MLB: Top Five Players to Make or Break Postseason
The postseason is getting close as the MLB regular season is headed into the home-stretch. With a lot of teams still in the mix there are a lot of possibilities of who may, and may not make postseason.
Entering play today, the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians lead their divisions in the American League, while the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox hold the two wild card spots. Right behind them is a struggling Detroit Tigers squad that has lost four in a row, and a Seattle Mariners team that is seven games above .500.
Out in the National League, the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs hold comfortable leads of 7.5 and 10 games in their divisions, and the San Francisco Giants re-claimed the lead in the NL West with a win and a Dodger loss yesterday. The wild card race should prove to be a good one with Los Angeles holding a four game lead over both Miami and St. Louis, who are tied for the second spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets sit just 2.5 games behind the Marlins and Cardinals, while the Colorado Rockies continue to lurk in the background, five games off the pace.
Of the current team in the postseason mix which players are most key to their teams postseason hopes and success? Here are the top five players that will make or break their teams when it matters most.
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#5 Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright has long been the St. Louis Cardinals ace. He is the pitcher that they wanted on the mound in big games and going into postseason. That has not been the case this season.
Wainwright has struggled to be anything like the ace he has been in seasons past. He has shown flashes of his old self only to have an outing that destroys whatever confidence he had built. Wainwright may not be the ace he once was, but if the Cardinals want a chance in postseason he is going to have to find just a little bit extra down the stretch. If he can pitch like he has in seasons past the Cardinals chances to go far in postseason will improve greatly. If he cannot, come postseason time the Cardinals may very well be watching from home.
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(17) looks on in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
#4 Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in the game, period. I don’t care what he has or hasn’t done in the postseason. Kershaw is the best active pitcher in the league, and if the Dodgers want to catch the Giants they need Kershaw to get healthy. Without him their staff is less than impressive.
The Dodgers have been chasing the Giants for most of the season and are finally within reach, having tied San Francisco atop the division on Tuesday. The problem for the Dodgers is the amount of injuries they’ve suffered. Including Kershaw the Dodgers cannot seem to stay healthy. They have been hit hard and Kershaw is no doubt the biggest blow.
If he can come back healthy and the Dodgers are still within reach then he will be the difference, and at the very least a large confidence boost.
If Kershaw cannot return, much like Wainwright with the Cardinals, it is doubtful the Dodgers move past the wild card game if they make the postseason at all, regardless of their current hot streak. Without even taking into account the implications Kershaw’s return would have on his team, it’s just better for the game when the best pitcher in baseball is healthy.
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#3 Orioles Offense
The Orioles have an above average offense. They have speed, power and can hit the ball all over the park. If I had to choose one team based purely on hitting to win it all it would be the Orioles.
Good pitching beats good hitting more often than not. If the Orioles want a chance to advance into postseason they must reverse this trend. They lack any big name pitchers that you want to see going to the mound in a must-win game. This means the pressure goes to the offense.
Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo in particular are enjoying career years putting up great numbers and hitting homers regularly. They will need to continue this into the postseason. The doubt is not whether the Orioles can make postseason but rather if their offense can step it up enough to help them advance.
No offense meant to Chris Tillman,but the potential pitching match-ups are all heavily weighted in the opponent’s favor. The Orioles have been a surprise team this season and if the trend continues, they should have no problem making the postseason. After that it is up to the offense.
Next: The Struggling MVP
#2 Bryce Harper
The Nationals are a fun team to watch if you are not one of their rivals. They pair a mix and match hitting approach with pitching that could rival any team’s staff in the league. The problem is that for the past few seasons they have been a one and done team, meaning they cannot seem to get past the first round and get that important postseason series win.
Great pitching is what the Nationals are built around but great pitching is useless if the offense cannot score. Bryce Harper has struggled to be the player he was last year when he won the NL MVP award. While a small step back was expected Harper has struggled more than a bit.
Bryce Harper may be young but he is the face of the Nationals offense, and besides Daniel Murphy is the only real threat in the Nationals lineup. The Nationals need Harper to find the MVP version of himself to be able to advance past round one. If Bryce Harper can lock in shortly before, or during postseason play, then the Nationals may just be able to threaten the Chicago Cubs for the National League title. If not then it may be another year of one and done for the Washington Nationals.
Next: Miami's Ace
#1 Jose Fernandez
The Miami Marlins are real contenders this year for the first time in a very long time. Stanton is healthy and their young outfield is becoming the outfield they thought they had a couple seasons ago. The team is a mix of veteran and young players that together form a very interesting group.
Martin Prado is having a great season in his contract year and offering the Marlins offense a boost. Dee Gordon is back and healthy after his long PED suspension. Everything is looking up for Miami, and it is beginning to look like they will have a postseason berth for the first time in a while.
Once they make the postseason there is one player that will make or break their chances. Jose Fernandez is having another solid year and is re-establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. The best pitchers in the game do not always have the best postseason luck however. If the Marlins want to have a good shot to go far into postseason they need their ace to pitch like he has all season long. If he can do that the Marlins have to feel pretty good about their chances.