By Zach Waltz
Assistant Sports Editor
As the MLB gears up for what looks to be one most exciting postseasons in recent memory, a common theme has appeared among the October-bound teams.
Highlighted by teams like the Pirates, Athletics and Dodgers, this year’s playoff teams are made up of young, exciting players that have taken the MLB to new heights. MLB storylines are running rampant at this point with Mariano Rivera’s retirement from the New York Yankees, Yasiel Puig’s emergence as a star for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Albert Pujols’ injury on the Los Angeles Angels, to rattle off a few. Yet the most surprising part of this season is the teams that are vying for a playoff spot.
For the first time in 20 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates will make a postseason appearance after getting the first National League wild card spot. Not to mention this is also their first winning season in the past 20 years. The Buccos’ core is comprised of young players that have come from years of high draft picks.
MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen is arguably the MLB’s best center fielder, and he brings a total package to the Pirates’ lineup. Pedro Alvarez, playing third base and batting fourth, is the Buccos’ first bona-fide slugger since, perhaps, Barry Bonds in the 90s. McCutchen and Alvarez are two crucial parts of a Pirates team that has made quite a buzz in the Steel City.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have had an equally as impressive season in the National League, winning their division with a large lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rookie Cuban superstar Yasiel Puig gave the Dodgers a scintillating boost when he came up from the minor leagues in early June. Not to be out shadowed by Puig, the Dodgers’ pitching staff, headlined by aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, posted an NL-second-best 3.27 ERA on the season.
The NL had a few surprises when it came to underachieving teams. The defending champion San Francisco Giants are out of playoff contention. Another team in the same boat is a perennial playoff team, the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals didn’t provide for any surprises as they won their respective divisions.
Over in the American League, the Oakland Athletics have clinched the AL West, successfully beating out the Texas Rangers, the initial favorite to win the division. Oakland is comprised of – you guessed it – young players that provided the spark the A’s needed to win the division. Third baseman Josh Donaldson and left fielder Yoenis Cespedes are two of the young core group of players that have made this team successful.
The Detroit Tigers won the AL Central with a large lead over the streaking Cleveland Indians. MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera was in a season-long chase for his second straight Triple Crown. Despite Cabrera leading the league in RBIs and batting average, he finished the season behind the Baltimore Orioles’ Chris “Crush” Davis in homeruns. Batting wasn’t the only strong attribute for the Tigers. Aces Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer led a pitching staff that topped the AL in strikeouts.
The New York Yankees will be missing the playoffs this season after finishing third in the AL East. This isn’t the only shock in the AL, as the big-spending Los Angeles Angels fell to third in their division as well, eliminating them from playoff contention. Perhaps the biggest surprise in the AL was the Boston Red Sox, who emerged as a force to be reckoned with, winning the AL East.
After what has been a very eventful and entertaining MLB regular season, the postseason promises to go down as one of the most watched and intense MLB playoffs in recent history.
Zach Waltz is the Assistant Sports Editor of the Bona Venture. His email is waltzzd12@bonaventure.edu.
