MLB Week in Review (September 22-28)
The postseason is almost here as the regular season is winding down with postseason races beginning to finish up.
In the American League, there is no room available as the five teams making the postseason has been decided.
The American League East team that finishes second, it seems likely to be the Yankees, will be hosting the wild card game against the Minnesota Twins.
Meanwhile, the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians have clinched their spots on top of the American League while the Boston Red Sox are currently sitting on top of the East.
Every other team in the AL will look ahead to winter meetings where they will look to get better and hopefully be in a different spot next season at this time.
In the National League, the race is continuing although it is almost entirely over with only one spot available.
The West has dominated as the Dodgers are on top of the National League all alone while Arizona has clinched the wild card spot and Colorado is in control of the final wild card spot.
Washington and Chicago have clinched their own divisions giving hope for a first-ever title or a repeat title for a fan base that was once long-suffering.
The postseason is shaping up for some very interesting matchups and possibly one of the more competitive postseasons in recent memory.
It has already been a fantastic year for most of the teams making the postseason as they exceeded their expectations for the season.
Three teams, in particular, are having seasons that they have not seen in a few decades and they could make things very interesting.
These teams have reached that big mark of 100 wins which is a clear indication of a very successful season.
90 wins will usually get a team to the postseason but winning 100 is usually a sure-fire way of being one of the top teams in the MLB.
Heading into the final few days of the season, the MLB has seen three teams hit that mark and all are enjoying the best seasons they have had in years.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers have surpassed 100 wins for the first time since 1974.
That is a long streak for one of the most legendary teams in the MLB but it has been a slow build since they changed owners in 2012.
Although they have been unable to find their way to the World Series they have put together great teams that have been competitive.
This 100-win season might be an indication that they are ready to compete for the title this year.
In the American League, the Cleveland Indians are the only team to officially hit the 100-win mark by week’s end.
It is their best season since 1995, the last time they surpassed the 100-win mark and after coming close to winning the title last year they might have what it takes to finish their quest for a title.
They came up short against the Chicago Cubs in the World Series last year but they could be a better team this time because they have taken more wins than they have in decades.
They might not be alone in the AL as the Houston Astros are only one win away from taking their 100th win of the season.
That would be their first 100-win season since 1998 and indicating like the rest of the 100-win teams that they could be ready to make a deep run.
The 100-win mark is a big one and to have two teams there and another almost there is a big thing for this year’s postseason.
There are some special teams all with a chance at the World Series but only one team can win the title.
As special as the 100-win season is especially for these teams that have had a long time to wait to get to that point, there are no records in the postseason.
It doesn’t matter who wins 100 games because everything is wiped out and every team just needs to take it series by series.
It is still an indication that these are the immediate teams to watch as they are the best teams in the league heading into the postseason.
After a full season where they took so many wins they clearly have the ability to beat the best of the best in the league.
Although their 100 wins aren’t necessarily going to win them a title they are still further along as a team than the rest.
Any team can come out of nowhere and surprise everyone if they can get hot at the perfect time.
For now, though, these three teams are going to be the ones to watch as they have achieved something special this year and all three are hoping to continue it all the way to the World Series.
Extra Innings
The Greatest Rookie?
The American League Rookie of the Year Award was locked up far before the postseason race as Aaron Judge was clearly the frontrunner. Despite some struggles after the all-star break, Judge has put up some unbelievable numbers as a rookie. This week he put his stamp on the record books when he broke the record held by Mark McGuire for the most home runs in a rookie season. He hit his 50th home run of the season earlier in the week putting him along at the top and beginning what could be a special career in New York.
Jeter Approved
After plenty of back and forth along with bids failing to get any traction, Derek Jeter is finally an MLB team owner. The MLB approved his ownership bid along with a number of financial backers giving him control of the Miami Marlins. Jeter stayed out of baseball for a few years after retiring but he is now back in the fold in a very different way. There have been plenty of rumours about what the Marlins will look like with Jeter likely a very involved owner. It leads to some excitement though as Jeter has never been known for his love of losing and so he will likely be looking to make some changes to make the Marlins a competitive team.
Different Ejection
There have been a lot of reports this year of sign stealing mainly centring around the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Both teams were punished for their infractions but the latest sign-stealing controversy had little to do with a team. The Yankees week taking on the Rays at home when the umpire began hearing something from behind him. It turned out that it was a fan sitting behind him plate who was yelling pitch locations to the Yankee batters. The umpire ended the issue throwing the fan out of the stadium.
The Sport Addiction 