MLB 2026 POSTSEASON

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by irish, Sep 21, 2026.

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  1. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    might as well start this thread early

    how did the padres, somewhat quietly, win 13 of their last 14 games?
    i don’t care that nearly all the games were against bottom dwellers, that’s still an amazing run

    if the season ended today they’d be the 1st wild card (tied with the cubs)
    that said, they could still be knocked out
    it would take a catastrophic collapse and an equally unlikely winning streak from the dbags, but it could happen
    we can’t control the latter, but we certainly could start the pads on a losing streak
    who’s with me?!!!

    [​IMG]
     
    irish, Sep 21, 2026
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  2. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    current w/c races…

    AL:
    yankees and red sox clinched
    white sox in the third spot, three games ahead of the blue jays and astros, o’s five back

    NL:
    no one in yet
    cubs and padres tied for first, one game ahead of the phillies
    dbags four games out

    ​
     
    irish, Sep 21, 2026
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  3. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    @dodgerslite
    River Ryan made his season debut with the Tigers tonight.

    3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 43 PC (60.5% SR)

    Fastball topped out at 98.1; alongside the changeup and curveball combination, he generated 6 whiffs, fooling James Wood twice.

    VIDEO

    ​
     
    irish, Sep 21, 2026
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  4. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    Go River!
     
    LAdiablo, Sep 21, 2026
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  5. lastatman

    lastatman Moderator Staff Member Moderator

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    What do y'all think of this developing debate on whether Kim should be on the postseason roster? Possibly in lieu of Freeland?

    My first thought was no way, he stunk this year in OKC.

    But here's the real question. Is there any chance Freeland plays 2B in the postseason over Miggy and Edman? And if the answer is no, why would he get to take a roster spot?

    And the other aspect of this is that it doesn't matter that Kim can't hit because he wouldn't hit. His only role would be as pinch runner if the situation called for it.

    Of course, Freeland had to go have an OPS of .802 so far in September, just to make this not a no-brainer.
     
    lastatman, Sep 21, 2026
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  6. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    interesting. didn't even think Kim was part of any roster convo. off hand i think i like the threat Freeland could be off the bench and he's a good fielder. only Kim upside is probably bunting and speed it would seem.
     
    LAdiablo, Sep 21, 2026
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  7. lastatman

    lastatman Moderator Staff Member Moderator

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    lastatman, Sep 22, 2026
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  8. F!nski

    F!nski DSP Legend

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    F!nski, Sep 22, 2026
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  9. fsudog21

    fsudog21 DSP Legend

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    fsudog21, Sep 22, 2026
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  10. lastatman

    lastatman Moderator Staff Member Moderator

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    I agree with you fsu. Freeland is a much better player, at least at the present time, and I value his recent contributions. But playing devil's advocate, assuming Pages is back and playing CF full time, Edman will be at 2B and Rojas is his backup. Barring injury, he's not going to play the field. And as a pinch hitter, he has JDP, Rojas, playoff Kike, and possibly Call ahead of him in the pecking order. I think there's a good chance he never leaves the bench. Freeland is not slow per se, but Kim is faster and would make for a better call to replace a slower guy on the base paths representing a critical tying run late in a game.
     
    lastatman, Sep 22, 2026
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  11. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    stop twisting my melon you twisty bkitch!
    :lolroberts:
     
    LAdiablo, Sep 22, 2026
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  12. F!nski

    F!nski DSP Legend

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    Axias loves to propose batshit crazy baseball rule changes ... but some of this is worth considering... he thinks the playoff format needs a reboot.

    https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-playoff-seeding-bracket-best-record/

    Notably, he writes:

    Reseed before the Wild Card Series

    Under this scenario, we're lining teams up 1 through 6 based on their records, regardless of division. More wins, more reward. You don't benefit if you happen to play in a division with a few rebuilding teams that drag down the competition. Here's what last year's postseason bracket actually looked like, and what it would have looked like had we reseeded from the outset.


    Postseason baseball is exactly one week away. Game 1 of the four Wild Card Series is next Tuesday, and, for the second straight year and the third time in four years, a team with the second-best record in its league will play in that best-of-three Wild Card Series rather than earn a bye to the League Division Series. The bye goes to the division winners with the two best records, not the teams with the two best records.

