After a long 162 game season, this week will mark the beginning of the 2024 MLB postseason. The playoffs stretch from the beginning of October up until possibly the beginning of November. Six teams from both the American and National league are placed into their respective brackets and compete in 3, 5, and 7 game series to determine who will make it to the World Series.
American League
Tigers vs Astros:
For the American league the first wild card matchup is between the 6th seeded Detroit Tigers and the 3rd seeded Houston Astros. Preseason, the Tigers were expected to be one of the bottom teams in the league, but due to a late season surge, they managed to claim a wild card spot in the 2024 playoffs. Led by ace Tarik Skubal, the Tigers finished the season with an 86-76 record. Skubal, accompanied by all-star outfielder Riley Greene, is going to pose a problem for an Astros team that struggled early in the season. The Astros finished the season with an 88-73 record which was strong enough to finish first in the AL West. The Astros have the upperhand with playoff experience as star players like Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman have been on the team for their 2022 world series win. The winner of this 3 game series will move on to the divisional round where they will face the Cleveland Guardians.
Royals vs Orioles:
The Royals, similar to the Tigers, were a dark horse coming into this season. Luckily, young stars like Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino accompanied by seasoned veteran Salvador Perez were enough to lead Kansas City to an 86-76 record. The Royals found their ace this year in 34 year old Seth Lugo. Lugo led the team with 16 wins and a 3.00 ERA. Kansas City has their hands full with a young Baltimore Orioles team that has the talent to hang with anybody in the league. The Orioles finished the 2024 regular season with a 91-71 record which placed them second in the American League East. The Orioles are dealing with injuries in their rotation and currently have one of the weakest pitching staffs in the playoffs. They closed the season winning 5 of their last 6 and hope to continue that success into the playoffs. The winner of this will play the one seeded New York Yankees in the divisional round. Hingham High schooler Mac Corey says “No matter who wins this series has their hands full with New York. The Yankees seem borderline unstoppable this season.”
National League
Mets vs Brewers:
The six seeded Mets are traveling to Milwuake to kick off a three game wild card clash against the three seeded Brewers. Despite an awful start of the year for the Mets, they managed to battle back and become one of the best teams in the league this season. Their 89 wins were tied for eighth in the MLB which is a giant step up from last season, where they went 75-87. The Mets clinched a playoff berth on just the last game of the season when Francisco Lindor hit a two run home run in the ninth inning to earn the Mets the victory and a wildcard spot. The Mets have an off and on offense which can either prove to be a major strength or a major weakness. When they are connecting, they are one of the strongest offenses in the MLB, but when they go cold, they look awful. Luckily for them, they are hot coming into this wildcard showdown against the Brewers. The Brewers were supposed to be a bottom team in all of baseball this season. After losing their two leading pitchers from last season and their manager, this was not supposed to be a season of success for Milwuakee. Milwaukee is not a power team, but manages to win games with a high contact rate and a high steal rate. The winner of this will face the Philadelphia Phillies in round two.
Braves vs Padres:
The Braves, like the Mets, clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the season. Despite the excitement from clinching a playoff spot, the Braves are in no position to celebrate. They now have to travel across the country to San Diego where they will begin a three game series against the Padres. Braves’ ace Chris Sale was scratched from his last start against the Mets due to back spasms which have Braves fans on edge. The Braves finished 89-73 which placed them second in the NL East, while the Padres finished 93-69 which landed them second in the NL West. The Padres are looking to use the momentum from their hot end to the season to push past a tough Atlanta squad. Hingham High School student Andrew Sullivan says “I don’t think the Braves have the firepower to get this done this year. Without Acuna the Padres should win this easily”. Sullivan is referring to 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuna who is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The winner of this game goes on to play the one seed in the national league, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
