Wild card mania!

NP: Fight (Rob Halford side Project) - Little Crazy

Today is the last day of the 2017 Major League Baseball regular season (sad face).  But what's really disappointing is that nothing is at stake here, at least for the playoffs.  Everything is set in stone in terms of wild card match ups and division winners.  But that benefits you, the reader, as you get to read my Wild Card drivel a day early!!

First, on Tuesday, 10/3, the Twins of Minnesota travel to the Big Apple to take on the Yankees.  Now, remember, these Wild Card play in games are just ONE game, meaning, each team is kinda forced to use their best pitcher in this game... JUST to get into the playoffs.  Yankees are sending young phenom Luis Severino and the Twins are sending Ervin Santana.  Wait... ERVIN SANTANA?!  He started his career when the Sox won the WS in 2005 and he's still pitching!  Good for him!

Twins got to where they are by just being solid all around.  No one really stands out above the others, just good ball play from top to bottom.  Yankees got here by being in the same division as the Red Sox.  Their rivalry was reignited this year, under the nose of most, as they spent the season going back and forth leading the division.  Yankees were the better overall team, they just valley'd harder when the Red Sox peaked and couldn't catch up.

Twins were led by Santana and Jose Berrios on the mound and Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano on offense.  Dozier has been solid the last few years, Sano was a highly touted prospect that got his first full season under his belt and proved his scouting correct having a fantastic year, strikeouts be damned :)

Yankees were led by Severino on the mound, who pitched extremely well (top 10 in WAR) and is flanked by Tanaka and Sabathia, who both had solid, if not unspectacular season.  They also have David Robertson and a very awesome pen.  Their offense is led by rookie Aaron Judge.  Judge came into this season just hoping to contribute something.  And what he did is bang 50+ Home Runs and walk well over 100 times.  He pretty much has ROY locked up and can make some noise as MVP.  Along with Judge, youngster Gary Sanchez earned his pinstripes this season.

So the game.  It's really the Yankees to lose.  The downside of this being a one game thing is that a bad game from one player shifts everything.  A bad game from 2 players and its pretty much over.  Judge goes 0fer and no one picks up his slack and the Twins head to CLeveland.  But, in a vacuum The Yankees take this one
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Over in the National League... Wednesday 10/4 the NL West reigns supreme.  Dodgers take the division, but the Diamondbacks and the Rockies play for the Wild Card spot.  Diamondbacks send ace Zack Grienke to the mound.  Rockies have yet to announce their starter, but timing of the game can lead one to believe it'll be Jon Gray.

Diamondbacks have had a crazy good starting rotation.  If you go by ERA+ Greinke isn't even the best, it's Robby Ray.  But Greinke has it by WAR.  Anyway, any of the starting 5 is over 100 in ERA+ and has over a 3.0 in WAR.  They are gooooooooood.  Offensively they are led by MVP hopeful Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb & JD Martinez (acquired earlier this season).  Pretty solid offense team... but really... it's all about the pitching with the Diamondbacks.

Rockies are led by previously mentioned Jon Gray, but also have a fantastic starting rotation including Kyle Freeman and German Marquez.  Offensively, they are led by Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado.  Two guys that have preformed constantly over the years.  The usual superstar Carlos Gonzalez had a very, very down year.

As both teams have great pitching staffs, expect this game to be 8-6, just because!  DIamondbacks have the better team offensively, so I would have to give them the nod.  Being that I cheer for an AMerican League team, it's tough for me to follow the National League... let alone the teams on the other side of the country.  But Diamondbacks should take this... (again in a vacuum) and head off to Los Angeles.

Once these games play out, we'll take a look at the Division Series!!