scott Rolen for a few reasons.  For one, he is a third baseman and those are hard to find in the Hall of Fame. Third base is the least represented position in the baseball hall of fame, with only 17 others being inducted before him.  Something that was a part of what led him to be inducted was his WAR, or wins above replacement- 70.1.  This was especially impressive given that he was a third baseman.

As a closing thought, spring training for the 2023 season begins in 30 days!  It is crazy how fast time has flown by and we need to only wait a month for more baseball.  This also means that we will be able to see some top prospects in action.  In previous years, we’ve been able to see stars such as Bobby Witt, Jr. and Shohei Ohtani play for the first time in a major way so who will it be this spring training that will be the next big superstar?  It is certainly exciting to think about.  Thank you for reading another edition of Baseball Bash!

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  The MLB offseason is in full effect, and with it some weird things have occurred to say the last.  Perhaps nothing has been weirder so far this offseason than the free agency of one Carlos Correa, who was the starting shortstop for the Minnesota Twins last year.  He was going to be a free agent this offseason and was a highly sought after target due to the career he has had and the many teams that could use him.  A player like that comes at a cost, which also certainly made things more interesting around what ended up happening to him this offseason.

After a celebrated career with the Astros, Correa was due for a huge payday with a new team in free agency.  Instead he signed a small contract with the Minnesota Twins for roughly 35 million dollars for the 2022 season.  He batted .291, had an OBP of .366, and a slugging percentage of .467 in what was considered an average or even below average year for him compared to his previous seasons especially.

But that also brought the debacle that was his offseason.

At first, Carlos Correa was offered a 13-year, 350 million dollar contract by the San Francisco Giants and a new start in the Bay was happening without doubt for Correa.  Instead of Aaron Judge, who everyone thought was gonna be the slam dunk for San Francisco,  it ended up being Correa?  Or was it?

In a surprise news headline to wake up to, it was announced that Correa was now in the process of becoming a New York Met.  He was offered 315 million dollars for twelve years and the whole baseball world was shocked.  Just a season ago the Mets got a new owner in the form of Steve Cohen and he was serious when he meant that he was willing to spend as much money as was needed to bring a championship to the New York Mets.  On top of that the Mets already had their starting shortstop in the form of Francisco Lindor, so Correa would’ve probably been flexed to third base.  But somehow, it got even more complicated.

As of this writing, it was announced one day ago that Correa is back to the Minnesota Twins with yet another contract offered.  The Twins have offered him a 6-year, 200 million contract to continue playing for the team he played for last year.  As if this situation was already not a whirlwind, it became even more confusing.

As to what became so confusing, it was a matter of physicals.  All of the teams before the Twins mentioned took concern to his leg along with his ankle, which had to be repaired with surgery due to a injury that he suffered in 2014.  The reason why this suddenly came up as a cause of concern this late after that period of time was due to the length of the deals being considered: playing for that long on the team could mean injuries like that resurge again over time.

Either way, Correa now has a home and it will be a matter of time until we will be able to see how Correa continues to do for the Twins.  That’s it for now, and thank you for reading another week of Baseball Bash.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  Since my last blog, the World Series was decided and won.  We will talk about that, along with what’s next for the upcoming MLB season.

For one, the World Series ended.  And while many(including me) did not like the outcome, the Houston Astros won the Fall Classic in 6 games(my prediction was right!).  The biggest reason why they won in such an almost dominating fashion was easily due to the pitching.  They saw that offense wins games but defense wins championships, and what

they were able to do in the World Series with their pitching is a testament to why they won.  The Astros, in fact, only used 11 pitchers throughout the entirety of the series, which is impressive given the fact that the series lasted six games.  The most impressive performance was perhaps by Framber Valdez, who also had 25 straight quality starts in the regular season(pitching at least 6 innings and allowing three earned runs or less), who allowed only 2 earned runs over his two starts in the series.

That being said, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Philadelphia Phillies.  One thing that stood out to me especially as a Penn Stater was the enthusiasm and excitement around this team.  While I am a New York sports fan given I am from New Jersey, I was able to gain some perspective from the many students here from the Philadelphia area and even elsewhere who were really excited to see one of their teams in a championship series, including some of the friends I have made here.  I couldn’t help but root for them as well for that reason.  While they might’ve not prevailed in the World Series, there is certainly many things to be optimistic about when it comes to the future of this squad.  One amazing story is that of manager Rob Thomson, who took over the team only this year and was able to create such an impact that led to the turnaround of the Phillies this season and make it as far as the World Series.  On top of that, the Phillies barely made the playoffs, and the fact that they upset all of the teams they played before the World Series is also massively impressive.  Also, that impressive offense headlined by Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and JT Realmuto is so good that the whole team can be built around them.

