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Buckle your seatbelts, boys. Tomorrow is the biggest day of the season.
2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by proshares,
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Yeah they look disengaged at the wrong time of the season. Finishing 3-7 down the stretch?
Funny how a couple weeks changes things...look at Detroit.
Yankees have pulled a few games out of their ***** these last few weeks, that come from behind win against Oakland and now this one.
Chris Davis hit a monster shot against Shields, this after hitting one to the roof last night.
So much can change on this final day. Hope the Dodgers pull this one out too.
jumpmanfromdabay
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Texas thinks this is the World Series 
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Valuable as in the inherent value that the player holds in propelling his team to where they end up. In the Tigers case, that's a division winner. Doesn't matter which division. Without Cabrera, Tigers don't make the playoffs. Lineup not nearly as potent and the hitters around Cabrera not nearly as effective. Angels with Trout do not make the playoffs so without him they definitely do not. This one does not need to be over-thinked. It's in the wording of the award. Valuable vs. Outstadanding. Pretty simple.
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jumpmanfromdabay
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Enjoy your offseason Dodgers 
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THIS.
and
Anyone making a case for Cabera using BA or RBI or the Tigers making the postseason for MVP is a damn fool
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Once again, you're rewarding Cabrera because he plays in the AL Central. It does matter which division, because in any other division they wouldn't make the playoffs - which is the basis of your whole argument. An argument which is still foolish, because you're applying a team accomplishment to an individual award in a sport like baseball.
Prince wouldn't be as potent and effective without Cabrera? He had better years in Milwaukee. Austin Jackson would be a bum? The pitching staff wouldn't be good? He's an incredible player, but he did not do it alone, and he simply did not have a better season than Trout. Ergo, he doesn't deserve the league's premier individual award.
Valuable means performance/production value. A homerun is a homerun. A stolen base is stolen base. You're attemtpting to elevate Cabrera's performance because his TEAM won the division. It's not fair, nor is it rational. It's most valuable player, not most valuable player on a division winner. And there is no outstanding player of the year award, so I'm not sure why that point was made.
It's over-thought btw, not over-thinked. Perhaps you need to do more thinking on it, as your argument and logic falls short. Proshares' excellent post would be a good place to start, and Jonah Keri has written some good stuff on Grantland regarding it.
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You guys still circle jerking Mike Trout,
MVP is most valuable player, not best player or best season. He's having a great season for a third place team, a dissapointing third place team at that.
Triple Crown, first time since 1967, Miggy deserves it and his squad at least won their Division.
So yeah, give Trout the Sporting News Offensive Player of the Year award, or the WAR Championship trophy.
If Cabrera secures the Triple Crown later today, he's MVP, book it. Deservedly so.
4 for 5 in the clinching game, with a jack.
Trout will get his, just not this year,
MVP is most valuable player, not best player or best season. He's having a great season for a third place team, a dissapointing third place team at that.
Triple Crown, first time since 1967, Miggy deserves it and his squad at least won their Division.
So yeah, give Trout the Sporting News Offensive Player of the Year award, or the WAR Championship trophy.
If Cabrera secures the Triple Crown later today, he's MVP, book it. Deservedly so.
4 for 5 in the clinching game, with a jack.
Trout will get his, just not this year,
DeadsetAce
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Scherzer was going to go today but on Monday he twisted his ankle in the on-field celebration 
Miggy also pulled a Hamilton and went into the coaches office during the champagne celebration, only coming out once his teammates started chanting MVP. Guess the media didn't pick up on that story...
For all his supposed troubles (he got black out drunk a few times, most likely no where near the alcoholism tag) he's been reported to be one of the best clubhouse guys around. Good story surfaced recently on how he took Avisail Garcia under his wing (btw - who knows anything about him? Looks to be a good prospect). Of course none of this has any relevance to the MVP and that will shake out in the coming weeks. For the record I believe Trout's season is the best statistically, but too much "hometown team" bias for me to not at least WANT Miggy to win.
Miggy also pulled a Hamilton and went into the coaches office during the champagne celebration, only coming out once his teammates started chanting MVP. Guess the media didn't pick up on that story...
For all his supposed troubles (he got black out drunk a few times, most likely no where near the alcoholism tag) he's been reported to be one of the best clubhouse guys around. Good story surfaced recently on how he took Avisail Garcia under his wing (btw - who knows anything about him? Looks to be a good prospect). Of course none of this has any relevance to the MVP and that will shake out in the coming weeks. For the record I believe Trout's season is the best statistically, but too much "hometown team" bias for me to not at least WANT Miggy to win.
Isn't the Angels record better than the Tigers? As in, the Angels and their "disapointing season" are still better than the Tigers, yet the Tigers play in a garbage division, and the Angels have TWO teams ahead of them, even tho they are better than Detroit is. How the **** are you not catching on to that? Seriously, what the hell is your deal that you can not comprehend that? You look ******g stupid touting off Cabrera is in the playoffs when his team has a worse record than Trouts. And Trout wasn't around for the first 20 games and however many of those early season losses.
Buy a clue man.
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So what happens if the two WC teams finished tied? How is the home team determined?
