The World Series contenders have been whittled from a dozen to just eight teams. And after what seems like an eternity, the big boys are taking to the postseason stage and encountering the underdogs that remain. Both the American and National League Division Series feature squads that look very complete, from top to bottom, starter to reliever, along with a handful of ad hoc upstarts that nonetheless carry the vibes of dangerous October teams.
As the Division Series get ready to roll, USA TODAY Sports zeroes in on the four players most pivotal to their series’ outcome: Phillies vs. Mets: Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Not often that the most important guy will throw the very first pitch of the series, but here we are. The Phillies flirted with baseball’s best record all year but plunged into a few valleys in the second half.
Their star-studded lineup can go off at any time – yet runs the risk that any team encounters when they’re jammed into a short series after a layoff. Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings. And the Mets are floating into Citizens Bank Park on the wings of Pete Alonso’s miracle home run in Game 3 of the wild card series at Milwaukee, capping a roughly 100-game stretch where the vibes are immaculate.
The final leg of the journey: Four games in three days, first just to get in and then to survive the first round. It’s Wheeler’s job to ensure their adrenaline finally runs out. With No.
3 starter Ranger Suarez pushed.
