The 2019 MLB postseason is likely to look a lot different than how it did in 2018.
When the 2019 MLB postseason eventually comes around, the most certain thing is that there will be turnover at the top of the standings.
There always is.
Since the institution of the second wild card, an average of 4.7 playoff teams failed to make a return visit the following year. By that standard, 2018 was actually uneventful. Only three of the 2017 post-season teams – the Twins, Diamondbacks and Nationals – didn’t make it back.
Washington is the prime example of the kinds of things that can derail a divisional dynasty. A post-season team in three of the previous four seasons and featuring stars of the magnitude of Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, the Nats were a consensus choice to repeat as NL East champions prior to the start of play. Instead, they finished eight games behind the division-winning Braves and farther than that out of the wild card race.
The last time as few as three of the prior season’s post-season teams failed to pay a return visit to the playoffs was way back in 2005, when there were only eight playoff teams to start with.
That fact alone virtually ensures that among the 2018 post-season teams – most of whom will be favored to repeat in 2019 – there will be some disappointments. The only question is which teams are, as currently comprised, in that perilous territory?
As a reminder, here are the 2018 post-season clubs: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs.
From that group, here are the most likely candidates to regress in 2019