Head is spinning with all these possible scenarios.
As long as the Orioles win....they will get a home playoff game of some kind.
Shields was dealing last night too, dude looked unhittable.
Head is spinning with all these possible scenarios.
As long as the Orioles win....they will get a home playoff game of some kind.
Shields was dealing last night too, dude looked unhittable.
I can't even touch it anymore. CP is probably one of the most stubborn people I interact with on this site and even he's somewhat joined the dark side with these stats and seeing how much true value Trout has put on the diamond in comparison to Cabrera. Not meant to offend anyone but the arguments of "he's the best offensive player", "he sacrificed for the team", "he carried Detroit into the playoffs" are really idiotic and don't mean much in the grand scheme of things. Their division is God awful and made the playoffs because of it. Holding not being up in April against Trout or the fact that he's "slumping" down the stretch is just reaching for threads that aren't there.
ayodude
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Praying for a Yankees loss and an Orioles win tonight, have tickets for the possible one game divs. title tomorrow night in Baltimore. If Orioles make it to an actual series, what do you guys think the starting rotation will look like for the first three games?
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^ hopefully hammels back, then throw in gonzalez and tillman. im ok with chen too.
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^ ish is wild. heard on the radio this morning, say the orioles and yankees finished tied, and go to the one game playoff, then the O's beat the yankees, theyll be the #1 seed in the AL (due to playing 1 extra game then everyone else) and have home field throughout.
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I'm not ok with Chen....he gives up a lot of HRs and doesn't get the double play balls. Even when he pitches well like the other night, he stumbles into a big inning and loses.
Must win game tonight, I like Tillman on the mound.
Someone had free tickets to the final Nationals game at work here and is trying to persuade me to catch the game.
ayodude
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This...
Hit the nail on the head, I will be nervous if I see Chen on the mound in any of these games. He always has that one or two innings when things get out of hand, to his credit tho usually when he is pitching we haven't put up many runs for him.
Whoa whoa whoa, I didn't say I joined the Dark Side Pro. Hold on now.
Naw, I just believe in the best player of that year. Remember, Andre Dawson won an MVP for a last place team. I argued for Kobe over Nash, records don't mean much to me outside of trying to win the big prize. For individual awards, it makes more sense the best player, unless it's close and one guy is on a team that is completely dominant, ala an Aaron Rodgers type year on a 15-1 team.
Detroit would be FOURTH in the AL West.
FOURTH.
But "they're goin to the playoffs" is supposed to hold merit?
If it was Miggy v David Ortiz, two hitter types that bring little else to the table, ok, then we could crunch some numbers, Trout does WAY more than just swing a heavy bat in the 3 hole tho.
Naw, I just believe in the best player of that year. Remember, Andre Dawson won an MVP for a last place team. I argued for Kobe over Nash, records don't mean much to me outside of trying to win the big prize. For individual awards, it makes more sense the best player, unless it's close and one guy is on a team that is completely dominant, ala an Aaron Rodgers type year on a 15-1 team.
Detroit would be FOURTH in the AL West.
FOURTH.
But "they're goin to the playoffs" is supposed to hold merit?
If it was Miggy v David Ortiz, two hitter types that bring little else to the table, ok, then we could crunch some numbers, Trout does WAY more than just swing a heavy bat in the 3 hole tho.
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a Triple Crown winner considering its been such a long while since it last happened, he'll win the MVP by default. MLB won't make that same mistake again.
Won't even be close as much as you guys feel it should be.
Won't even be close as much as you guys feel it should be.
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Buster and Braun now tied for the lead in WAR in NL.
I don't even know why I go to ESPN anymore. Eveything is Insider.
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog...atus-playoff-contender-heading-postseason-mlb
Pro...
I don't even know why I go to ESPN anymore. Eveything is Insider.
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog...atus-playoff-contender-heading-postseason-mlb
Pro...
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I usually try to get all the articles posted up in the AM my time. If you have any requests, shoot me a PM with the link. IDK if it still applies here but on the old site they were warning/banning folks for that. I have no problem posting em up!
Teams best positioned for October run.
Teams best positioned for October run.
When Major League Baseball put its new set of playoff rules in place, nobody knew exactly how the changes would shape the decisions of managers and general managers and players. Nobody knew, for sure, if some unforeseen circumstance might emerge, altering the way the games were played in a manner that nobody anticipated.
In the end, however, the new system has played out exactly the way Bud Selig and the Players Association had hoped: Teams have placed a high value on winning their divisions, on driving through to the end of the schedule -- to not only get into the playoffs, but to avoid the one-game wild-card pitfall.
This is why you saw Yankees manager Joe Girardi ask closer Rafael Soriano for two innings Tuesday night, at a time when his team is already assured of a playoff berth, and why the Yankees reacted so joyously after Raul Ibanez won the game for them.
This is why the Athletics will have all hands on deck today, as they try to complete one of the greatest charges to a division title in recent memory; the Athletics and Rangers are tied after Travis Blackley's extraordinary effort on Tuesday. These homer-happy Athletics have been a free-swinging lot down the stretch, writes John Shea.
