Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs are back in action from Oct. 1. to Nov. 2., with the World Series beginning Oct. 25.
Baseball has always been a major American sport to watch, but in the past 20 years these numbers have fluctuated. In recent years, its popularity and interest numbers have increased with this year’s regular season attendance being up 9.6% compared to last year’s.
MLB has recently changed some rules including the pitch clock, wider running lanes and less mound visits, which some say has played into the rising popularity.
“Some of the recent rule changes have made the sport a lot more entertaining and fun to watch, for example the pitch clock. It mainly just gave the game a better pace,” Andrew Abad, senior baseball player, said.
For many students and athletes at JHS, this MLB season has been eventful and interesting to watch as well.
“I have enjoyed watching this postseason. The games have been really close, especially the Yankees and Guardians game when Juan Soto hit a walk off home run to send New York to the World Series,” Ethan Trivison, junior baseball player, said.
The first round of the MLB playoff is a best-of-three series, where the first team to secure two victories advances to the Divisional Round.
The Division Series is a best-of-five where the higher seed gets to host three out of the five games. The winning team goes to the League Championship Series which is a best-of-seven where the higher seed gets to host four out of seven games.
“I think [the updated playoff format] is effective because it rewards teams for performing well during the season,” Trivison said.
Since 2022, the MLB playoffs has expanded into a 12 team bracket. This additional round gives teams a better chance at reaching the playoffs, benefiting the Detroit Tigers and The New York Mets this year.
In Aug., the Tigers had a 0.2 percent chance at a postseason spot. They overcame the challenges faced and for the first time in 10 years, made it into the postseason.
“The Tigers really did surprise me with making the playoffs, always being one of those teams that never gets talked about,” Abad said.
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are meeting in this World Series for the first time since 1981. These two teams have an all time head to head record with the Yankees having 45 wins and the Dodgers having 43 wins.
“Both have very enthusiastic fans, so I think the home field advantage will play a big role in performance,” Trivison said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series after defeating the New York Mets in game six, with a score of 10-5. Against the Mets, the Dodgers scored 46 runs, which is the fourth most ever in a single playoff series.
A main World Series matchup this year is Shohei Ohtani vs Aaron Judge, as both players are leading candidates for the MVP award in their respective leagues.
Ohtani is the first person to ever hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season. He has also won two MVP awards while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani led the National League (NL) with 54 home runs, compared to Judge’s league leading 58 home runs in the American League (AL).
Aaron Judge, Yankees outfielder, is a six-time MLB all star, along with many other achievements so far in his career. He is one of the Yankees star players that has helped them advance this far in the postseason.
“I think the Ohtani v Judge match is one of the best in the MLB, both players are excellent hitters and are very clutch in the postseason. I think their performance will determine the outcome of the World Series,” Trivison said.
This will be the Yankees first trip to the World Series in 15 years and they are in search of their 28th championship. In their last appearance in the 2009 World series, New York defeated the Phillies.
“I have enjoyed watching the postseason this year because it is the best of the best, and there is so much to learn just by watching,” Trivison said.
