Football is here! But let’s not forget about what has been a whirlwind of an MLB season. As the season comes to an end, some familiar faces remain at the top, primed for a big playoff run. And some new faces emerge as playoff contenders.

Arizona Diamondbacks

A couple weeks ago the Diamondbacks were fighting to stay relevant in the NL Wild Card race, staying 6-7 games back. Now they are playing their best ball of the year, and are 1.5 games back in the NL Wild Card. Photo Credits to makeagif.com

What is dead may never die. That can go for both the Undertaker and the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a few weeks ago when I was talking about the Giants and Diamondbacks trying to get back into the playoff hunt. With about 20 games left in the season, Arizona could very well make a jump into the wild card game. Things were looking bleak when their ace, Zack Greinke got dealt to Houston, but the Diamondbacks only got better. Keep an eye on the Arizona Diamondbacks the next few weeks, they could be primed for a late playoff push after being buried in the NL Wild Card.

Detroit Tigers

For the Tigers it was a choice between Tigger and Tony the Tiger, but they have been far from grrrrreat this year. Photo Credits to giphy.com

And the first team to 100 losses is the Detroit Tigers. Not only does the 100 losses hurt. Guys that they have traded in the past continue having success. Nicholas Castellanos, J.D. Martinez, Eugenio Suarez, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, are just a few former Tigers that have had success getting out of Detroit. For Suarez he is the 1 of the 6 guys to hit over 40+ homers this year. It can only get better Tigers fans, looking forward to some of your top prospects to come up, maybe 100 losses won’t be in the cards next season.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers have won 6 out of their last 8, quieting some of the doubters. Photo Credits to bestanimations.com

On last week’s MLB Roundup, I ‘broke up’ with the Brewers. The pitching will always be a concern, and the bullpen has not been as dominant. Milwaukee had 7 games against the second team in the Wild Card, the Cubs, and won 5 of them. They have propelled themselves back in to the top four teams in the Wild Card picture. I did not like the Brewers chances to get into the playoffs last week, and I still do not, but after beating up on a team that is in the top two for Wild Card, the Brewers have quieted me and some of their doubters at the moment.

However, breaking news came late Tuesday night. Christian Yelich will be missing the rest of the year with a fractured knee cap. So yes, the Brewers have silenced the doubters for now, but how long will they be able to keep them silent?

Dave Dombrowski

The Red Sox President of Baseball Operations was fired on Monday morning after winning the World Series last year. Photo Credits to tenor.com

Eugenio Suarez

Nobody has been more of a stud than the aforementioned former Detroit Tiger. Suarez has hit .458 with 5 homers and 10 RBIs over his last 7 games. Photo Credits to giphy.com

The Houston Astros Starting Pitching Staff

I know I have talked plenty about the dominant starting staff of the Astros, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander continue their pursuits of the AL Cy Young. Over his last 3 starts, Gerrit Cole has 43 strikeouts and a WHIP less than 1. For Verlander’s last 3 starts, he has an ERA and WHIP less than 1 and 25 strikeouts. Photo Credits to giphy.com

Ronald Acuña Jr.

Acuña Jr. has a possibility of becoming the 5th player all time to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases. Currently sitting at 37 home runs and 34 stolen bases, the young outfielder makes the game of baseball look too easy. Photo Credits to giphy.com

A.J. Puk

The young lefty in Oakland has been a key contributor out of the bullpen. In his 5 games that he has appeared in, he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 6 strikeouts. With his fastball that sits at 96-98 MPH, and a slider that is 89-91 MPH, he will be a huge piece in the Oakland bullpen during the MLB postseason. Photo Credits to giphy.com

Hyun-Jin Ryu in the NL Cy Young Race

In his last few starts, Ryu has fallen out of the Cy Young picture. New contenders arise with Mike Soroka, Max Fried, and Stephen Strasburg. Along with some old faces like Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom. Over his last 7 starts, Ryu is 1-3 with an ERA of 5.12 and a WHIP of 1.47. So count out Ryu for the NL Cy Young race after his recent struggles. Photo Credits to imgur.com

Taylor Rogers

Over his last 7 appearances, Twins Closer, Taylor Rogers, is 7/7 for on save opportunities with an 1.17 ERA. Showing off his ‘big balls’, saving big games for the Twinkies and extending their AL Central lead. Photo Credits to reactiongifs.us

Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller has been far from what we saw in the 2016 MLB playoffs. In his last 4.1 innings pitched, he is 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP. So he is letting on more than 2 baserunners per inning, and has not been great at leaving them stranded. For a contending Cardinals team, Miller will have to straighten up before the postseason, because he will be a huge piece for St. Louis’s bullpen. Photo Credits to giphy.com

Javier Báez

Javy Báez is likely going to be out for the rest of the season with a fractured thumb. Photo Credits to tenor.com

MLB Match-Ups to Look Out for

Diamondbacks vs. Mets

The Mets are 4 games back in the Wild Card, and I mentioned how the Diamondbacks are coming on as of late. Both teams need to grab a series win here. Starting Monday night.

Braves vs. Phillies

The race for Acuña to get 40-40 is on, and the Phillies are trying to get into the NL Wild Card game. As the end of the season progresses, the playoff implications and 40-40 chase should speak for themselves. Monday night is the start of what should be a fun 4 game set.

Athletics vs. Astros

The Athletics are currently slotted into the top two of the AL Wild Card, but the Indians are nipping at their heels. Both Verlander and Gerrit Cole are battling for the AL Cy Young. A lot to watch for in this one. Tune in starting Monday night.

Red Sox vs. Blue Jays

After firing Dave Dombrowski, where do the Red Sox go from here? Will they be able to muster up a run to leap frog into the Wild Card game? A big 3 game series starts Tuesday.

Nationals vs. Twins

The Nationals have been one of the biggest comeback stories this year. The Twins have been one of the surprise teams in the AL. Both teams should be playoff bound, but still a fun series to watch starting Tuesday night.

Braves vs. Nationals

Both teams are most likely playoff teams. But this could be a preview for a playoff series. And who doesn’t want to watch the Josh Donaldson bringer of rain celebration after hitting a homer?

Dodgers vs. Mets

The Mets need to make up some ground. The pitching and talent alone should make this match up a must watch starting on Friday night.

Orioles vs. Tigers

The battle of the worst two teams in the MLB might not be must – watch. But this will be fun to watch how bad these two teams could be. Starting Friday night, this could be the best worst series ever.

Twins vs. Indians

The Twins are currently up 5.5 games on the Indians. If the Indians want to make up ground, they will have to beat the Twins in this 3 game set starting Friday.

Brewers vs. Cardinals

Andrew Miller has not been himself, Yelich is competing for the MVP, and maybe the triple crown. That alone should draw views starting Friday. The playoff implications are still huge for Brewers, Cardinals, and Cubs, so this series could be of huge importance for the NL Central and NL Wild Card races.

Red Sox vs. Phillies

Both teams could use a couple wins to keep themselves in their respective Wild Card races in the 2 game set starting Saturday.

That’s it from me. Their are a few teams that leapfrogged into the picture, and a few teams that are hanging on by a thread. Football just started, but lets not forget about what could be an entertaining end to the MLB season.

Photo Credits to gyfcat.com

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