As I write this the Milwaukee Brewers lead the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 and the Boston Red Sox are all tied up with the Houston Astros at 1-1. Both series are poised beautifully. If things go to form there is every chance we could head to the World Series on the back of two game sevens. If their is any justice in the world then the MLB will deliver three seven game series to end this incredible season.
100-Win Teams
The 2018 season gave us three 100-win teams. In 126 season, 105 times has a team won 100 games, 23 times have multiple teams done it. In just seven instances have three teams done it, like this season. The achievement is somewhat cheapened by the fact that it also happened in 2017. However, all the same, seven times in 126 years is still an impressive thing to behold. In addition, this was the first time that all three 100-win seasons have come from the same league.
Game 163
Since the year 2000 there had been four tie breaker games. In 2018 there were two. This was also the first time in the history of the league that two game 163s were required to decide the fate of teams. All four teams actually went to the playoffs. The two winners went straight to the divisional series and the two losers heading to the Wildcard game. That meant that two teams had to play two single game knockouts in the space of a couple of days. Playoff series are good fun but you know what is really fun, one-game knockouts. 2018 has given us four of them, wouldn’t another three be fun?
A Scripted Season Burst
Coming into the season the predictions were fairly similar all around. In the AL, the four written in the stars playoffs teams were the Red Sox, Astros, Indians and Yankees. After that it was a little less well-known but those were the four. That is exactly what we got.
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In the NL, the Dodgers, Cubs and Nationals were nearly universally predicted to win the divisions. If someone did not predict them all to win, as I did with the Cubs missing out, they were just trying to mix things up a little. I will admit that I was probably 60% sure the Cubs would win the Central but it was enough doubt for me to predict the Brewers. We needed a tie breaker game but I got my “shock”. We nearly had another “shock” in the West as the Rockies also took the Dodgers to a tie breaker game. The Rockies unfortunately fell short but it was a lot of fun.
Te biggest shock was in the East, where both the Braves and Phillies finished above the Nationals. Unfortunately, the Braves could not take it further and prevent the Dodgers from returning the championship series. However, the Rockies ensured it would not be the Cubs meeting them there as many predicted to open the year.
A Potential Repeat?
Despite a slightly turbulent season we still have the chance of a repeat World Series matchup. This would be the first time for 40-years we have seen two teams meet in back-to-back season. Sometimes repeats are seen a disappointment. However, last seasons seven game thriller was so good I actually would not mind seeing it again. Both teams are loaded throughout their rosters and there is every chance we see another seven-game thriller in 2018.
The Final Word
The anti-climactic World Series is anything involving the Brewers. I love the Brewers and their story but they are the smallest market and honestly their presence is unlikely to capture Americas imaginations. The Dodgers, Astros and Red Sox are so storied as franchises that their presence is sure to draw good TV numbers. Whatever the World Series matchup, this season deserves another 16 games and I hope we get to see these four teams go right to the wire both now and in the World Series.
