October is here. Metaphorically of course. It may be a couple of days until October yet, but for MLB teams and fans alike, October is among us. Fans are in for a treat with an expanded playoff format that has given us some unbelievable matchups in the 2020 AL Wild Card. The American League fields no less than five teams with serious World Series aspirations and a 4 vs 5 matchup that should make baseball fans mouths water. The 2020 AL Wild Card has all you could hope for and more, below are the matchups and who seems to have the edge in each series.
Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins
The 2020 Houston Astros are incredibly average. Middle of the pack rankings in AVG, OPS, team ERA, and WHIP led to a 29-31 record and a second-place finish in the AL West. What’s impressive about this team is their ability to be a decent team while getting two games from reigning AL Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez and career-worst seasons from veterans Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. The pitching staff dealt with injuries all year with Justin Verlander only making one start and bullpen mainstays Roberto Osuna, Chris Devenski, and Brad Peacock combining for 11 appearances.
On the other side, the Minnesota Twins won the AL Central for the second straight season and will look to have more in the postseason than they did last year. Despite struggles from Max Kepler and the newly signed Josh Donaldson, the Twins rode a dominant pitching staff to a 36-24 record and home-field advantage in the Wild Card Round. Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill were both impressive in their first season with the team and the bullpen was strong with Taylor Rodgers and Tyler Duffey, among others, having successful seasons.
Who has the edge
While the Astros might have more star power than the Twins, Minnesota’s top three starters, Maeda, Hill, and Jose Berrios are better than the Astros top three of Zack Greinke, Framber Valdez, and Cristian Javier. The Twins will ride their superior staff and slugger Nelson Cruz and win a playoff series for the first time since 2002.
Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics
The Chicago White Sox arrived in 2020, winning 35 games and making the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu should appear on many MVP ballots, and rookie Luis Robert was hitting like a seasoned veteran before struggling in September. 2015 AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel had arguably his best season ever and Lucas Giolito continued his breakout from 2019 and has turned into a true ace.
Despite a lackluster offense, the Oakland Athletics rode an elite bullpen and won the AL West title for the first time since 2013. Closer Liam Hendricks, and relievers J.B. Wendelken, Yusmeiro Petit, and Jake Diekman all had an ERA under two in 2020. Starter Chris Bassitt had a career year and timely hitting had the A’s coasting to the number two seed in the AL.
Who has the edge
Despite being the seventh seed, the Chicago White Sox are one of the most dangerous teams in the American League. The battle between Lucas Giolito and Chris Bassitt in Game 1 will most likely decide the series but with the superior offensive talent, the White Sox will find a way to make it to the ALDS.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bays Rays
The Toronto Blue Jays were not expected to make the postseason in 2020, but with the expanded playoffs, the young Blue Jays will get valuable playoff experience for their growing core. Young stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Cavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette led an offense that also featured a breakout year from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Free agent signing Hyun Jin Ryu was a bright spot in a rotation that will need some work in the offseason.
The Tampa Bay Rays lead the American League with 40 wins and they did it despite a rash of injuries to their bullpen and starting rotation. Brandon Lowe led the way offensively but the strength of the team was a pitching staff that was top six in both ERA and WHIP. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow fronted the rotation while Nick Anderson and Diego Castillo anchored a bullpen that saw 12 different pitchers record a save.
Who has the edge
The Rays have been the class of the American League this year and this series against the Blue Jays will be no different. The season series was split 6-4 in favor of the Rays and expect the Rays to win this series and possibly more beyond.
New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians
The New York Yankees are a team that was defined by three stretches in 2020. The Yankees started hot, jumping out to a 16-6 record before losing 15 of 20. That cold stretch left them 6.5 games out of the division lead. The Yankees won their next 10 games to ensure that they would make another trip to the postseason under manager Aaron Boone. DJ LeMahieu hit .364 which led the American League and Luke Voit crushed 22 HRs to pace the major leagues. Gerrit Cole was great in his first season in the Bronx and closer Zack Britton was consistent through a rash of injuries to the team.
The Cleveland Indians rode a white-hot Jose Ramirez down the stretch and relied on a starting rotation that featured presumptive AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber as well as Carlos Carrasco and Zach Plesac. Bieber won the triple crown for pitchers, leading the league in wins (8), strikeouts (122), and ERA (1.63). The bullpen, led by closer Brad Hand, cleaned up any mess made by the other Cleveland starters who will make life difficult for all opposing hitters in the postseason.
Who has the edge
If you like pitching, Game 1 of this series is for you. If you do not like pitching, you should still watch Game 1 of this series. Shane Bieber vs. Gerrit Cole will be the best pitching matchup of the playoffs, and whoever comes out on top will most likely swing the series in their team’s favor. Bieber has been the best pitcher in baseball all year and that will most likely continue into the postseason. The Yankees are good, but Cleveland’s three-headed monster of Bieber, Carrasco, and Plesac will be too much to overcome for the Bronx Bombers.
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