Although it wasn't as chaotic as one might have hoped, the 2021 MLB regular season has finally been completed. The playoffs are finally here.
The AL will see the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees rekindle their historical rivalry in an intense wild card matchup while the St. Louis Cardinals attempt to continue their remarkable season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. All of them will be competing to join the Tampa Bay Rays (or Chicago White Sox), Houston Astros (or the Atlanta Braves), Milwaukee Brewers (or the San Francisco Giants) in the division series.
The 2021 MLB playoff field
American League
Wild Card: Yankees against Red Sox
ALDS: Yankees/Red Sox at the Rays and White Sox at the Astros
National League
Wild Card: Cardinals vs. Dodgers
NLDS: Cardinals/Dodgers vs. Giants, Braves vs. Brewers
Complete bracket and schedule for the playoffs
We asked Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield and Alden Gonzalez and Jesse Rogers for their thoughts on this exciting and competitive postseason.
What are you most excited about seeing in October now that the playoff field has been officially established?
Doolittle: I don't want to be too Chicago-centric, but we haven't had a lot of new talent in the playoffs over the past few years. The 2020 free-for all doesn't count. So it's exciting to see the White Sox make a comeback to the playoffs with home games. It's an exciting matchup between them, the Astros, and somewhat uncanny given that it's not a World Series Rematch, but in the World Series. These are two outstanding offenses that don’t rely on homers scoring. It should be fun to watch.
Schoenfield: This seems like the most open playoff field since 2015. These past few years have been the "era of the superteam". In 2016, we had the Cubs with 103 wins, the Astros with 101 wins and the Dodgers with 104 wins in 2017, and the Red Sox with 108 wins in 2018, while the Dodgers were at 116 wins pace over the Rays (108 win pace) in 2020. The 2019 Nationals (93 victories) were the only ones to spoil the party. They had to beat the 106 win Dodgers and the 107-win Astros in order to do so. The Rays, Dodgers, and Giants are all capable of winning the championship, while all three underdogs can do the same. What I see is a series of seven-game and five-game series that are full of drama and tension. We also have Dusty Baker trying for a World Series title, the Brewers looking to win their first franchise championship, the Rays trying two more games, Tony La Russa back at the postseason, and the Dodgers trying again to be the first back-to back champion in 21 years... there are so many great stories to add to the drama.
Gonzalez: While I respect the Cardinals for their miraculous rise to the second NL wild card spot after being completely counted out, a Dodgers-Giants NLDS is fascinating on many levels. They are one of the most famous rivalries in baseball history and have never met in the postseason. It is fitting that this happens in 2018, as they have the best records in baseball. They were separated by just one game in both their 162-game series and the season series. Although the Dodgers are more talented, the Giants match up well with them and would have home-field advantage.
Rogers: It's fascinating to see the American League side of postseason. Can one of two oldest managers in the game lead his team to the finals? Tampa, despite its lack of national recognition, is good enough to return to the World Series? Can the Yankees just smash their way to the Fall Classic Last but not least, how many people will bring trash cans to the game when Houston is on the road?
Rivera: I'm excited to see how the Brewers pitching will fare in the postseason and what the Cardinals and Braves can accomplish. I also look forward to seeing the Chicago White Sox return in the postseason.
What is the most surprising thing about October's field?
Doolittle: I will accept the fact that the Cardinals have won it. Yes, they soared beyond my expectations and are an incredible story. What do you mean, 107 wins? It's insane. They proved that prognosticators wrong many months ago. As recently as three weeks ago, St. Louis looked like a middle-of-the road, tepid club. Although the Cardinals will be rewarded with a road match against a team which has won 106 games so far, it is still amazing that the Redbirds even have this opportunity.
Schoenfield: With 107 wins, the Giants won the NL West final day with wire-to-wire. They weren't in the top three all season, but they were in first place since May 31. The Dodgers were there all season, and the Giants didn't give a damn. This is a remarkable feat and credit to the depth of the roster. The Giants boast the longest-running lineup in the league, in an age when youth is prized. Here's a tip for all the Giants' old men.
Gonzalez: Don't let the Rays' season-long dominance blind you to the bigger picture. They have the fifth-lowest payroll of any team in the game, and they lost Blake Snell (a top-of-the-line pitcher), Charlie Morton (free agency), and Tyler Glasnow (to Tommy John surgery). They finished the season with the best record in their league, and they once again topped an extremely competitive AL East. This is what the Rays do all the time. This should only increase their success.
Rogers: The Giants and Rays are No. Rogers: That the Giants and Rays are the No. Tampa Bay was just coming off a World Series appearance. However, there was so much talent within the AL East that it was difficult to imagine the Rays becoming the No.1 seed after Glasnow was down. San Francisco is a simple case in point. It was simply incredible.
Rivera: How close were the Seattle Mariners to winning it and how weak was the NL East down the stretch.
