MLB Playoffs
Liliana Soler '22 Staff Writer
The Major League Baseball playoffs will start this fall with ten teams that will compete for triumph over their division, their league and eventually the World Series. Both the American League and National League are split into three divisions: The West, East, and Central.
As of September 23rd, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, and the San Francisco Giants have clinched a spot in the 2021 playoffs. The Houston Astros are close behind and the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are fighting for a Wildcard spot. In the National League, the Brewers are close on the Dodgers’ and Giants’ tail. The Atlanta Braves are slightly behind, but well ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. While these are subject to change, the regular season is winding down and the playoff brackets are beginning to be set in stone. Local baseball fans have many thoughts on this and are excited to see where the 2021 Postseason will go. |
A blank playoff bracket for the 2021 playoffs. It includes the American and National League Wildcard games, the ALDS, NLDS, ALCS, and NLCS, the World Series and the seeds for each spot. “MLB Playoff 2021 Bracket (Printable PDF)”, SAFEST BETTING SITES.
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The Giants, who have already clinched a playoff spot, have been a real source of surprise for fans. 12th grader Luke Rosendorf said he was “sure the Dodgers had a spot in the playoffs.” A local Twitter account called @MASNOriolez, run by Freddie Leatherbury (a 23 year old self-described “pretty big Orioles fan”) states, “[The Giants] have exceeded expectations. I didn’t even think they’d be around .500 but they have the best record in the league.” In fact, Leatherbury predicts the Giants will win the entire National League, saying, “I am thinking about the Giants in the National League. I think they’re really under the radar but they’ve just steamrolled every team they played so far.”
On the other hand, the Padres have been a source of disappointment for fans. They are nearly 20 games behind the next team in the NL West, the Dodgers. When asked about this surprise, Leatherbury said, “As far as disappointing teams, I think you could look also in that division and wonder why the Padres are 14 games worse [as of September 10th] because I think everyone thought they were poised to just be insane humans here, but they just haven’t been getting contributions like Blake Snell, Manny Machado’s okay.” Superstar players like former Baltimore Oriole Manny Machado and Blake Snell have been a major factor in the performance of teams, with shifting power because of the dramatic trade deadline that changed the face of the season this July.
The Chicago Cubs had a less than stellar season. They went from a team prepared to acquire more said superstars to one forced to trade major players such as Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez and Kris Bryant. Rizzo has had an impact on the Yankees, not only skill wise, but environment-wise, with the Yankees picking their spirits up and having a notable late summer run to be playoff contenders. 12th grader Morghan Gross thinks this isn’t enough: “The Yankees, I feel like I had higher expectations for them and they’re kind of like down here. I think that the Yankees could step it up a bit.”
The MLB playoffs start with the American League Wild Card game on Tuesday, October 5th. No matter what happens, the playoffs are bound to be entertaining and something you won’t want to miss.
On the other hand, the Padres have been a source of disappointment for fans. They are nearly 20 games behind the next team in the NL West, the Dodgers. When asked about this surprise, Leatherbury said, “As far as disappointing teams, I think you could look also in that division and wonder why the Padres are 14 games worse [as of September 10th] because I think everyone thought they were poised to just be insane humans here, but they just haven’t been getting contributions like Blake Snell, Manny Machado’s okay.” Superstar players like former Baltimore Oriole Manny Machado and Blake Snell have been a major factor in the performance of teams, with shifting power because of the dramatic trade deadline that changed the face of the season this July.
The Chicago Cubs had a less than stellar season. They went from a team prepared to acquire more said superstars to one forced to trade major players such as Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez and Kris Bryant. Rizzo has had an impact on the Yankees, not only skill wise, but environment-wise, with the Yankees picking their spirits up and having a notable late summer run to be playoff contenders. 12th grader Morghan Gross thinks this isn’t enough: “The Yankees, I feel like I had higher expectations for them and they’re kind of like down here. I think that the Yankees could step it up a bit.”
The MLB playoffs start with the American League Wild Card game on Tuesday, October 5th. No matter what happens, the playoffs are bound to be entertaining and something you won’t want to miss.
Chicago, Illinois, September 11th, 2021 - The 2021 San Francisco Giants celebrate a 15-4 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. K. KRZACZYNSKI, ESTONIA NEWS