Closing Thoughts

This season of Major League Baseball was really fun.  One example of this was Aaron Judge setting the AL single season home run record, which dominated the airwaves and was able to bring more attention to baseball.  As a Yankees fan, this was special for me, and I hope him nothing but the best if he decides to walk this offseason.  The other story is of the Phillies, who as mentioned above, defied all expectations to come within two games of winning the World Series.  One thing to look forward to this upcoming season will be the rule changes and how they affect games, especially the pitch clock and permanent ban of the shift.  Until then, my friends.

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  The conference championships are complete and the World Series is set in what will be a classic favorite versus underdog matchup.  My Yankees also never seem to be able to beat the Astros(we will break that down later).

The Houston Astros versus New York Yankees

Well, well, well.  While I am not happy with this result, I don’t know if I expected anything else.  The Houston Astros swept the Yankees to win the conference championship, winning four straight games.  Since 2017, the Yankees have lost to the Astros in the playoffs more than once, and seem to have been cursed.  They cant seem to get past the Astros.  The other thing was that while the stars did not do well and struggled, some of the secondary pieces of the Yankees tried their best to carry their team.  For example, recently acquired Harrison Bader hit five home runs in the postseason, including very important ones in the ALCS.  Additionally, Anthony Rizzo has tacked on clutch hits throughout the postseason.  Other impactful players included Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson.

However, the one glaring thing was that the stars of the offense(those that are talked about the most) did not perform.  Aaron Judge batted in between .100 and .200 all postseason and only got on base a few times.  Giancarlo Stanton rarely got hits.  And the bullpen kept on blowing leads when it mattered.  All around, there are a few things the Yankees definitely need improvement on and work on in the offseason to contend with the one team that they seemingly can not beat.

On the side of the Astros, they absolutely dominated when it came to creating runs and holding leads.  In Game 1, Cy Young frontrunner Justin Verlander only allowed one earned run, Framber Valdez allowed no runs, Cristian Javier allowed no runs en route to a combined shutout, and while the Yankees scored 5 runs in Game 4, the Astros offense made up for it.

Speaking of offense, ALCS MVP Jeremy Pena seems like he filled the shoes of Carlos Correa, hitting clutch home runs including a 3-run shot in Game 4.  His future is bright, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he delivers some impactful performances in the World Series.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Diego Padres

The Cinderella story continues!  The Phillies beat the Padres five games in what is showing MLB fans flashes of the 2021 Atlanta Braves or 2019 Washington Nationals.  They just barely made the postseason and now make a case to win it all.  When it came down to this series, so many things went right for the Phillies, especially in the form of clutch hits by Bryce Harper(NLCS MVP), Rhys Hoskins, and

JT Realmuto.  The pitching was just also good enough to propel them past the Padres, who did not put up much of an effort.

My World Series Prediction

I’m very conflicted here.  Both teams are very good, and the Phillies have already upset all of the teams that they have faced so far.  That being said, I think that the Astros have a formidable team both in terms of batting and pitching and will be hard to match up against especially in the later games.  I think that the Astros will win in six games.

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  All four of the divisional series in the MLB playoffs just ended, and here is the updated playoff picture:

As seen, there have been some upsets already.  And this is what I think is baseball as its finest.  The Phillies came out of nowhere(which is reminiscent of the Braves last year) and now they are on the precipice of a World Series.  The Padres beat the Dodgers as well, who were a World Series favorite in the minds of many.  The Yankees dealt with rain delays, and the Astros, well, played like the Astros.  Let’s dive in to each of the series.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves

In a way, this series was poetic.  The cinderella story of this year faced the cinderella story of last year.  And it went as expected.  A lot of great pitching coupled with just the right amount of offense helped the Phillies storm past the defending champions in four games.  Some notable highlights included home runs by players such as Brandon Marsh and Bryce Harper, and even featured an inside the park home run by JT Realmuto, the first ever by a catcher in MLB postseason history.  While their game one was ugly, giving up six runs, they came back wonderfully in Game 3, with a vintage Nola performance(only one Braves run).  Game Four sealed the deal with the plays mentioned above.  They are now on the cusp of the World Series after barely making the postseason, and are currently playing Game 1 of the NLCS against the Padres.

San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The I-5 rivalry in the postseason.  Who could ask for more?  The series started off in the negative for them, with seasoned veteran Mike Clevinger giving up four runs in a 5-3 loss to the Dodgers.  However, the Padres would go on to win the next three games, including great performances from players such as Blake Snell(who looked like his former self), Manny Machado, and others.  I would say the pitching is truly what shined the most here more than anything, and the Padres clearly outpitched the Dodgers.  They are currently playing the Phillies in the NLCS.

Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros

What once looked like an exciting and promising postseason for the Seattle Mariners was all by squashed by the Houston Astros.  Game 1 was easily the highlight as it featured an insane comeback for the Astros late in the game.  Justin Verlander was also not pitching like himself, giving up 6 earned runs in the game.  Game 2 was probably the highlight of the series though.  From there it went downhill, and the Astros went on to sweep the Mariners.  Makes me think what would’ve happened if the Mariners won Game 1.  The Astros face the Yankees tomorrow in the ALCS.

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians

As a Yankees fan, this was a series that looked very scary.  Our pitching outside of the starters looked very shaky, and I must say that rain saved us.  It helped rest our pitchers for both Games 4 and 5, and inadvertently led to our success in beating the Guardians.  That came with its own challenges, however.  They were on the cusp

of elimination but scraped by to win Game 4 and put the Guardians in the same position.  Today’s series-ending win had “Nasty” Nestor Cortes pitching extremely well and only giving up one earned run en route to a 5-1 win in the Bronx.  We have a challenge before us in the Houston Astros in the ALCS.

I hope you enjoyed this week of Baseball Bash, and I can’t wait to see how the conference series go, which we will cover here.  Until then, my friend.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Baseball Bash!  Since my past blog, the MLB playoffs started and the Wildcard Series transpired in its entirety.  From the four series, we learned a lot about the both the winners and losers of each of them.  I like to think MLB baseball is like the storm.  Not only the storm itself, but also the calm before it too.  The calm before the storm is comparable to to the regular season, where teams do as expected when it comes to their overall performance.  However, the playoffs are like the storm, where everything is shaken up and the underdogs suddenly become the best teams. The same can be said with the teams this year, as you will see shortly.

Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The Guardians never stand out in the regular season but when it comes to the postseason, it always seems like they know what they are doing.  With veteran presences such as Jose Ramirez, Shane Bieber, ad Myles Straw but also young firebrands such as Steven Kwan, they are nothing short of talented.  That is not to say that they also have a very experienced pitching corps as well such as Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, and Triston McKenzie.  The game that got them eliminated was capped off by a 15-inning bout that did not see any runs scored until the 15th inning- the longest postseason scoreless game ever.  Currently they’re entangled in the ALDS against the New York Yankees(go Yankees!) and are down as a result of a Yankees win in Game 1.

Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The Seattle Mariners seemingly came out of nowhere to make the postseason this year. And they did not disappoint.  They swept the Blue Jays, winning the first two games.  Their success can overall be attributed to good play by both their pitchers such as Luis Castillo and position players such as Carl Raleigh.  What was most impressive about their sweep of the Jays was Game Two, where they came behind from a 7-run deficit to stun Toronto in a game that should’ve gone to them.  What’s more, this game, which will easily become a postseason classic, is the second largest comeback in the history of the MLB postseason and the largest comeback by an away team in the playoffs.  They are currently down by two games to the Houston Astros in their divisional series.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The Phillies have a similar story to the Mariners, sneaking into the postseason in the last minute.  What’s even more surprising is how they did in their wild card series against the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Cardinals definitely were the favored opponent, but mistakes made by them along with good play by the Fighting Phils helped lead them to victory.  One example of this was in Game 1, which had another great late comeback.  Veteran Jean Segura, who never played a playoff game in 11 seasons until this one,  had a critical hit in the top of the ninth when the Phillies were down by 1 to secure the comeback and win the game.  The Phillies are currently tied 1-1 with the Atlanta Braves in their divisional series.

San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets

There is a saying that goes ‘The Mets are gonna Met.’  Well, this is exactly what happened here.  How could the New York Mets, who won 101 games in the regular season, lose in the wild card series?  Well, one thing that can definitely be observed is the uncharacteristic performances of their aces.  Or at least one of them.  Max Scherzer, a former Cy Young winner and one of the best pitchers in our league, gave up seven unearned runs in Game 1 en route to a 7-1 loss to the Padres.  The pitching was also an issue in Game 3, as Chris Bassitt gave up three runs and reliever Mychal Givens gave up an additional two earned runs in the loss and elimination to San Diego.  I would say this game is easily the biggest disappointment among the series.

Well, that’s it for today!  The Divisional series should all be over by the time of my next blog, so we should be able to check back in to see how they all did next time.  Until then, goodbye and thank you for reading Baseball Bash once again!