Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB Playoffs: Stats you may have missed

By Benjamin Chase

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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MLB playoffs
BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 29: Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (20). The Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees in Game 2 of a three game series at Fenway Park in Boston, MA on Sept. 29, 2018. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

It is a long MLB season. As we look at the teams in the MLB playoffs, there are a number of statistics that stand out that have gone unreported or at least under-reported.

With the regular season extended by a day due to a pair of game 163’s, the MLB playoffs atmosphere has already kicked in. We know all the teams that will participate in the games starting Tuesday, but there are some very interesting statistics with MLB playoffs teams that have slipped under the radar.

These aren’t just random bench players who happened to hit .400 for 20 at bats or some obscure thing like a team hitting .350 while wearing white jerseys, red hats, and blue pants on a Tuesday playing between 3-5 PM Eastern in the sun. These are statistics that are viable and important stats that could impact the MLB playoffs at some point.

Sooooooo close

While many focused away from the Red Sox as they clearly were no longer going to challenge the all-time wins record. They got a franchise record, but outside a blurb in a Buster Olney blog, few talked about the fact that Alex Cora nearly took a record for rookie managers.

Coming into 2018, only 3 managers won 100 games in their first season at the helm. In 2018, that number was nearly doubled as Alex Cora and Aaron Boone both won 100 games.

Cora’s total is what ended up being the number of note. In 1961, Raph Houk took over an absolutely dominant New York Yankees team that was about to witness an incredible home run chase and coast to a 4-1 World Series victory as six hitters clubbed at least 20 home runs. Houk would total 109 wins.

Cora entered the Red Sox series at New York on September 18th with 12 games left and needing just 7 wins in those last 12 games to set the record. Heck, even a .500 final dozen would give Cora a tie. Instead, the Red Sox would fall short even of that mark, going 5-7 over their final dozen games, giving Cora 108 victories and a firm hold on #2 on the rookie manager win list.

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