A lot of the teams involved will have to make plans on the fly, particularly in the AL, where the only seed that's locked in is Detroit at No. 3.
Let's look at how each of the 10 playoff teams are currently set up:
Washington Nationals
Rotation: Gio Gonzalez is set up to pitch in Game 1 of the postseason, fully rested, followed by Jordan Zimmermann. Davey Johnson won't lay out his Game 3 and 4 starters until he knows who the Nationals are facing.
Injury issues: After dealing with major injuries almost all season, Washington is about as healthy as it has been all year, with Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond back in the lineup.
Hot/cold: Bryce Harper has been a wrecking ball at the plate of late, hitting .462 with three homers in the last week. Desmond (4-for-23) and Danny Espinosa (2-for-22) haven't had as much success lately.
Achilles' heel: The bullpen. Tyler Clippard has struggled in the second half, and rival evaluators wonder if Washington has enough consistent power arms to win in the postseason.
Washington closed in on the top NL seed with their victory against the Phillies Tuesday night.
Cincinnati Reds
Rotation: Dusty Baker likely will go with a three-man rotation -- Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos -- and Homer Bailey will be dropped off the first-round roster.
Injury issues: Ryan Ludwick is coming back from a strained groin and has started the last two games, going 1-for-7. He's had nine at-bats since Sept. 19.
Hot/cold: Joey Votto has said he doesn't think he'll be completely healthy by the end of the season, and he hasn't been driving the ball since coming off the disabled list. But he is getting his share of hits and walks: He's reached base in 16 of his last 28 plate appearances.
Achilles' heel: The biggest question about the Reds is the production at the top of their lineup, which has been a problem all year. Will Brandon Phillips fix that? Will Zack Cozart, who is 8-for-25 in the last week?
San Francisco Giants
Rotation: They are lined up and ready to go with Matt Cain in Game 1. Bruce Bochy knows who his Game 2 starter is, he said, but he hasn't announced it yet. He could pick Madison Bumgarner or Tim Lincecum.
Injury issues: Buster Posey left Monday's game with back spasms but said Tuesday that he's OK -- and then clubbed a home run.
Hot/cold: Posey has been baseball's best hitter since the All-Star break, and during the last week he is 10-for-23; Brandon Belt is 9-for-24; Scutaro is 8-for-21.
Achilles' heel: Hunter Pence. Once the postseason begins, opposing managers will work around Posey and put the onus on Pence, who has struggled since joining the Giants, hitting .221. He is going to get opportunities with runners on base.
They got to knock out the Dodgers on Tuesday, with Barry Zito winning again.
Atlanta Braves
Rotation: Kris Medlen is scheduled to pitch the wild-card game, with Tim Hudson lined up to throw Game 1 of the Division Series if Atlanta advances. The Braves may carry as many as 16 position players for the wild-card game, writes David O'Brien.
Injury issues: Michael Bourn has been playing with a banged up thumb.
Hot/cold: Freddie Freeman has three hits in his last 23 at-bats, and Jason Heyward is 4-for-22 during the last week. On the flip side, Andrelton Simmons has hit well since coming off the disabled list.
Achilles' heel: Bourn has been the Braves' barometer -- when he hits, their offense is transformed. When he doesn't hit, their production seems to suffer greatly, and he's been trying to play with a thumb issue. Bourn has 19 hits in his last 97 at-bats, dating back to late August.
St. Louis Cardinals
Rotation: Kyle Lohse will start the wild-card game against the Braves, to be followed by Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter.
Injury issues: Matt Holliday is playing with some nagging injuries down the stretch, and of course, the Cardinals are without shortstop Rafael Furcal, but Pete Kozma has been excellent while filling in, hitting .333 in 25 games. David Freese hurt his ankle last week and has been limited.
Hot/cold: After an extended second-half slump, Carlos Beltran has hit better in the last week, going 6-for-17, and Jon Jay is 9-for-26 in the same time frame.
Achilles' heel: Rival talent evaluators have doubts about how the middle of the St. Louis bullpen will fare in the postseason. But keep in mind -- the same doubts were in place a year ago, as the Cardinals stunned the baseball world.
St. Louis got into the playoffs when the Dodgers lost on Tuesday night.
New York Yankees
Rotation: If the Yankees have to play Baltimore for the division title Thursday, Andy Pettitte could start. If New York wraps up the No. 1 seed in the AL today, CC Sabathia would be available to throw the first game of the postseason Sunday.
Injury issues: The Yankees are relatively healthy, although their bullpen will have to work through some heavy use. Set-up man David Robertson has made 32 appearances since the beginning of August.
Hot/cold: Robinson Cano is crazy hot at the plate right now, with 20 hits in his last eight games. Alex Rodriguez, on the other hand, is struggling to catch up to fastballs.
Achilles' heel: The heavy workload on the bullpen could begin to manifest itself, and at some point, the middle-of-the-order hitters around Cano will need to hit, because managers will undoubtedly pitch around the second baseman and make Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira beat them.
