Wild Card Series

Overview

This MLB Wild Card Series contained many exciting matchups, and had a couple big upsets, but the most notable part of this opening round were the hurdles many teams overcame to get into the playoffs. The Tigers with only 43 days left in the season had a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs, while the Braves and the Mets had to fight down to the very last minutes of the season to secure a playoff spot. While these three teams were all longshots to get to the postseason, two of the three completed impressive upsets, showing how it isn’t over until it’s over. 

Best Individual Performances

Jackson Chourio

One of the most impressive performances from the Wild Card Series was a short but dominant 2024 Postseason outing from Jackson Chourio. Chourio led the MLB in hits, home runs, runs, and runs batted in. He had 5 hits in 11 chances, with a .455 batting average, the most of any player who had over 8 chances to bat. 

Michael Harris II

While the Braves struggled in the Wild Card, Harris II did his part, with five hits in only eight chances (.625 batting average), batting in two of four Braves runs, while scoring two of four. He tied the league in hits, playing one less game than the other five-hit player, Jackson Chourio. 

X - Factors 

Tigers vs. Astros, Winner: Tigers

The X-Factor in this series was the Astros’ scoring woes. In the two games, they were only able to score 3 runs, and were trounced by the Tigers’ 8 runs. Almost half of the Astros who played in the series were held without a hit, and the two big stars, Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve combined for only 3 hits

Royals vs. Orioles, Winner: Orioles

The X-Factor in this series were the missed opportunities for the Orioles. In Game 1, they wasted a quality start from Corbin Burnes by failing to get any offense going in a shutout loss, and in Game 2, left the bases loaded with nobody out, in a 0-0 game. One inning later, the Royals scored to take the lead and win the series. 

Mets vs. Brewers, Winner: Mets

The X - Factor in the only series that went the distance was the Brewers’ inability to hold leads. In Game 1, a 2-0 Brewer lead in the 5th turned into an 8-4 loss, while Game 3, the deciding game, saw a 2-0 Brewer lead in the 9th transform into a 4-2 loss. 

Braves vs. Padres, Winner: Padres

The X - Factor in this series was injuries. In most cases using injuries as an excuse is pretty lame, but the Braves managed to lose both the number one ranked player, Ronald Acuna Jr., and the number one ranked pitcher, Spencer Strider, for almost the entire season. These losses loomed large after the Braves, run-starved and with their pitching staff weak and depleted, were swept by the Padres. 

Division Series

Overview

The Division Series pitted the Guardians against the Tigers, the Yankees and the Royals, the Dodgers and the Padres, and the Mets and Phillies. The Division Series was the first chance in the 2024 Playoffs for fans to see the real powerhouses including the Dodgers, the Yankees and the Phillies. It was also the heavily-anticipated playoff debut for Shohei Ohtani, the arguable face of the MLB.  The series did not disappoint, with two of the four going the distance, and the other two being close serieses, going to Game 4. 

Best Individual Performances 

Mark Vientos

Mark Vientos paved the way for the Mets to defeat the Phillies, by knocking down 9 hits in only four games, batting in five runs, and hitting two crucial homers, in the four game series. With a .563 batting average, he led the way for his team, creating one of the best playoff performances in Mets history. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. silenced the booing Dodgers crowd and his critics, by delivering a league leading three homers, seven hits, three doubles, and twenty two total bases. He almost averaged a base per at bat, meaning that he almost hit an average of one base each chance to hit, and was a dominant force in allowing the Padres a chance to take down the Dodgers.

X-Factors

Mets vs. Phillies, Winner: Mets

The game changer in this series was the Phillies bullpen. Holding an ERA (earned runs per game) of 11.37, fifth worst in MLB history, the bullpen could not get a break as the Mets hitters continually lit them up when it mattered most. After loading the bases for the Mets, in the must-win Game 5, the Phillies bullpen conceded a grand slam, allowing the Mets to take a 4-1 win.

Royals vs. Yankees, Winner: Yankees

The X - Factor in this ALDS matchup was the slumping Royals stars. Bobby Witt Jr., an AL MVP candidate, Salvador Perez, a perennial catcher, and Vinnie Pasquantino, another great player, carried up the Royals offense slack during the regular season. That all changed, when the three could barely buy a hit. A combined 6 for 49 against the Yankees loomed over the Royals as they watched the Yankees celebrate their ticket to the next round. 

