2019 MLB Postseason

(photo courtesy of CBSSports.com)

When you talk about the history of the Milwaukee Brewers, it's hard not to compare everything to the 1982 pennant-winning team, and this year's club was no different.  For the first time since that magical '82 season, the Brewers have clinched playoff births in back-to-back years.  The Brewers managed to go 20-7 for the second straight September en route to an 89-73 season and make it to the Wild Card Game against the Washington Nationals.  Unlike last year where the September run really was just to overtake the Cubs in the division, this year's club truly had to scratch and claw just to get into the playoffs.  As early as September 6th, they were 7.5 back of the division lead and 5.5 games out of the playoffs entirely.  They proceeded to win 18 of their next 23 games and, with a little help from the faltering Cubs, managed to sneak into the Wild Card.  Even going into Game 162 they had a chance to at least tie for the division, but I'm sure Brewer Nation is more than satisfied that this team, which has overcome injuries and long stretches of mediocrity all season, even has this opportunity.  Manager Craig Counsell perhaps said it best when he mentioned to reporters that this club has only played one meaningless game in the last 3 years, which is in reference of course to the playoff race coming down the wire in each of those years.  Two of those three teams had no business even getting that far, so if Craigers does not finally win Manager of the Year this year, something is wrong.

My last sentence implies that I don't really think the Brewers are as good as last year's team, which I think most would agree is a fair statement.  We cobbled together 89 wins with a patchwork starting rotation and 2/3rds of our dominant back end of the bullpen injured and/or terrible most of the year.  It's not a coincidence that the emergence of Brent Suter and Drew Pomeranz to essentially replace Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel led to the successful September (in fact, Suter was honored with the MLB Reliever of the Month Award for September).  But while the team may not be as good on paper, with Counsell's ability to manage the bullpen and every game like it's his last, and the amount of big games this team has had to endure just to get to this point, I don't think there is a team in baseball better equipped to win a winner-take-all game than the Brewers.  And if they can get past the Nationals, who knows how far they can go.  The American League seems vastly superior than just about every National League team - 3 of the 5 playoff teams in the AL won over 100 games - but in terms of their own conference, the Brewers can surprise a lot of people.  The Wild Card Game format certainly has its critics and rightfully so, but it doesn't make me any less excited or less proud to watch the game tonight.

This year I again went 7 of 10 in my postseason picks.  So far the hours and hours of baseball podcasts I listen too have not translated into better prediction abilities.

PLAYOFFS START 10/1/19
NL Wild Card - #4 Nationals v. #5 Brewers
NLDS - #1 Dodgers v. WC Winner
#2 Braves v. #3 Cardinals

AL Wild Card - #4 Athletics v. #5 Rays
ALDS - #1 Astros v. WC Winner
#2 Yankees v. #3 Twins

World Series Prediction: Astros defeat Cardinals in 6
Rooting for:  Twins v. Brewers

Preseason Predictions
#1 Nationals
#2 Dodgers
#3 Brewers
#4 Phillies
#5 Cardinals

#1 Astros

#2 Red Sox
#3 Indians
#4 Yankees
#5 Rays

Astros defeat Nationals in 6

FINAL STANDINGS AND SERIES:

Brewers 89-73; 2nd place NL Central, #5 seed, 2nd Wild Card v. Nationals

Twins 101-61; 1st place AL Central, #3 seed, ALDS v. Yankees

2019 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 8

Peter - 22