Baltimore Orioles
Rotation: Buck Showalter is making his rotation choices literally one day at a time; he didn't announce Chris Tillman was starting today until after the Orioles' win on Tuesday, as Roch Kubatko writes. Miguel Gonzalez is not an option to pitch Game 1 of the playoffs, and Tillman won't be, either. Jason Hammel says he's available if needed.
Injury issues: Nick Markakis is out for at least three more weeks.
Hot/cold: Chris Davis has clubbed a homer in each of his last six games. Adam Jones has three hits in his last 22 at-bats.
Achilles' heel: Given the uncertainty of the Baltimore rotation, it's an issue that might eventually come back to hurt the Orioles. But they've managed to overcome it all year, with extraordinary work from their bullpen.
For the Orioles, the suspense continues through the final day, writes Peter Schmuck.
Detroit Tigers
Rotation: Justin Verlander is set up to start Game 1 of the Division Series.
Injury issues: Max Scherzer won't start the final game of the season for Detroit after twisting his ankle in the celebration.
Hot/cold: You may have heard this -- Miguel Cabrera has been hitting pretty well lately. He's got 10 hits in his last 26 at-bats, and Prince Fielder is 10-for-27 in the last week. Andy Dirks is 9-for-22 in the last week. Omar Infante: 3-for-22.
Achilles' heel: Their defense, of course. How the Tigers overcome the plays that aren't made will frame their postseason narrative.
Texas Rangers
Rotation: Yu Darvish should be the Rangers' No. 1 starter in the postseason, says Nolan Ryan. We'll know more about their rotation after today's game.
Injury issues: Mike Adams, a key member of their bullpen for most of the year, hasn't pitched since Sept. 27.
Hot/cold: Mike Napoli has four homers in the last week, and Adrian Beltre has 10 hits in his last 26 at-bats. On the flip side, Ian Kinsler has three hits in his last 26 at-bats. Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara have thrown better of late.
Achilles' heel: Their offense has been sagging in a big way, as Richard Durrett writes.
Texas could lose the AL West today after leading the division almost wire to wire.
Oakland Athletics
Rotation: A.J. Griffin will get the ball today, increasing the likelihood that Brett Anderson -- who indicated earlier this week that he's ready to go -- is an option for the Athletics at the outset of the postseason.
Injury issues: They've managed to win despite having lost Bartolo Colon to a suspension and Brandon McCarthy to a skull fracture. Coco Crisp is oft-injured, but he's been back in the lineup lately.
Hot/cold: In the last week, Crisp is 9-for-21, Yoenis Cespedes is 9-for-27 with five extra-base hits, and Josh Reddick has three homers. They've gotten incredible work from the main guys in their bullpen during the last week, as these numbers show.
Achilles' heel: Their offense has a lot of free swingers, the sort of hitters who tend to struggle in October against pitchers and catchers armed with scouting reports. But by now, the Athletics are probably laughing off any doubts about them.
Oakland has won a staggering 67 of its last 100 games.
Elsewhere
• Girardi was unequivocal before the Yankees' comeback win against the Red Sox Tuesday night: He wants everything he can possibly get, from the AL East title to homefield advantage in the postseason. He's in a position to get it all after Ibanez cashed in a promise made by GM Brian Cashman, writes John Harper. The Yankees won despite a decision by Girardi that went wrong.
The bottom line on Robinson Cano going forward: Because he is as hot as any hitter in the big leagues, he should be set up for as many at-bats as possible, hitting third or fourth -- but certainly not fifth.
From Elias Sports Bureau: Ibanez is the first Yankee since 1920 (when RBIs became official) to hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning and a walk-off RBI in extra-innings. Nine of Ibanez's 19 home runs this season have come in the seventh inning or later. Ibanez has 19 home runs in 319 at-bats against righties this season (0 HR in 60 AB against lefties).
The lineup for today and what's at stake (from ESPN Stats & Information):
Texas at Oakland (3:35 p.m ET): The winner is the champion of the AL West, and the loser must play the wild-card game Friday.
Red Sox at Yankees (7 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Yankees clinch AL East and AL home-field advantage with win.
Orioles at Rays (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2): If the Orioles win and the Yankees lose, there will be a one-game playoff in Baltimore to decide the AL East champion.
In the National League: The Nationals clinch NL home-field advantage with a win or Reds loss. The Reds clinch NL home-field advantage with a win and a Nationals loss.
The Reds still don't know what their seeding will be, writes Tom Groeschen.
From ESPN Stats & Info, how Blackley won:
A) With the Rangers starting eight righties, Blackley went to his changeup a season-high 28 percent of the time and got six outs with the pitch.
B) Sixty-three percent of his pitches were in the lower third of the zone or below, his second-highest percentage of the season in a start. He got 10 outs on low pitches.
C) The Rangers put 10 of Blackley's low pitches in play and hit just one out of the infield.
D) Overall, 60 percent of the balls in play against Blackley were grounders, matching his third-highest percentage of the season in a start.
• Ben Sheets is going to pitch today and then retire. Even in the midst of his great run of starts for the Braves this year, he talked about how much he had enjoyed being home to coach his son, so it's not a surprise that he's walking away.
• The Chicago Cubs are adding seats at Wrigley Field.