What was the most memorable thing about the season's final day?
Doolittle: I was so excited to see the maximum-chaos scenario. Maybe we were all, but I will just say that it turned out to be a huge tease. Red Sox-Yankees has a rich history and is a great rivalry, but the wild-card game feels like something we've seen too many times. Sorry, AL East fans. More than that, for the final two weeks, I had multiple screens running on multiple devices every night at different times. I was completely enchanted by the stretch run. This was an excellent example of the amazing possibilities that the regular season of the big leagues offered. We would have been denied this season if we had used a different seeding system or had a larger playoff field. I hope that baseball's top decision-makers don't fix what is clearly broken.
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Take Your Picks
Schoenfield: The playoff system should be left as it is. Ten teams is ideal. Even though an expanded postseason may be inevitable, I don't think we should see any more teams in the playoffs. We didn't win a tiebreaker Monday but we reached Game 162 with playoff seeds and spots up for grabs. Baseball's regular season is still important. Keep it that way.
Gonzalez: Dodgers' first baseman Max Muncy suffered a horrific injury to his left elbow while making a play at first base. This happened two days after Clayton Kershaw sustained a flare-up in his pitching elbow, which will likely end his season. Muncy, who has been a consistent hitter for the Dodgers and a worthy MVP candidate for most seasons, brings patience and balance to the middle of the lineup. It would be difficult to lose him for an extended time.
Rogers: Rogers was impressed by the Red Sox's determination to win despite being down early against the Washington Nationals. It was inevitable that there would be a loser among these must-win teams. The winner was Seattle. However, Boston gave Red Sox Nation a headache, as they were trailing for a large portion of the day. Alex Cora will be the finalist for manager-of-the year.
Rivera: The injuries and the power offenses such as the Yankees or Red Sox left much to be desired.
Okay, let's look ahead to the wild card games. You can predict the score and how long it takes to play Tuesday's Yankees/Red Sox game.
Doolittle: Yankees 5, Red Sox 4, in 11 hours, 14 mins.
Schoenfield: Yankees have the edge because of their bullpen. However, I believe Nathan Eovaldi and Gerrit Cole both pitch well. Yankees 4, Red Sox 2, in 3 hours, 34 min.
Gonzalez: Yankees 12, Red Sox 8. In a game that goes so long, the World Series is eventually extended into Thanksgiving.
Rogers: In the final, it will be 6-5 Yankees. Rob Manfred will lose the game. After the teams have played for 5:07, a pitch clock will be set. This is just the first nine innings.
Rivera: Rivera has played more Red Sox-Yankees matches than I can remember at this point. I'll give you 3 hours 47 minutes. I will guess that the final score will end up at 7-5. I will not guess the winner.
What would it take for Cardinals to send the defending champion Dodgers home during the NL Wild Card Game
Doolittle: Keep the score low. Adam Wainwright must be at his best, but the Dodgers will get drives and the dynamic Cardinals outfield will need to make plays. St. Louis must reduce the game to a matchup between high-leverage, late games, as its bullpen matches up well with the Dodgers. All of this will be possible if the Cardinals keep the Dodgers out of their yard. This is not an easy task. If it's not too late, you can see a Paul Goldschmidt or Nolan Arenado at bat against Kenley Jansen turning things in St. Louis' favor.
Schoenfield: This is a one-game game between two teams that have two great starting pitchers. The Dodgers have a slight advantage in this game, which is essentially a coin flip. Mike Shildt following his heart and not allowing Wainwright to bat for too long might be the key. The Cardinals bullpen has been exceptional down the stretch, as good as Wainwright was. Kodi Whitley is dominant (14 IP (7H), 0 R, 19 SO), Genesis Cabrera has some serious heat on the left side, and Giovanny Gallegos has been a reliable closer. These guys are trustworthy. You can then hope to throw a few Max Scherzer fastballs across the fence.
Gonzalez: Scherzer can certainly be a tough outing (he's allowed 10 runs in his last two starts), and Wainwright can certainly put up a strong one (he has a 2.34 ERA since August's start). The Cardinals will need to stop Trea Turner and Corey Seager from climbing up the ranks of the Dodgers' roster. They've been burning hot in recent weeks.
Rogers: This season, the Cardinals offense has been night and day. It is producing more than it did earlier in the season. They will beat Scherzer & Co. Wainwright will have to do his best to give a shock blow to the reigning champions. He can do it.
Rivera: They'll need Yadier Molin to make an amazing game. Also, they'll have to ride the bats from Arenado and Goldschmidt.
Which wild-card team is most likely to win it all
Doolittle: The Dodgers, baseball's greatest team, are easily the second-best team of all time. They are the defending champions, are always in the playoffs, and have at least six future Hall of Famer on their roster. They have my support. The wild-card round still has the Yankees Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals and Red Sox. There is no better list.