    The current postseason format has been in place since 2022. Here are the previous two times a team finished with the second-best record in its league only to get bumped down from the No. 2 seed to the No. 4 seed due to the format rules:

    2023 AL East 2025 AL East
    Winner

    Orioles (101-61)

    Blue Jays (94-68)

    Runner-up

    Rays (99-63)

    Yankees (94-68, via tiebreaker)

    The 2026 AL East will join that group as well. Barring a miracle, the Rays (95-60) will win the division and the Yankees (89-66) will finish second, and they'll have the league's two best records. Tampa will get a bye while the Yankees play in the Wild Card Series. The second bye will go to the AL Central or AL West winner, neither of whom will finish within eight games of New York.

    Furthermore, the Yankees are lined up to play the Red Sox (84-72) in the Wild Card Series. The Red Sox will soon clinch the AL's third-best record. The winner of that series will then play the Rays in the ALDS because the postseason format says the league's No. 1 seed must play a wild-card team in the Division Series, so they get the No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed winner. Got all that?

    The Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees will go through each other in the Wild Card Series and ALDS, while one of the Astros, Guardians, or Rangers (or Blue Jays or Astros, if they make it) is guaranteed a spot in the ALCS. The Red Sox haven't locked up the No. 5 seed yet. They should tank the rest of their games and fall into the No. 6 seed! The No. 6 seed has a much more favorable path.

    From 2023-25, only twice did the worst division winner have a better record than the top wild-card team, and on two occasions, the second wild-card team had a better record than the worst division winner. That will likely be the case again this season with the Yankees, Red Sox, and whatever happens with the AL Central and AL West races. It's a good year to be a mediocre team in the American League.

    I'm sympathetic to the "if you don't like it, win your division" argument, but there must be a better way -- a fairer way -- to run the postseason. One that rewards the best teams regardless of divisions, which would incentivize everyone to win as many games as possible (or more games than the current system, anyway). Any format that potentially rewards having a worse record is a bad one.
     
    F!nski, Sep 23, 2026
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  13. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    postseason formatting/seeding is flawed
    especially after 162 games
    should either split the season and half 1st and 2nd half winners (still tricky)
    or — and this too would probably never be agreed to — have the three wild card teams in each league play the division winners, BUT… make the we teams have to earn it
    how? in a five game series, the wc team needs to win 4/5 whereas the division winner still only needs to win 3/5
    unfair? then win you fucken division and stfu




    Post sponsored by irish for MLB Commissioner.

    ​
     
    irish, Sep 23, 2026
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  14. F!nski

    F!nski DSP Legend

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    How about ZERO wild card home games in the LDS & LCS if the opponent is a division winner?

    Probably a shit idea, but whatever...
     
    F!nski, Sep 23, 2026
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  15. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    great idea actually
    wc teams should be presented every obstacle imaginable
    there should always be some greater advantage for winning the division — especially after 162 games
     
    irish, Sep 23, 2026
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  16. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    The post season format from 2012 - 2021 was my favorite. 3 division winners and a 1 game playoff for the WC.

    The WC did not feel like a "round" of the playoffs. It was usually two 90+ win non-division winners playing 1 must-see-TV play-in game to join the exclusive 4 team tournament in their league.

    Now, the WC feels like a full added round for teams who don't deserve to be in the playoffs. It diminishes the meaning of playing in October. And it forces a division winner to play in the round. I hate it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2026
    THINKBLUE, Sep 23, 2026
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  17. BigDaddyKaine

    BigDaddyKaine DSP Legend

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    Josue De Paula optioned to Triple A
    I fucking hate this
     
    BigDaddyKaine, Sep 23, 2026
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  18. lastatman

    lastatman Moderator Staff Member Moderator

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    That REALLY blows. I'm sure it's not Davey - it's coming from the front office and they have their reasons. Just trying to find a silver lining... maybe it will help keep him more grounded, I don't know. Tonight's game will be less exciting to watch, that's for sure. The rest of the team seemed to play with more enthusiasm with him - hopefully that continues.
     
    lastatman, Sep 23, 2026
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  19. fsudog21

    fsudog21 DSP Legend

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    Will be interesting to hear the rationale behind this move.
     
    fsudog21, Sep 23, 2026
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  20. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    LAdiablo, Sep 23, 2026
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