• The Seattle Mariners are bringing in their fences, writes Larry Stone, and even Felix Hernandez is excited.
By The Numbers
From ESPN Stats & Info
6: Straight games with a home run for Orioles' Chris Davis.
9: Postseason appearances for the Cardinals since 2000.
15: Strikeouts for James Shields, a career high and franchise record.
19: Home runs in 319 at-bats vs. righties for Raul Ibanez this season (0 HR in 60 AB vs. lefties).
176: Days the Rangers had sole possession of first place in the AL West before the A's tied them on Tuesday.
.763: Win percentage for the Orioles in one-run games.
From Elias: No team has finished with a win percentage that high in one-run games since the 1890 Brooklyn Bridegrooms.
Moves, deals and decisions
1. It's time for Bobby Valentine to go, writes Michael Silverman. It looks like the end of the line for Valentine, writes Brian MacPherson.
I don't think we'll be reading anything in the next 48 hours about how the first word of the toxic situation was overstated.
2. The Philadelphia Phillies have a contractual option on Carlos Ruiz, and the decision will be pretty obvious, writes Matt Gelb.
3. Ozzie Guillen is still awaiting his fate. The Marlins' attendance has suffered.
From Clark Spencer's story:
After the underachieving Marlins went into a swoon in June and July, six of the 25 players on the Opening Day roster were sent packing in trades and the Marlins went into a tailspin that landed them at the bottom of the standings.
Now, some season ticket holders, such as Nancy Farrell of Cutler Bay and Mercy Garcia of Kendall, are having second thoughts.
"We enjoy everything about the ballpark," Farrell said. "But the trading is what upset us. Now I don't even know who's on the field."
Farrell and Garcia, who are first-time season ticket holders, each bought 20-game plans. But they said it's unlikely they'll renew next season.
When asked what it would take for her to change her mind, Garcia replied: "More wins." Once the novelty wears off, new ballparks almost always experience attendance declines in their second season, which is a concern to everyone from vendors to team officials.
Luis Garcia, who runs a hot dog stand near the west entrance of the ballpark, said business has declined steadily since the start of the season. He said he did about $1,500 in sales the first game. Now, he said, he averages about $150 to $200 a game.
4. Travis Hafner may have taken his final swings for the Cleveland Indians.
5. Chris Young is pondering his future.
6. Henry Schulman wonders if Buster Posey's future is at third base.
7. The Rockies' ticket prices will remain about the same.
Dings and dents
1. A top pitching prospect will be having Tommy John surgery.
AL East
• Dustin Pedroia is playing the final games with a broken finger, writes Scott Lauber. Jacoby Ellsbury was back in the lineup, too.
• James Shields set a strikeout record but lost, as Joe Smith writes. Next up for the Tampa Bay Rays: Fix what went wrong.
• For Gary Shelton, it's conceivable that the Rays missed the playoffs.
• Adam Lind has a lot left, says John Farrell.
AL Central
• Jeremy Guthrie had another strong outing for the Kansas City Royals, and as Bob Dutton writes, Kansas City needs to re-sign the right-hander. It was a disappointing season for the Royals, says Mike Moustakas.
• The Tigers think Miguel Cabrera should get more attention.
• Kenny Williams says this season was not a success. Jake Peavy battled in his start.
• Scott Diamond has a big start today.
AL West
• Mike DiGiovanna looks back at the Angels' lost season. Dan Haren likely made his last start for the Angels. From Landon Hall's story:
Haren said he has had "absolutely zero" conversations with GM Jerry Dipoto or anyone from the Angels about the possibility of returning in 2013, making it very likely that he will become a free agent for the first time in his career this winter.
"It's going to be interesting. Obviously, I've never been in a situation like this," the 32-year-old right-hander said. "If I am a free agent, it's going to be tough. I'm sick of changing teams. I've been on four teams in my career (the A's, Cardinals, Diamondbacks and Angels). Coming to L.A. was a dream come true. Obviously, wherever I go I'm going to give 100 percent. But L.A. has always been a special place for me. If I'm gone, it's been a fun 2 1/2 years."
NL East
• Darin Ruf has given the Phillies some late-season hope, as Ryan Lawrence writes.
• R.A. Dickey didn't win his last start of the year.
• Adam Greenberg got his second chance.
NL Central
• Kevin Correia had a strong finish to his season.
• A couple of Astros' regulars won't be part of the final game. Houston is ending on a high note.
• The Milwaukee Brewers look like a 2013 contender, writes Michael Hunt.
NL West
• The Arizona Diamondbacks pulled out a nice victory.
• The Dodgers are out, but Bill Plaschke finds some positives in their season. The Dodgers came up one day short, writes Mark Whicker.
• The San Diego Padres were taken down by a grand slam.
In the end, however, the new system has played out exactly the way Bud Selig and the Players Association had hoped: Teams have placed a high value on winning their divisions, on driving through to the end of the schedule -- to not only get into the playoffs, but to avoid the one-game wild-card pitfall.
This is why you saw Yankees manager Joe Girardi ask closer Rafael Soriano for two innings Tuesday night, at a time when his team is already assured of a playoff berth, and why the Yankees reacted so joyously after Raul Ibanez won the game for them.
