Rays, Guardians, Mariners, Blue Jays, Phillies, Cardinals, Padres, Mets

The MLB playoffs begin today. Eight teams will compete for the chance to play against the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, and Yankees.

The MLB playoffs begin today. Eight teams will compete for the chance to compete against the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, and Yankees.

Tampa Bay Rays take on Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card Round. The game starts at 12:07 p.m. EST. Shane McClanahan is struggling to find his form. Cleveland's bullpen is better than Tampa's. The Rays struggle most in late innings. They have a .664 OPS in innings 7-9. Their offense struggles to score runs in this situation. It's unlikely they will win the game. If they do, they'll have to play a lot of games in order to advance.

The Toronto Blue Jays are playing Seattle Mariners in a playoff series. Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman are the best starting pitchers in the series, but the Mariners have better bullpen ERA. Toronto has the advantage in every offensive category except walk rate. The Blue Jay's have the home-field advantage. The Mariners hold the better team ERA, however.

Philadelphia Phillies play St. Louis Cardinals in a game today at 2:07 p.m. EST. The Cardinals have the better starting rotation, but the Phillies have better offense. They have a better right-handed hitter than the Cardinals, who have left-handers. Bryce Harper has hit three home runs since returning from the IL. Kyle Schwarber has a storied postseason history, while Bryce has an abysmal .676 OPS.

The San Diego Padres play New York Mets.

The San Diego Padres play the New York Mets in the first game of the World Series tonight at 8:07 p.m. EST. The Padres have a mediocre bullpen, a solid starting rotation and a lineup that doesn't hit home runs. The Mets have the best pitching staff in baseball. They will probably steal one game. It's a tough season for the Padres.