If MLB teams have learned anything in the first 2 seasons of the new Wild Card playoffs it’s that the division series doesn’t care who you are or what you’ve done.
In fact the top 2 seeds in the National League have been bested in both seasons, failing to reach the NLCS, and you don’t have to tell the Dodgers as they get ready for the Padres who knocked them off in this exact scenario 2 years ago.
The Dodgers/Padres get together will bring the baseball world their favourite player, Shohei Ohtani. He topped baseball jersey sales for the 2nd consecutive season. This will be his first appearance in the playoffs. He had played the most MLB games of any active player without reaching the post season.
In fact the top five players by jersey sales are all still alive as the division series opening up on four fronts on Saturday. Ohtani is followed by the Phillies Bryce Harper, The Yankees Aaron Judge, Ohtani’s Dodger teammate Mookie Betts and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Upsets have become the norm
The Dodgers, Braves and Orioles were baseball’s only 100 game winners last season but all 3 went down in the division series. No teams hit the century mark in victories this season, the first time that’s happened in a decade. The top four seeds this year by victories? Dodgers 98, Phillies 95, Yankees 94 and Guardians 92.
The upsets have already started. The Wild Card series included the upstart Tigers sweeping the Astros, ending their historic run of seven consecutive appearances in the league championship series. Detroit first coming out of nowhere to grab a playoff spot in late September.
The Mets and Royals also fashioning semi surprises by winning on the road, each advance to the division series while leaving Milwaukee and Baltimore behind. Coming in hot has been a thing while the LDS home teams have had a week off.
The five and six seeds moved to the LCS in the National League in 2022. Last year sixth seeded Texas won the world series against NL fifth seed Arizona. We’re about to find out if that week off is still a problem.