This is why the Athletics will have all hands on deck today, as they try to complete one of the greatest charges to a division title in recent memory; the Athletics and Rangers are tied after Travis Blackley's extraordinary effort on Tuesday. These homer-happy Athletics have been a free-swinging lot down the stretch, writes John Shea.
A lot of the teams involved will have to make plans on the fly, particularly in the AL, where the only seed that's locked in is Detroit at No. 3.
Let's look at how each of the 10 playoff teams are currently set up:
Washington Nationals
Rotation: Gio Gonzalez is set up to pitch in Game 1 of the postseason, fully rested, followed by Jordan Zimmermann. Davey Johnson won't lay out his Game 3 and 4 starters until he knows who the Nationals are facing.
Injury issues: After dealing with major injuries almost all season, Washington is about as healthy as it has been all year, with Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond back in the lineup.
Hot/cold: Bryce Harper has been a wrecking ball at the plate of late, hitting .462 with three homers in the last week. Desmond (4-for-23) and Danny Espinosa (2-for-22) haven't had as much success lately.
Achilles' heel: The bullpen. Tyler Clippard has struggled in the second half, and rival evaluators wonder if Washington has enough consistent power arms to win in the postseason.
Washington closed in on the top NL seed with their victory against the Phillies Tuesday night.
Cincinnati Reds
Rotation: Dusty Baker likely will go with a three-man rotation -- Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos -- and Homer Bailey will be dropped off the first-round roster.
Injury issues: Ryan Ludwick is coming back from a strained groin and has started the last two games, going 1-for-7. He's had nine at-bats since Sept. 19.
Hot/cold: Joey Votto has said he doesn't think he'll be completely healthy by the end of the season, and he hasn't been driving the ball since coming off the disabled list. But he is getting his share of hits and walks: He's reached base in 16 of his last 28 plate appearances.
Achilles' heel: The biggest question about the Reds is the production at the top of their lineup, which has been a problem all year. Will Brandon Phillips fix that? Will Zack Cozart, who is 8-for-25 in the last week?
San Francisco Giants
Rotation: They are lined up and ready to go with Matt Cain in Game 1. Bruce Bochy knows who his Game 2 starter is, he said, but he hasn't announced it yet. He could pick Madison Bumgarner or Tim Lincecum.
Injury issues: Buster Posey left Monday's game with back spasms but said Tuesday that he's OK -- and then clubbed a home run.
Hot/cold: Posey has been baseball's best hitter since the All-Star break, and during the last week he is 10-for-23; Brandon Belt is 9-for-24; Scutaro is 8-for-21.
Achilles' heel: Hunter Pence. Once the postseason begins, opposing managers will work around Posey and put the onus on Pence, who has struggled since joining the Giants, hitting .221. He is going to get opportunities with runners on base.
They got to knock out the Dodgers on Tuesday, with Barry Zito winning again.
Atlanta Braves
Rotation: Kris Medlen is scheduled to pitch the wild-card game, with Tim Hudson lined up to throw Game 1 of the Division Series if Atlanta advances. The Braves may carry as many as 16 position players for the wild-card game, writes David O'Brien.
Injury issues: Michael Bourn has been playing with a banged up thumb.
Hot/cold: Freddie Freeman has three hits in his last 23 at-bats, and Jason Heyward is 4-for-22 during the last week. On the flip side, Andrelton Simmons has hit well since coming off the disabled list.
Achilles' heel: Bourn has been the Braves' barometer -- when he hits, their offense is transformed. When he doesn't hit, their production seems to suffer greatly, and he's been trying to play with a thumb issue. Bourn has 19 hits in his last 97 at-bats, dating back to late August.
St. Louis Cardinals
Rotation: Kyle Lohse will start the wild-card game against the Braves, to be followed by Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter.
Injury issues: Matt Holliday is playing with some nagging injuries down the stretch, and of course, the Cardinals are without shortstop Rafael Furcal, but Pete Kozma has been excellent while filling in, hitting .333 in 25 games. David Freese hurt his ankle last week and has been limited.
Hot/cold: After an extended second-half slump, Carlos Beltran has hit better in the last week, going 6-for-17, and Jon Jay is 9-for-26 in the same time frame.
Achilles' heel: Rival talent evaluators have doubts about how the middle of the St. Louis bullpen will fare in the postseason. But keep in mind -- the same doubts were in place a year ago, as the Cardinals stunned the baseball world.
St. Louis got into the playoffs when the Dodgers lost on Tuesday night.
New York Yankees
Rotation: If the Yankees have to play Baltimore for the division title Thursday, Andy Pettitte could start. If New York wraps up the No. 1 seed in the AL today, CC Sabathia would be available to throw the first game of the postseason Sunday.
Injury issues: The Yankees are relatively healthy, although their bullpen will have to work through some heavy use. Set-up man David Robertson has made 32 appearances since the beginning of August.
Hot/cold: Robinson Cano is crazy hot at the plate right now, with 20 hits in his last eight games. Alex Rodriguez, on the other hand, is struggling to catch up to fastballs.
