2024 Division Series preview

 3 of the 4 Wild Card series ended Wednesday. The last one just ended as these words are being written. Allow me to quote the late Vin Scully:

"In a season that has become improbable, the impossible has happened!"

The Mets, left for dead in the NL East at the end of May, and trailing 2-0 in the 9th at Milwaukee, scored 4 runs off Brewers closer Devin Williams to eliminate Milwaukee, sending the Brewers to their 2nd straight Wild Card loss (they were eliminated by Arizona last year).

Next stop for the Mets: Philadelphia, and a resumption of hostilities with the Phillies.

Now, with 8 teams left, let's take a look at the Division Series:

National League:

San Diego @ Los Angeles: The Padres dismissed Atlanta in 2 straight, and now they get another go at their divisional rivals, the Dodgers. Unfortunately for San Diego, one of their aces, former Tri-City Valleycat Joe Musgrove, left Wednesday's game with an injury, and may not be available for the Dodger series.

For Shohei Ohtani, the presumptive NL MVP, it's his first postseason, and you know he wants to make a lasting impression. However, Freddie Freeman is questionable because of an injury, and we'll know come Saturday night if he's ready to go. Clayton Kershaw may have a World Series ring, won 4 years ago, but he's still had some postseason issues.

The familiarity of these teams in the regular season will play a role in this series. This Dodger dynasty is on fumes.

Pick: San Diego in 4.

Mets @ Philadelphia: Philly may have won the season series, but the Mets have now gotten off the deck twice this week to advance. There was a time not too long ago where the Mets used Citizens Bank Park as a 2nd home park, and with the momentum New York now has, it may be again. The Phils have that human albatross, Bryce Harper, who's still looking for his first championship, having been denied two years ago. The Mets want to extend the season to try to coax Pete Alonso, who won tonight's game for them, into defying his greedy agent, Scott Boras Badenov, and staying in Flushing. David Peterson, who was the closer tonight after that 4 run top of the 9th, will start at least one game, probably at home, unless his low pitch count allows him to go on Sunday.

Don't forget that the Mets already have one improbable win over the Phils in London back in June. There's more magic where that came from.

Pick: Mets in 5.

American League:

Kansas City @ Yankees: A classic postseason rivalry is revived. These teams met 4 times in October in a 5 year span (1976-8, 1980). It's a different era, of course, but you know those classic playoffs will be revisited this weekend. Ex-Met & Padre Seth Lugo started Wednesday's series clincher over Baltimore, but didn't finish 5 innings. He returns to New York as an elite pitcher after finishing his Mets tenure as a reliever. 

After Gerrit Cole & Carlos Rodon, does Marcus Stroman return to the Yankee rotation. I'd say, yeah. They need his veteran experience. The Yankees' lethal offense (i.e. Juan Soto, Aaron Judge) will be the difference in this series.

Pick: Yanks in 4.

Detroit @ Cleveland: Another series involving division rivals, the Tigers & Guardians will get after it. Let's not forget that this is the 40th anniversary of Detroit's World Series run, when they beat San Diego in the Fall Classic. The Tigers have the momentum after sweeping Houston, and I can see a 1st ever Tigers-Yankees LCS.

Pick: Detroit in 3.

Of course, I could be wrong.