At the start of the playoffs, the Dodgers (111 wins), Braves (101 wins), Mets (101 wins) and Cardinals (93 wins) had an advantage over the others. Clearly, they had the four best teams in the National.
There was even a text that caused a stir, suggesting “cancel the playoffs and crown the Dodgers”. Ah yes, you.
But baseball is played on the field.
During the best second series, the Padres (89 wins) won two games against one against the Mets of Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. This gave them the right to rub shoulders with the Dodgers.
And even though the division rivals had huge upside due to regular season results and their rest, the Padres fought on.
And yesterday they took out Los Angeles winning the series 3-1. The Padres have won their last three games, so LA goes home with just one playoff win.
On the other hand, the Phillies (87 wins) swept the Cardinals in the second-best series and the latter therefore did not win a playoff game in 2022.
Then, the Phillies had no inferiority complex against the defending champions (Atlanta) by winning the series 3-of-5 in four games.
This means that the three clubs with 100 victories in the National won only one small game each in the playoffs this year and that the Cardinals, strong in the magic of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, returned home empty-handed. .
Of course, everyone predicted this.
Hats off to the Padres and Phillies, who deserve the right to face each other in what promises to be a dynamic championship series. Both clubs have big attacks led – notably – by Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.
The big signings of the 2018-2019 off-season pay off, don’t they?
Remember that in the last few days, the Phillies played their first playoff game at home since 2011. For their part, the Padres played in the playoffs in 2020, but under the conditions we know. Before that, we had to go back to 2006.
What explains these surprises? What justifies the fifth-seeded Padres having home-court advantage in the Championship Series?
Is this the series format?
I refuse to clear the big clubs of their defeats because of the series format, which everyone has known for several months already.
Seeing the big clubs (especially LA) fall has made many people happy. After all, even though Philly and San Diego have big payrolls, it’s not the huge markets of New York and Los Angeles that are in the championship series.
It helps to believe in the success of a (potential) future club in Montreal, doesn’t it?
We must tip our hats to two clubs that have risen in the last few days. They clearly deserve their place in the sun right now and the big seeds will have some awareness to do in the coming weeks.
And unfortunately, I will still have to bet against either the Padres or the Phillies.