Achilles' heel: The heavy workload on the bullpen could begin to manifest itself, and at some point, the middle-of-the-order hitters around Cano will need to hit, because managers will undoubtedly pitch around the second baseman and make Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira beat them.
Baltimore Orioles
Rotation: Buck Showalter is making his rotation choices literally one day at a time; he didn't announce Chris Tillman was starting today until after the Orioles' win on Tuesday, as Roch Kubatko writes. Miguel Gonzalez is not an option to pitch Game 1 of the playoffs, and Tillman won't be, either. Jason Hammel says he's available if needed.
Injury issues: Nick Markakis is out for at least three more weeks.
Hot/cold: Chris Davis has clubbed a homer in each of his last six games. Adam Jones has three hits in his last 22 at-bats.
Achilles' heel: Given the uncertainty of the Baltimore rotation, it's an issue that might eventually come back to hurt the Orioles. But they've managed to overcome it all year, with extraordinary work from their bullpen.
For the Orioles, the suspense continues through the final day, writes Peter Schmuck.
Detroit Tigers
Rotation: Justin Verlander is set up to start Game 1 of the Division Series.
Injury issues: Max Scherzer won't start the final game of the season for Detroit after twisting his ankle in the celebration.
Hot/cold: You may have heard this -- Miguel Cabrera has been hitting pretty well lately. He's got 10 hits in his last 26 at-bats, and Prince Fielder is 10-for-27 in the last week. Andy Dirks is 9-for-22 in the last week. Omar Infante: 3-for-22.
Achilles' heel: Their defense, of course. How the Tigers overcome the plays that aren't made will frame their postseason narrative.
Texas Rangers
Rotation: Yu Darvish should be the Rangers' No. 1 starter in the postseason, says Nolan Ryan. We'll know more about their rotation after today's game.
Injury issues: Mike Adams, a key member of their bullpen for most of the year, hasn't pitched since Sept. 27.
Hot/cold: Mike Napoli has four homers in the last week, and Adrian Beltre has 10 hits in his last 26 at-bats. On the flip side, Ian Kinsler has three hits in his last 26 at-bats. Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara have thrown better of late.
Achilles' heel: Their offense has been sagging in a big way, as Richard Durrett writes.
Texas could lose the AL West today after leading the division almost wire to wire.
Oakland Athletics
Rotation: A.J. Griffin will get the ball today, increasing the likelihood that Brett Anderson -- who indicated earlier this week that he's ready to go -- is an option for the Athletics at the outset of the postseason.
Injury issues: They've managed to win despite having lost Bartolo Colon to a suspension and Brandon McCarthy to a skull fracture. Coco Crisp is oft-injured, but he's been back in the lineup lately.
Hot/cold: In the last week, Crisp is 9-for-21, Yoenis Cespedes is 9-for-27 with five extra-base hits, and Josh Reddick has three homers. They've gotten incredible work from the main guys in their bullpen during the last week, as these numbers show.
Achilles' heel: Their offense has a lot of free swingers, the sort of hitters who tend to struggle in October against pitchers and catchers armed with scouting reports. But by now, the Athletics are probably laughing off any doubts about them.
Oakland has won a staggering 67 of its last 100 games.
Elsewhere
• Girardi was unequivocal before the Yankees' comeback win against the Red Sox Tuesday night: He wants everything he can possibly get, from the AL East title to homefield advantage in the postseason. He's in a position to get it all after Ibanez cashed in a promise made by GM Brian Cashman, writes John Harper. The Yankees won despite a decision by Girardi that went wrong.
The bottom line on Robinson Cano going forward: Because he is as hot as any hitter in the big leagues, he should be set up for as many at-bats as possible, hitting third or fourth -- but certainly not fifth.
From Elias Sports Bureau: Ibanez is the first Yankee since 1920 (when RBIs became official) to hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning and a walk-off RBI in extra-innings. Nine of Ibanez's 19 home runs this season have come in the seventh inning or later. Ibanez has 19 home runs in 319 at-bats against righties this season (0 HR in 60 AB against lefties).
The lineup for today and what's at stake (from ESPN Stats & Information):
Texas at Oakland (3:35 p.m ET): The winner is the champion of the AL West, and the loser must play the wild-card game Friday.
Red Sox at Yankees (7 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Yankees clinch AL East and AL home-field advantage with win.
Orioles at Rays (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2): If the Orioles win and the Yankees lose, there will be a one-game playoff in Baltimore to decide the AL East champion.
In the National League: The Nationals clinch NL home-field advantage with a win or Reds loss. The Reds clinch NL home-field advantage with a win and a Nationals loss.
The Reds still don't know what their seeding will be, writes Tom Groeschen.
From ESPN Stats & Info, how Blackley won:
A) With the Rangers starting eight righties, Blackley went to his changeup a season-high 28 percent of the time and got six outs with the pitch.
B) Sixty-three percent of his pitches were in the lower third of the zone or below, his second-highest percentage of the season in a start. He got 10 outs on low pitches.
C) The Rangers put 10 of Blackley's low pitches in play and hit just one out of the infield.
