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The white flag is wavin'! We have reached the final week of the regular season on the diamond with only four playoff spots currently clinched. Only four! This week is about to be off-the-walls exciting; jam-packed with action as the rest of the league fight tooth and nail for the remaining spots to the Fall Classic.
Wild-Card Mania is poppin' off, which I'll get to, plus we only have two divisions clinched with a winner- that being both the Central divisions. Top seed for the AL seems to belong to the Yankees, but the 'Phils and Dodgers still fight for the top NL seed. We have a lot still to unravel; this week is going to be a week of clarity and utter noise on the diamond.
It's a good feeling to have the noise bar as full as it is. The AL Wild-Card and Playoff Picture in whole, is absolute mayhem for this final week. Feeding us nicely. Royals, Twins, and Tigers have our wits flyin' as they face full on war conditions in desperation for a playoff ticket. Kansas City and Minnesota are completely shittin' the bed, takin' strong casualties. Royals have lost 7-games in a row (second 7-game skid since start of September) and 8 of their last 10 ballgames to find themselves treading water with the Twins. Minnesota has been just as bad, and now find themselves out of the playoff picture, sitting two games back of the Royals and Tigers who are deadlocked in the final two spots:
Minnesota has lost 7 of their last 10 games, and are just 8-13 in September thus far; choking away a spot just the like Royals are trying to do. As those two choke, the Tigers take full advantage to build a major-major heatwave. Detroit has won 6 of its last 7 games, going 13-6 in September to claim a spot in the playoff picture for the first time, frankly, all season. An unreal switch for the Tigers, who if gets in, can be a dangerous player... very 2010 San Francisco Giants this team. Or in reference to the 'chise... very '45 Tigers esque, an awfully doubted team powered by a superstar pitcher (Skubal/Newhouser). This Tigers team can be a scary out.
Who's going to get in? Tigers are red-hot and have it's grasp on a ticket for the first time all season, will the Tigs choke now that they can feel the pressure? Will either the Twins or Royals stop the losing? Lets look at each team's final six-game slate for this week:
Royals ending that losing skid is a tough bet, but having the Nationals first, while the Braves put it's season on the line against the Mets is a huge factor. I'd say the Twins and Royals have quite similar final slates, with the Tigs having the easier schedule with going up against the historically bad White Sox to finish up. Rays are still alive, though; so it won't be super-super easy for Detroit. Having the White Sox is oh-so-lucky... or is it?
Detroit is happy to see those final three games be against the White Sox, but if the Tigers were to choke away a playoff spot due to allowing the 120-loss White Sox to play spoiler on them- then that would be something the club would hear about for eternity. A nasty-nasty piece of history that will stick with the club for a long time. An automatic piece of ammunition for haters and rivals. The type of thing that creates curses (ask the Cubs & Red Sox what I mean by that). Can't have that. The season is officially in their own hands.
That's the case for all three. Win and we are in. That needs to be the only mindset; the only thing written on the whiteboard. You win & you will get in. All three need to go into the week with the goal of winning 4-6. For KC and Detroit, don't think about the Twins, Mariners, and Red Sox. Just win and you are in. Simple does it. My picks? You will see my seeding predictions at the end, but I think the Tigers & Twins get it done. Twins having that 2 GB going into the week is a big factor, but betting on the Royals could be looked at as insanity. We may see why they have a superstar pillar in BWJ; the gut just says the Twins. Wow is this going to be a crazy finish. The NL is just as appealing:
NL Wild-Card race is a fatal-4-way slugfest with tight spacing upon each turn. Padres look to have the NL-1 in the bag, while they flip the script and now battle LA for the division crown (3GB). D-Backs can't say the same as they have those Padres a ways in the distance ahead, but the snakes do still sit good in the W2/W3 spot, being two games ahead of Atlanta. Diamondbacks just need to keep winning.
Arizona has won 4 out of the last 5 with division rivals Giants and Padres left on the slate. The final series between the Padres and Snakes is massive. One of two massive series this week. The outcome between the Snakes and Padres can cause quite a stir. Padres travel to LA for three then the set with Arizona to wrap things up... it's going to be a very tough stretch. Two wins or a sweep would be season altering for either side. The playoff implications are so high; it's beyond massive. The other series this week will decide the final Wild-Card spot in the National League.
Today starts a make or break series between the Braves and Mets. For a ticket to the big dance, barring anything outrageous from Arizona. With the season series deadlocked at 5-to-5, this series has the anticipation meter overfilled with noise. Braves need to win 2-3 then finish strong (2-3) against Kansas City (also at home). Mets win 2 or 3, and they should have the final spot comfortably to finish out. Mets need Francisco Lindor to return in good form for the series. Dealing with back issues, he is currently listed as day-to-day and is "optimistic" to return by season's end come Sunday. They need that optimism to be for the Braves series, rather it's in GM-1 today, or at any point in the series. Mets need Lindor.
Well, I guess the Mets don't need-need Lindor back right away... they have won six of their last seven; all without Lindor. That including three out of four against the Phillies. Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez are scorching hot in that stretch to pave the way. Mets need those two to keep it up this final 6-game stretch. Traveling to the A for the implication themed bout plus heading north to face the Central winning Brewers? That's tough. As is the final stretch for the Braves.
Braves only taking two from the Mets will just tie things up. Atlanta will still need to finish strong against the Royals, who too are in do or die mode. It's a tough stretch for both. I am excited to watch it unfold. It's truly going to come down to which Wild-Card hunter wants the playoffs the most.
Predicting who advances to the playoffs out of the AL is a brutal task. Who really knows what the hell is about to happen this week between the AL Central trio of KC, Detroit, and Minnesota. Like who the hell knows! Royals have lost seven in a row, but somehow could win the final six and I wouldn't be totally shocked. Tigers have won six of their last seven, and could easily lose the next six and I wouldn't be shocked. We could have an extra game to decide the playoff bracket... and I wouldn't be shocked. So, predicting the playoff bracket going into this final week is like playing a round of Russian roulette:
I don't really care on being right or wrong; I am just thrilled we have this kind of noise going into the final week. This is awesome. The schedule aligning with the standings makes things even better. My eyes are going to be glued to the Braves/Mets series & Padres/Diamondbacks series. Hopefully the noise creates the right results and we get some bangers. Some postseason teasin' bangers. That's all I want baby! Let there be noise! White flag is wavin', the checkered is soon to follow... lets gooooo!
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