2022 Wild Card Series Preview

The MLB Postseason is here! I've always enjoyed baseball's playoffs, I love everything about it, even the little things, such as MLB using the word "postseason" instead of "playoffs." Out of the three leagues that use a series format, MLB has the shortest postseason; the quest to crown a champion takes under a month with very few days off. This year begins the modified postseason that was made official during the lockout in March and April of this year, which features the 12 best teams participating in this round robin tournament. The single-game Wild Card round that has opened the postseason since 2012 is now changed to a best-of-three Wild Card Series, with one series pitting the #3 seed (the lowest division champion) against the #6 seed (the lowest Wild Card), while the other series features the other two Wild Cards (seeded #4 and #5).

The #3 and #4 seeds will host the entire series, and regarding the top two teams in each league, they have byes straight to the Division Series. The Wild Card Series was actually utilized in the shortened 2020 season, which allowed 16 playoff teams that year, with the round meant to be a one-time thing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The format is similar to the one used by the NFL between 1990 and 2019, but the difference is that in the case of MLB, a set bracket is used; the winning teams are not re-ranked. The #3 vs #6 winner will face the #2 seed, while the #4 vs #5 winner will face the #1 seed.

The Wild Card Series matchups were set on October 4, one day before the final day of the season, making Game 162 just for show. They are as follows:

American League

Rays @ Guardians: 2022 was a historic season for the Cleveland Guardians, beginning with the name. It was announced during the 2021 season that the then-named Cleveland Indians would change their name to the Guardians, and unlike a certain NFL team, they acted on their own and didn't defend their controversial name. See what happens when you do good things? You get rewarded. In this case, the Guardians, with a young team and a small payroll, actually won the American League Central for the first time since 2018. This team is six years removed from reaching the World Series, and this is the latest chapter in their quest to get back to the Fall Classic and end MLB's longest championship drought (they haven't won since 1948).

As for the Tampa Bay Rays, they are just two years removed from their pennant, but 2021 saw a disappointing end to their quest to return to the World Series, as they were ousted in the ALDS by the Boston Red Sox. The Rays are in the postseason for the third straight year, but they enter on a terrible skid; having lost 8 of their final 10 games. Regarding the season series, the Guardians went 4-2 against the Rays in the 2022 season.

Cleveland scored 698 runs, which is sixth in the American League and tied for 15th overall in MLB. Tampa Bay scored 666 runs, which is 11th in the AL and 21st in MLB, as well as the fewest among the 12 playoff teams. The Guardians only hit 127 home runs, which is the second fewest in baseball (only the Detroit Tigers hit fewer), while the Rays are also in baseball's lowest one-third with 139 home runs. As for pitching, the Rays and Guardians are both in the top 10 in ERA, boasting respective ERAs of 3.41 and 3.46. The Guardians won the regular season series, 4-2, over the Rays.

The winner of this series will face the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

Mariners @ Blue Jays: It's amazing how things work out. In 2021, the American League Wild Card race came down to four teams, and two of them were the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. We were very close to what could have been a four-way tie for the two spots, but that would not come to fruition, as both teams ended up eliminated on the final day. However, thanks to the new format, these same two teams rebounded from last year's disappointment and joined the postseason party. The Jays finished second in the American League East--seven games behind the Yankees, and it was done with a good group of hitters in Bo Bichette, George Springer, and most importantly, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

For the Mariners, this was a huge monkey off their backs, as they finally ended the longest postseason drought in sports. This is their first postseason berth since their 116-win season back in 2001, and they are still looking to win their first pennant in franchise history. The Mariners finished a whopping 16 games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West, but their 90 wins was enough for them to end their long drought.

The Blue Jays finished second in the AL in runs with 807 (only the Yankees scored more) and the total is fourth in MLB. They hit 200 HRs, which is third in the AL (only the Yankees and Astros hit more) and seventh in baseball. However, they have a middle of the pack ERA: 3.87. As for the Mariners, they scored 690 runs (eighth in the AL and 18th in baseball, and hit 197 home runs (5th in the AL and tied for 9th in baseball), while boasting an ERA of 3.59 (5th in the AL and 8th in baseball). Seattle won the season series, 5-2, over Toronto.

The winner of this series will face the Houston Astros in the ALDS.

National League

Phillies @ Cardinals: The centerpiece of the St. Louis Cardinals season has been Albert Pujols, who returned to St. Louis to, well, call it a career and accomplish one last milestone. He did just that, becoming the fourth-ever player to hit 700 career home runs, and as for the team overall, they capitalized on the descent of the Milwaukee Brewers to take the National League Central, an improvement over their Wild Card berth in 2021. Though the retirements of Pujols and Yadier Molina have taken center stage, the leader of the team has been Paul Goldschmidt, whose performance has made him a huge candidate for the NL MVP.

The Philadelphia Phillies owned baseball's longest postseason drought for just three days after Seattle's berth was clinched, as their appearance is their first since 2011. Interestingly, their last playoff appearance saw them face the Cardinals in the NLDS, with the Cards winning in five as part of their championship run. The Phils finished in third place in the National League East, 14 games behind the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets.

The Cards scored 772 runs, which tied them with the Mets for 3rd in the National League and fifth in baseball. Their 197 HRs is fifth in the NL and tied for ninth in baseball, and their 3.79 ERA is tenth in baseball. The Phils are right behind the Cards in runs with 747, and they hit 205 HRs (fourth in the NL and sixth in baseball), but their ERA is almost 4.00. Philadelphia actually won the season series over St. Louis, 4-3.

The winner of this series will face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

Padres @ Mets: For the entire season, it looked like the New York Mets would not only run away with the National League East, they would also become the National League's best team. Then the months of August and September happened, and they let the division slip away...until they no longer had it. The Mets achieved only their fourth 100+ win season in franchise history, and finished tied with the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, but the Braves winning the season series, 10-9 (capped up by a Braves series sweep in the final meeting of the season), reduced the Mets to hosting the Wild Card Series instead have having a few extra days off.

For the San Diego Padres, this could be seen as a bit of a resurgence. After all, this is their second postseason berth in three years--a small positive stretch, but a positive stretch nonetheless. Trading for not only Juan Soto, but Josh Bell and Josh Hader definitely did the trick. Despite finishing a very distant second in the NL West (22 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers), the Padres had the winning magic to return to the postseason.

The Mets scored 772 runs, which is tied with the Cards for 3rd in the NL and fifth overall, but they only hit 171 home runs, which is middle of the pack. The Padres scored 705 runs (also middle of the pack), and hit 153 home runs, which is the top of the lowest one-third in baseball. Regarding ERA, New York has a 3.57 average, while San Diego's is 3.81. San Diego won the season series, 4-2, over New York.

The winner of this series will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.

The Wild Card Series will be played on three consecutive days, with all Game Ones taking place on October 7, all Game Twos taking place on October 8, and if needed, any and all Game Threes taking place on October 9. Regarding TV rights, ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC will air the Wild Card Series in its entirety. A long and arduous regular season is over, and now begins the quest to crown a champion in this four week sprint known as the MLB Postseason!