D) Overall, 60 percent of the balls in play against Blackley were grounders, matching his third-highest percentage of the season in a start.
• Ben Sheets is going to pitch today and then retire. Even in the midst of his great run of starts for the Braves this year, he talked about how much he had enjoyed being home to coach his son, so it's not a surprise that he's walking away.
• The Chicago Cubs are adding seats at Wrigley Field.
• The Seattle Mariners are bringing in their fences, writes Larry Stone, and even Felix Hernandez is excited.
By The Numbers
From ESPN Stats & Info
6: Straight games with a home run for Orioles' Chris Davis.
9: Postseason appearances for the Cardinals since 2000.
15: Strikeouts for James Shields, a career high and franchise record.
19: Home runs in 319 at-bats vs. righties for Raul Ibanez this season (0 HR in 60 AB vs. lefties).
176: Days the Rangers had sole possession of first place in the AL West before the A's tied them on Tuesday.
.763: Win percentage for the Orioles in one-run games.
From Elias: No team has finished with a win percentage that high in one-run games since the 1890 Brooklyn Bridegrooms.
Moves, deals and decisions
1. It's time for Bobby Valentine to go, writes Michael Silverman. It looks like the end of the line for Valentine, writes Brian MacPherson.
I don't think we'll be reading anything in the next 48 hours about how the first word of the toxic situation was overstated.
2. The Philadelphia Phillies have a contractual option on Carlos Ruiz, and the decision will be pretty obvious, writes Matt Gelb.
3. Ozzie Guillen is still awaiting his fate. The Marlins' attendance has suffered.
From Clark Spencer's story:
After the underachieving Marlins went into a swoon in June and July, six of the 25 players on the Opening Day roster were sent packing in trades and the Marlins went into a tailspin that landed them at the bottom of the standings.
Now, some season ticket holders, such as Nancy Farrell of Cutler Bay and Mercy Garcia of Kendall, are having second thoughts.
"We enjoy everything about the ballpark," Farrell said. "But the trading is what upset us. Now I don't even know who's on the field."
Farrell and Garcia, who are first-time season ticket holders, each bought 20-game plans. But they said it's unlikely they'll renew next season.
When asked what it would take for her to change her mind, Garcia replied: "More wins." Once the novelty wears off, new ballparks almost always experience attendance declines in their second season, which is a concern to everyone from vendors to team officials.
Luis Garcia, who runs a hot dog stand near the west entrance of the ballpark, said business has declined steadily since the start of the season. He said he did about $1,500 in sales the first game. Now, he said, he averages about $150 to $200 a game.
4. Travis Hafner may have taken his final swings for the Cleveland Indians.
5. Chris Young is pondering his future.
6. Henry Schulman wonders if Buster Posey's future is at third base.
7. The Rockies' ticket prices will remain about the same.
Dings and dents
1. A top pitching prospect will be having Tommy John surgery.
AL East
• Dustin Pedroia is playing the final games with a broken finger, writes Scott Lauber. Jacoby Ellsbury was back in the lineup, too.
• James Shields set a strikeout record but lost, as Joe Smith writes. Next up for the Tampa Bay Rays: Fix what went wrong.
• For Gary Shelton, it's conceivable that the Rays missed the playoffs.
• Adam Lind has a lot left, says John Farrell.
AL Central
• Jeremy Guthrie had another strong outing for the Kansas City Royals, and as Bob Dutton writes, Kansas City needs to re-sign the right-hander. It was a disappointing season for the Royals, says Mike Moustakas.
• The Tigers think Miguel Cabrera should get more attention.
• Kenny Williams says this season was not a success. Jake Peavy battled in his start.
• Scott Diamond has a big start today.
AL West
• Mike DiGiovanna looks back at the Angels' lost season. Dan Haren likely made his last start for the Angels. From Landon Hall's story:
Haren said he has had "absolutely zero" conversations with GM Jerry Dipoto or anyone from the Angels about the possibility of returning in 2013, making it very likely that he will become a free agent for the first time in his career this winter.
"It's going to be interesting. Obviously, I've never been in a situation like this," the 32-year-old right-hander said. "If I am a free agent, it's going to be tough. I'm sick of changing teams. I've been on four teams in my career (the A's, Cardinals, Diamondbacks and Angels). Coming to L.A. was a dream come true. Obviously, wherever I go I'm going to give 100 percent. But L.A. has always been a special place for me. If I'm gone, it's been a fun 2 1/2 years."
NL East
• Darin Ruf has given the Phillies some late-season hope, as Ryan Lawrence writes.
• R.A. Dickey didn't win his last start of the year.
• Adam Greenberg got his second chance.
NL Central
• Kevin Correia had a strong finish to his season.
• A couple of Astros' regulars won't be part of the final game. Houston is ending on a high note.
• The Milwaukee Brewers look like a 2013 contender, writes Michael Hunt.
NL West
• The Arizona Diamondbacks pulled out a nice victory.
• The Dodgers are out, but Bill Plaschke finds some positives in their season. The Dodgers came up one day short, writes Mark Whicker.
• The San Diego Padres were taken down by a grand slam.
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