Ridiculous NL Wild Card Scenarios
The Mets Rotation Locks In, the Nationals Flame Out
I think when the dust settles on this season, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen is either going to come out looking like a genius or probably the easiest fall guy in New York Mets history for another failed season.
Could he have been right this whole time though? Could holding onto Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard have been the right moves all along?
Could trading away Jason Vargas for chump change and then handing over prospects to the Toronto Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman actually be a stroke of genius from an inexperienced GM.
When you think about it, it’s not that far fetched to think that the stars align and that star-studded starting rotation strings together a few deep starts, and a competent lineup can back them up along the way.
On the other end of that equation, the Washington Nationals are white-hot right now, but with a shaky Max Scherzer, and an injury-prone Stephen Strasburg, and a bullpen that has gone from a total disaster to just really bad, things could turn in a hurry.
Wild Card Matchup: Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets
Ridiculous NL Wild Card Scenarios
The D-Backs Bite Back, The Cubs Hibernate
The Arizona Diamondbacks have pushed all the “rebuilding” buttons this year. It started with trading Paul Goldschmidt in the offseason for a group of decent-upside players and avoiding his final-year price tag.
Then at the deadline, they send ace Zack Grienke to the mighty Houston Astros. Sitting in a division that seems owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was every reason for the snakes to pack it up for 2019.
Yet… Here we are. Sitting just four games back from the coveted second Wild Card spot, the best defensive team in baseball could actually make some waves as we approach the pennant race. Their current odds sit at an abysmal 3.3% to make the postseason, but hey, I said these were going to be ridiculous right?
Let’s just say that whoever has inhabited Ketel Marte‘s body (because he’s so ridiculously good this year there’s no way that’s actually him) continues to hit at a “near MVP consideration” level. Let’s just say Robby Ray continues to remember what the strike zone is. Let’s ALSO pretend that the Chicago Cubs pitching woes continue, and their bats go silent as the year winds down (which is a real possibility)… Watch out for the Arizona Diamondacks.
Wild Card Matchup: Diamondbacks at Nationals