While there were doubts that the MLB season would even be able to finish due to early outbreaks of COVID-19 among some of the younger teams, the playoffs began Tuesday with glaring absences and unexpected appearances due to a combination of the shortened season, coaching weaknesses and player adjustments.
Baseball resumed on July 23, but only five days later 17 Miami Marlins players and coaching stafftested positive for the novel coronavirus.With the entire season in peril and unprecedented scheduling changes that affected many teams for weeks, blame was assigned all over the place, from young players’ temptations to party to poor management by MLB.
TheSt. Louis Cardinals faced a similar situation a day later, with mounting cases from personnel which led to rumors about irresponsible conduct by players, such as going to casinos. Robert Manfred, commissioner of MLB, warned that the seasonwould be shut down if players did not change their behavior. Contrastingly, players voiced concerns that MLB was not being strict enough about policies and therefore putting their health at risk.
Regardless of the drama and health scares earlier in the summer, the regular season ended on Sunday. All teams were able to play, though some were missing key players due to sickness from the coronavirus or opt-outs. Eduardo Rodriguez, starting pitcher for the Red Sox, contracted COVID-19 before the season began and developed myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, as a result.He missed the entire season, adding to the Red Sox’s never-ending pitching ailments. Ryan Zimmerman, a veteran first baseman for the Washington Nationals, and David Price, starting pitcher for the LA Dodgers, were two of themany players that chose to opt out of the season for the health and safety of themselves and their families.
Despite the loss of many players, the season still proved to be full of surprises and disappointments. The Washington Nationals, reigning World Series champions, finished at the bottom of the National League East with a record of 26–34. While Juan Soto, 21-year-old breakout star of the team, finished the season with a .351 batting average and became the youngest recipient of the National League batting title, his performance was not enough to bring the team out of their slump.
Similarly, the Red Sox continued to disappoint fans in a season full of questionable passion from players and abhorrent pitching. Former managerAlex Cora’s suspension as a result of his involvement in the Houston Astros cheating scandal meant the team turned to Ron Roenicke, who had performed successfully as a bench coach in previous years but ultimately proved unable to connect to many of the younger players.
While the Red Sox’s loss of Chris Sale due toTommy John surgery and Eduardo Rodriguez due to his heart condition certainly contributed to their troubles, their inability to produce suitable alternatives and oftentimes lack of fiery offense exposed major issues in their farm system and team dynamic.
Chaim Bloom, chief baseball officer of the Red Sox, was also criticized for a lack of big moves at the trade deadline. While he has only been with the team for less than a year, there will be a lot of pressure on him to perform well during this offseason.
Fans expected a lot from the 2020 season, given the expanded eligibility for the playoffs due to COVD-19 (the opportunity for 16 teams to start in the postseason) and that the Red Sox are the third-most valuable team in MLB. Instead, they were dismayed by the lackluster performance, underperforming players and failure to make the playoffs.
By contrast, teams that exceeded fan expectations included the Miami Marlins, the Chicago White Sox and the San Diego Padres. While the Marlins dealt with a delay to the season due to their early COVID-19 outbreaks, they were already doubted to make the playoffs due to a low payroll and deficiency in big talent. However, they completed the regular season with a 31–29 record, finished second in the National League East and continued to build a strong farm system. They will face the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the National League Wild Card Series.
The presence of the White Sox makes this postseason the second time that both Chicago teams have made the playoffs since 1906. In fact, the White Sox have only played in the postseason six times since 1919, and they last won the American League Central title in 2008.First baseman Jose Abreu and shortstop Tim Anderson proved to be essential to their team’s success, as both players finished with batting averages above .280 and performed well in the field.
Whether the White Sox will make a deep playoff run remains to be seen, but both Chicago teams accomplished solid regular season performances. If they both make it to the World Series, it would be thefirst potential championship appearance of the White Sox vs. the Cubs since 1906. However, the White Sox will have to put up a fight against the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Series.
Finishing with the second-best record in the National League, the San Diego Padres were an unexpected gem in the shortened season. A combination of young players such as shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and veterans like pitcher Mike Clevinger provided a solid basis for the rest of the team.
Tatis Jr. ruffled feathers in a mid-August game against the Texas Rangers when he hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, increasing the Padres lead to 14–4. While some players and managers complained about the breaking of unwritten rules and baseball etiquette, others were happy to see the young player shine and earn a career-high seven RBI.The Padres will face the St. Louis Cardinals tonight in their first game in the National League Wild Card Series.
Finally, a controversial team deserving of discussion heading into the playoffs is none other than the Houston Astros. The Texas team — plagued by rumors, then proof, then investigations into cheating during their 2017 World Series run — had a disappointing season in comparison to previous performances. Individual players such as Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa had significant dips in their batting averages, and their inability to deliver in comparison to previous seasons made many fans question their performance.
Did the mental struggle of being caught cheating change the players’ ability to play, or were they truly not good without the help of trashcan-banging and inappropriate uses of technology? Either way, the team has a lot to prove going forward and will undoubtedly continue to receive criticism unless they turn their performance around. The Houston Astros finished the 2020 regular season with a 29–31 record and are playing the Minnesota Twins in the American League Wild Card Series that began Tuesday.
While this year’s COVID-tainted baseball season was full of good and bad surprises, the playoffs are sure to provide more entertainment and exciting moments for all teams. Hopefully, the players and managers will stay safe and healthy and make the 2020 World Series one for the history books.
