The Face of the AL East Has Completely Flipped!

About time? Or are you loving it? TBH, for a 58-year Red Sox fan, I found myself cheering for the Baltimore Orioles (Os), so I could understand if you did, too.

A baseball stadium with a game in progress.Photo byJoshua PeacockonUnsplash

So, yeah, the Os were the only 100-game winner in the AL — while the NL had the Braves (104) and the Dodgers (100). While the Colorado Rockies lost 103.

It was great to see Cal “Ironman” Ripken at the Yards for the game. While we’re on the subject of legends, Bye-bye, Tito, you made baseball fun for many years. Terry Francona will step aside as the Cleveland Guardians' head coach.

If you’re unfamiliar, Tito led the Red Sox to two WS, in ’04 and ’07. None more important than that ’04 win after 86 years without a championship.

The Yankees had pretty much ruled the AL East before the new millennium. Since then, the Red Sox have won the WS four times, ’04, ’07, ’13, & ’18.

Despite all the chatter about the Yankees, the Red Sox ruled the East in the 2000s until last year. But have finished last this year and last, with the Yankees just ahead of them.

But they’re not the only big money spenders who finished at or close to the bottom. The Mets, Cards, and Padres will watch the playoffs from the sidelines.

What a reverse of fortunes. The Os lost 110 games just two years ago. They have a lot of young talent and should stay relevant in the AL East for the foreseeable future.

But how will they fare in the playoffs? As a partial answer, I would say that they are the first team to beat every MLB team in a season. That credential speaks volumes. IMHO.

However, can they repeat that success in a best-of-seven series against first the best in the American League and then against the National League?

If you haven’t been keeping score, the AL has won 67, and the NL has won 51 World Series (WS).

Moreover, if both teams in the WS are Wild Cards, they cannot have home-field advantage, regardless of their record.

I have bad news for those cheering for the Reds and Cubs. They were eliminated on Saturday, 30 September. The following teams filled out the brackets on the last day: The Astros, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Marlins. Maybe next year, Mariners.

The MLB now uses a 12-team playoff structure, with three division winners and three wild card teams from each league qualifying for the postseason.

Two teams with the best records in each league will get byes, and the other eight will play in the wild card series to decide who advances.

The Wild Card Series will feature each league's #3 seed against the #6 seed and the #4 seed against the #5 seed. The winner will be the first to win three games.

The AL Playoff Picture

The AL playoffs will include the Orioles, who own home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs, the Rays and Blue Jays get wild card slots in the East, the Twins in the Central, and the Rangers and wild card qualifying Astros in the West.

Wild Card Series: No. 3 Twins vs. No. 6 Astros

Wild Card Series: No. 4 Rays vs. No. 5 Blue Jays

ALDS: No. 1 Orioles vs. Rays/Blue Jays

ALDS: No. 2 Rangers vs. Twins/Astros

The NL Playoff Picture

The NL playoffs will include the Atlanta Braves, who will own home-field advantage throughout playoffs, the Phillies and Marlins in the East, the Brewers from the Central, and the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in the West.

Wild Card Series: No. 3 Brewers vs. No. 6 Diamondbacks

Wild Card Series: No. 4 Phillies vs. No. 5 Marlins

NLDS: No. 1 Braves vs. Phillies/Marlins

NLDS: No. 2 Dodgers vs. Brewers/Diamondbacks

I hope you enjoy the MLB playoffs, regardless of whether your team made it. I will update you periodically.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, and come back for more soon.

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Stephen Dalton, originally from Old Town, is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Also, a Top Writer in Bitcoin, Business, Investing, Nutrition, Travel, Fiction, Transportation, VR, NFL, Design, Creativity, Short Stories, and is a NewsBreak Community Contributor.