END OF MLB SEASON, PLAYOFFS SET

 by: Jackson Elkins

The MLB regular season came to an end on Wednesday October, 5 and all the playoff seedings and matchups are set. We know who the six teams from American League and National League will be, three division winners, three Wild Card teams from each totaling to 12 teams this playoffs. There will be two Wild Card matchups and two teams with a bye in each of the AL and NL.

In the American League final standings, the top two teams who will receive a bye are the Houston Astros (AL West Champs) and the New York Yankees (AL East Champs). Then in the Wild Card games the Cleveland Guardians (AL Central Champs) will take on the Tampa Bay Rays (3rd AL Wild Card), and the Toronto Blue Jays (1st AL Wild Card) will host the Seattle Mariners (2nd AL Wild Card). 

In the National League, the two teams that will have a bye will be the Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champs) and the Atlanta Braves (NL East Champs). Wild Card games will be the St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central Champs) against the Philadelphia Phillies (3rd NL Wild Card), and then the New York Mets (1st NL Wild Card) who will take on the San Diego Padres (2nd NL Wild Card). 

It’s been a great season (apart from the disappointment of the Boston Red Sox). A historical season to say the least. First of all Aaron Judge has set the American League record for home runs hit in a season with 62, passing Roger Maris who hit 61 back in 1961. On the other hand, Albert Pujols has hit a milestone. That being him hitting his 700th career home run, he currently is at 703 which puts him fourth all time in home runs and is the fourth player to hit 700 home runs. Lastly, the Seattle Mariners making it into the postseason ends the streak of the longest playoff drought of any team in the four major professional sports leagues in the US (MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL). The last time the Mariners were in the playoffs before this year was 2001 (before I was born).

Now, what team has the longest playoff drought of the four major US professional sports leagues?  That would be the NBAs Sacramento Kings who last made the playoffs in the 2005-06 season. Will that change this upcoming NBA season?