![]() That said, there will be two electric hitters on the diamond: Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, a former MVP who’s been looking like his old self, and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, a Rookie of the Year contender also known for his incredible catches.3 Milwaukee Brewers: Don’t expect many runs in this one - the Brewers boast the best ERA in baseball while the DBacks scored just two runs in their last three games. Add returning ace Justin Verlander to the mix and the ’Stros might just run it back. And they did it with much of their power-hitting core still intact, including outfielder Kyle Tucker and the man everyone loves to hate, third baseman Alex Bregman.2 Houston Astros (bye to ALDS): It came down to the final day of the regular season, but the defending cheaters champs retained their spot atop the AL West, winning their sixth pennant in the last seven seasons. ![]() The youngins to know? Franchise catcher Adley Rutschman and Rookie of the Year candidate shortstop Gunnar Henderson.Buoyed by their ( eerily homogenous) youth movement, Baltimore went from a 100-loss season in 2021 to 100 wins this year. 1 Baltimore Orioles (bye to ALDS): Grab a poncho because the Bird Bath is alive and well in Baltimore, with the Os returning to the postseason for the first time since 2016. A major reason why? The 2022 offseason acquisition of shortstop Corey Seager, one of the AL’s best hitters. Out in Arlington, the Rangers overcame brutal injuries to make their first postseason appearance since 2016.The Rays have become a postseason mainstay in recent years, including a 2020 World Series appearance, but will be looking to avenge their unexpected early bounce from last year’s Wild Card round.And it should be quite close - the Rangers won the season series 4-2, but only outscored Tampa Bay 27–25. 4 Tampa Bay Rays: A battle between two teams who got off to blazing hot starts, this showdown will be all about the offense. And while Minnesota owns home-field advantage, Toronto has postseason experience, not to mention stars shortstop Bo Bichette and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To add to the excitement, these squads evenly split their six tilts this season.That said, the Blue Birds hold a defensive edge with hurler Kevin Gausman and former Twin José Berríos holding down the rotation. The Jays, meanwhile, are dealing with their own spooky October curse: Toronto hasn’t advanced past the Wild Card round since 2016.With shortstop Carlos Correa and late season breakout star Royce Lewis hampered by injuries (but expected to suit up), it’ll be up to lockdown pitcher Sonny Gray to get the job done. 3 Minnesota Twins: The lowly AL Central–winning Twins come limping into the postseason in search of their first playoff game win since 2004. The new format also gives each league’s top two regular-season teams a bye to the DS, where they’ll play one of the WC Series winners. ![]() As of 2022, there are two three-game series and all three of those games are hosted by the higher-seeded team. Each is represented by its three divisional winners (East, Central, and West) and the league’s next best three teams (aka the WCs).Īnd with last year’s increase in playoff teams, the WC round has changed dramatically. The 12-team postseason field features six squads from each league - the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The MLB playoffs consist of four rounds: the best-of-three Wild Card (WC) Series, the best-of-five League Division Series (LDS), the best-of-seven League Championship Series (LCS), and of course, the reason for the season - the best-of-seven World Series, which begins on Friday, October 27th.
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