MLBRT 10/17/2024

The questions and discussion…  

1) As the Championship Series for both the AL and NL are set to begin on Sunday (10/13) what has stood out the most to you so far in the playoffs? Why?   

What stood out to me the most in the postseason are two teams who are facing each other. Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are damn good. Ohtani isn’t fazed by the October baseball experience. He’s still bombing monster shots for the Dodgers. He’s still an MVP during the postseason. The Dodgers, as a whole, look dominant as well, including their pitching staff. They went multiple games without allowing a run against the Padres, who were on the hottest tear in all of baseball after the All-Star Break on their way to the postseason. The Dodgers look unstoppable.

The Mets, however, have really impressed and looked like a team that’s finally getting their dollar value worth after Steve Cohen went all-in on the organization and kept spending big money without a budget.

Having these two teams face each other is fantastic baseball for the postseason. 

The entire Mets team…

Whether the phrase “team of destiny” applies to this year’s version of the Mets or not I’m not really sure but they sure are starting to look and feel like they could be laying claim to that title as throughout the playoffs they seem to have their backs against the wall and somehow manage to have a batter get a key hit or a pitcher come in to snuff out the other teams rally to keep coming up with enough wins to find themselves going note toe to toe with the Dodgers for the right to be this year’s NL entry in the World Series.

2) The playoffs are now down to four teams… Yankees and Guardians n the  AL… Mets and Dodgers in the NL…

Which two teams survive their respective Championship Series and meet in the World Series? Why?

The two teams who make the World Series are going to be the New York Yankees, with a much improved offense and a very good pitching staff and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who just look unstoppable and a giant among men in the postseason so far.

Having the Dodgers dominate the Padres and shut their offense down in the NLDS was impressive enough for me to view them as the favorites to win the entire World Series. Shohei Ohtani hasn’t slowed down from his absolute tear of a season in which we saw the first ever 50-50 season in all of baseball. The pitching staff has been incredible, including being able to pull out starters and put in a bullpen that’s shut down everybody they faced just as easily.

The Yankees have still been able to pull out victories and get runs and offensive support without Aaron Judge playing like his normal self. The pitching staff has been incredible. They were able to move along past the Royals, which was questionable coming into the series. Their next match-up is another AL Central team in the Guardians, and I think they’re just a better overall team with bigger pieces. Having Juan Soto helps a lot, and the old rivalry from when both teams were in New York will come back in this season’s World Series.  

Being that I’m from the NY Metro area and my two favorite teams in MLB happen to be the Yanks and the Mets (with a big edge going to the Yanks in my fan favoritism) I am rooting for the World Series to be an all NY affair. And while I do believe the Yankees will overcome the Guardians to be the AL team in this year’s WS I  just don’t think the Mets can hold up their end of the bargain… the Dodgers have just too much offense and just enough pitching and will come out on top in this the NLCS and will be the NL team in this year’s World Series.

Yankees versus the Dodgers for what could be one of the all-time World Series to come down the pike in a very long time what with the Yanks lineup featuring Judge, Soto and Stanton against the Dodgers Ohtani, Freeman and Betts.

3) Which players were the best or the MVP in each of the matchups in the ALDS?

In the Royals-Yankees’ series, I have to give the ALDS MVP to Gerrit Cole. He pitched 12 innings, posting a 3.00 ERA (four earned allowed), eight strikeouts and only two walks. He was 1-0 and was a big difference maker in the Yankees being able to advance. He did get some help from the bullpen and the offense, but without his excellent pitching, the Yankees might not have surpassed the Royals to the next round. 

In the Guardians-Tigers’ series, give me a name most people probably have never heard of for the ALDS MVP in this series: Lane Thomas.

In 19 at-bats, he had six hits, two home runs and drove in nine runs for a .316 batting average. Out of 19 total runs scored in the series, he played a part in driving in nine of those. Huge offensive performances from him helped a lot in advancing Cleveland to face the Yankees in the ALCS. 

In the Guardians-Tigers’ series Steven Kwan hit .524 (11 for 21) (.524) and tied a MLB playoff record by becoming only the 3rd player in MLB history to have 3-plus hits in 3 straight postseason games.

In addition he also he walked 5 times, scored 6 runs and had an RBI. 

I like him as that series’ MVP.  

In the Royals and Yankees series Giancarlo Stanton went 6 for 16 (.375) with 2 doubles and a homer in the 4 games versus the Royals.

He also added a 4 RBIs, a couple of walks and even stole a base. 

He’s my MVP for that Series.

4) Which players were the best or the MVP in each of the matchups in the NLDS?

In the Mets-Phillies’ series, Mark Vientos was on an absolute tear in the season. In 16 at-bats, he recorded nine hits, two home runs, five runs-batted-in, a .536 batting average, 1.063 slugging and played an enormous part in consistent offensive performance against a very good Phillies’ team to help New York make the NLCS. 

In the Dodgers-Padres’ series, I’m going to give MVP to Teoscar Hernandez who had a .333 batting average in 18 at-bats with two home runs and seven runs batted in. He also drew two walks and had a stolen base in helping Los Angeles get to the NLCS to face the Mets. The Dodgers’ entire pitching staff is also in the running for the MVP as they shut the Padres’ offense down to almost nothing. 

I have no argument whatsoever with either of Dan’s picks for the MVP in each of the NL divisional series matchup’s…

I believe that very arguably the Mets are not playing the Dodgers in the NLCS without Mark Vientos’ offensive performance in the divisional series versus the Phillies.

And while maybe Teoscar Hernandez’ bat was not as key or dramatic to the Dodgers advancing in the playoffs as was Vientos’ bat was for the Mets he outperformed the likes of Ohtani, Betts and Freeman in the Dodgers’ lineup… he kinda, sorta gets the MVP by default but it’s still well deserved.  

5) On Thursday (10/10), after owning the Minnesota Twins since 1984, the Pohlad family announced their intentions to place the franchise ($1.5 billion value/Forbes) up for sale.

What is your opinion of this announcement by the Pohlad family? Why?

I think this is going to be a nice change for the Minnesota Twins. They haven’t been able to complete the run that they’ve been wanting and hoping that they could pull out. The Twins need a change of pace, and to get new owners who have been in ownership for 40 years is going to be a nice change of pace for them. The Twins should look forward to the future of their organization and the leadership that is going to take over. For $1.5billion, it’s a competitive price that will bring an ownership group that will be willing to spend some extra money and turn some corners for working towards a World Series ring. 

The Pohlad family had nice run, and it looks like they just decided to call it a day and move on with other things for their family.

Now it all depends on who they sell the team to but hopefully the Pohlad’s sell to a person,  or person, that will commit to having the Twins being competitive and in the yearly n mix for the playoffs.

Extra Innings…