Previewing The 2024 NL Playoffs
Going over the Playoff Bracket for the National League in This Year's MLB Playoffs!
All teams have now played game 162— the last game of the season for 18 of the 30 MLB teams. However, for the other 12 teams, there is one goal in mind, win the World Series. From division winners & first round byes to teams that barely made the cut, what will this year’s postseason look like? [ National League Edition ]
National League
(1) Los Angeles Dodgers (First Round Bye)
Everyone expected this Dodgers team to be good. The NL West Champions, finished the season with a 98-64 record & will receive the bye for the Wild Card round. Their everyday lineup features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, & Freddie Freeman while their pitching is headlined by Tyler Glasnow & Yoshinobu Yamamoto. That’s only naming a few talented players. However, the Dodgers will be without Glasnow & most likely without Clayton Kershaw, which could cause some problems. Nevertheless, this Dodgers team is incredibly talented & could easily go deep into the playoffs this year.
(2) Philadelphia Phillies (First Round Bye)
The Phillies have also been one of the best teams in the league this year. Finishing the season with a 95-67 record, the Phillies won the NL East Title, their first since 2011. Philly has an explosive offense, headlined by Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, & Nick Castellanos. Philly also has one of the best starting rotations in the league, with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, & Christopher Sanchez being their top 3 spots. After the starting rotation, opponents would have to face a dominant bullpen that features, All-Stars in Jeff Hoffman & Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, & Carlos Estevez. This year, the Phillies look to build off of their failures in the playoffs last year and in 2022 & look to win their first championship since 2008.
(3) Milwaukee Brewers (Wild Card vs NY Mets)
This season, the Milwaukee Brewers dominated the National League Central division, finishing the year with a record of 93 wins & 69 losses. The stars of the Brewers have been William Contreras & Christian Yelich, who were both All-Stars this year, Willy Adames, Sal Frelick, & rookie Jackson Chourio. On the other hand, Frankie Montas, Freddy Peralta, & Devin Williams are the highlights of the Brewers’ pitching staff. Last year, the Brewers were swept in the Wild Card by the Diamondbacks— however, this season the Brew Crew looks to go deep into the postseason.
(4) San Diego Padres (Wild Card vs Braves)
After making it all the way to the NLCS in 2022 & missing the playoffs last year, the Padres are back in the postseason & look to make a push for a championship yet again. San Diego is a particularly dangerous team because of how hot they have been since the All-Star break. At the end of the first half, the Padres had a record of 50-49. However, in the second half, the Padres had a record of 43-20, earning themselves a spot in the playoffs. The star-studded Padres feature Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, rookie Jackson Merrill, Dylan Cease, Michael King, & Tanner Scott. This year, the “Slam Diego” Padres will look to win their first franchise championship.
(5) Atlanta Braves (Wild Card vs San Diego)
The Braves, who were the number 1 seed in the NL last year, fought hard to make the playoffs yet again. After Spencer Strider & Ronald Acuna Jr. sustained season ending injuries, the Braves had to bring new faces in to keep their hopes alive. The Braves then continued to struggle with injuries— Ozzie Albies missed some time due to injury & Austin Riley’s season ended a few months early due to injury. As a result, the Braves had to bring in many players. Atlanta brought Jorge Soler back via trade & signed veterans Whit Merrifield & Gio Urshela. After 161 games, the Braves clinched a playoff spot with a win for game 162. This October, the Braves will look for Albies, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, & Marcell Ozuna to step up on offense while they will look at Chris Sale, Charlie Morton, & Spencer Schwellenbach to pitch well in the playoffs.
(6) New York Mets (Wild Card vs Milwaukee)
The Mets also had to battle in order to get into the playoffs, not clinching until game 161. One of the best teams in the second half, the Mets finished the year with 89-73 record & could very well be a team that dominates in the postseason. Francisco Lindor has had an MVP-season & Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos, & Jose Iglesias have had great seasons. On the other hand, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, & Edwin Diaz highlight New York’s talented pitching staff. Even though they barely made the cut, the Mets look like a very dangerous team this postseason.
Previewing The 2024 AL Playoffs
All teams have now played game 162— the last game of the season for 18 of the 30 MLB teams. However, for the other 12 teams, there is one goal in mind, win the World Series. From division winners & first round byes to teams that barely made the cut, what will this year’s postseason look like? [ American League Edition ]