As it has been in years past, the wild card round seemed to fly by. Three of the four series ended in a sweep, which seems common in the wild card round. Sure, these are short series and can be written off because the sample size is small. But these wild card series taught us a lot about the teams involved. The narratives and storylines that formed will shape the rest of the postseason and the offseason. Here is the big takeaway from each of the four series.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves
Phillies Bats Came Up Short
Without question, the most exciting series of the wild card round was the one between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. It was the only series to go all three games, and provided some of the most exciting moments of the postseason so far. Whether it was Austin Riley home run in Game 1 or Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber going back-to-back in the 8th inning of Game 2. In the end, the Braves made the most of their opportunities, while the Phillies’ bats went silent.
No example was bigger than Game 3. Sure, the Braves jumped out to a 5-0 lead early, but the Phillies had time to chip away. They had multiple opportunities to get some runs on the board and cut into the deficit. But they couldn’t come through with the big hit. They left six runners in scoring position. Had they driven in just over half of them, it’s a tie game. This is just the latest in a long stretch of heartbreaking playoff losses for the Phillies, and they have some serious questions to answer this offseason.
Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros
It’s the End of the Astros Dynasty
For years, the Houston Astros have been the most dominant team in the MLB. Over the past decade, they have won two World Series, three AL Pennants, and have made the playoffs nine times. Sure, they had some help from sign stealing and garbage cans, but they have continued to play well long after that scandal was exposed. It is a stretch that will be talked about in Houston for generations. But the sun appears to be setting on this era of dominance, and the wild-card round loss to the Chicago White Sox appears to be the final blow.
The Astros made the postseason, but not because of how well they played. It was more because they were not as bad as everyone else in their division. They set a new MLB record for the fewest wins to win the division, with 81. They also lost to a team with a solid young core in the White Sox. This series held a mirror up to the Astros. It showed they can no longer compete with the younger teams in the American League. It is time for Houston to make the difficult decision and start reworking the offense.
New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox
Yankees Offense is More Than Just Aaron Judge
When Aaron Judge was left off the wild card-round roster, New York Yankees fans genuinely panicked. When Judge missed time in the regular season, the offense took a big step back. It went from a top 10 in most offensive categories to the bottom of almost every list. But against the Boston Red Sox, the offense looked fine. The Bronx Bombers were able to put up nine runs in both games against the Red Sox. This propelled them to two easy victories over the Sox. While it is a short sample size, it should give fans a lot of hope.
Ben Rice was the catalyst in Game 1. He hit two home runs for six RBIs, including a grand slam in the 5th inning, killing any hope the Red Sox had. This performance helps shed the narrative that he is only a power threat when Judge is protecting him. Luis Garcia Jr. and Cody Bellinger played the hero in Game 2. Garcia Jr. got them on the board with a home run in the 4th, and Bellinger put the series on ice with a three-run shot in the 6th. With Judge’s health still a question mark, a performance like this has to inspire confidence that they can win without him.
Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres
Padres Veterans Stepped Up
One of the biggest problems the San Diego Padres had at the start of the season was that the guys they relied on could not hit. Key pieces like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado were hitting far below what we normally expected. But they turned it around, and that’s why the Padres rallied back to make the playoffs. This hot stretch continued against the Chicago Cubs. Both Machado and Tatis hit long balls in Game One and drove in three runs between them. In Game Two, Gavin Sheets and Xavier Bogerats led the way.
Now, sure, the Cubs’ starting pitching was not great all series. Nor had it been good during the regular season. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that some of the best hitters in the game got the better of them. But it’s a big boost to the Padres’ chances if these players are getting hot. A lineup with Tatis, Machado, and Bogerats hot and playing at their best is hard to play against. It will get a bunch of guys on base and score runs. That will help them make a deep playoff run.