Tigers vs. Guardians, Winner: Guardians

Tarik Skubal’s pitches were almost unhittable for most of the 2024 regular season. Skubal seemed to be able to easily out batters, and nobody seemed to be able to counter his deadly pitching. However, the Guardians finally came to life in the deciding Game of the series. After being kept scoreless for the first four innings of play, the Guards were ready for a big inning. They put 5 consecutive batters on base, which ended in a grand slam, winning the game. Skubal was dominant for the rest of his outing, but the damage was done. Cleveland had solved Skubal. 

Padres vs. Dodgers, Winner: Dodgers

The Padres were just one win away from putting away the Dodgers and advancing to the NLCS, but they just couldn’t get the job done. In front of their home fans, with a 2-1 series lead in the best of five NLDS, the Padres were shockingly destroyed by the visitors 8-0, sending the series back to LA. Then, in Game 5, this time in a hostile environment, the Padres were yet again shutout, 2-0 eliminating them from the playoffs. Dating back to Game 3 of the NLDS, the Padres were shutout for 24 consecutive innings. In the end, the X - Factor was their inability to score runs when it mattered most. 

Championship Series

Overview

This Championship showed two heavily outmatched series, including the Yankees vs. Guardians, and the Dodgers vs. Mets. The underdogs showed good fight, staving off elimination, and winning key games in instant classics, but ultimately succumbed to the opposing team’s starpower. 

Best Individual Performances

Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton was a force for the Yankees in the Championship Series. He only had four hits, but sent all four out of the park. He ended up scoring seven crucial runs in total, his most important being a homer to tie Game 5, late in the game, setting the stage for Juan Soto to send the Yanks to the Finals. 

Tommy Edman

Edman was a trade deadline pickup, meant to just add to the already stacked Dodgers roster. However, he became the star of the Dodgers, knocking in 11 runs, tying an MLB record for the most runs batted in in a series. Four of the runs were in the Game 6 clincher for the Dodgers, sending them to the World Series. 

X-Factors

Guardians vs. Yankees, Winner: Yankees

The X-Factor for the Guardians was how the Yankees got to Emmanuel Clase, the Guardians bullpen specialist. The Yankees roughed him up, and after the League Championship Series, Clase had a 15.43 earned run average, (# of runs per 9 innings), a far cry from the 0.61 stat he put up during the regular season. The Yankees scored multiple crucial runs off of the Guardians’ hot hand, which ended up being the deciding factor for multiple games.

Mets vs. Dodgers, Winner: Dodgers

The X-Factor in this series was the difference in starpower between the two teams. The Mets were riding a momentum wave into the Championship Series, but their roster was not able to overcome the Dodgers. The Mets put up a good fight, but eventually the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernandez, as well as Kike Hernandez and Tommy Edman, October’s rising stars were too much for the Mets.

World Series

Overview

One of the most hyped World Serieses ever, the 2024 edition contained big names, including Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto, in the perfect matchup for the MLB, creating a fierce coast to coast matchup between the Dodgers and the Yankees. Two franchises with deep histories. Both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, the two assumed MVPs, tried to win their first ring. All but one game was decided by more than three runs. Friday, October 25 to Wednesday, October 30, over 30 million people tuned in to the World Series, witnessing record breaking events. 

Best Individual Performances

Freddie Freeman

The World Series MVP, Freddie Freeman took the Dodgers team on his (injured) back, and carried them to victory. Four homers in five games for Freeman, including a must-see walk off grand slam in Game 1, turning the momentum in the Dodgers’ favour. Freeman set a record for the most homers in consecutive World Series games, and batted in almost half of the Dodgers runs. 

X-Factor

Yankees vs. Dodgers, Winner: Dodgers

The ultimate X-Factor in the final series of the 2024 season was in the final game of the 2024 season where the Yankees shocked the Bronx with three fielding errors. The Yankees, holding a 5-0 lead in a must win game, down 3-1 in the series, had the Dodgers right where they wanted them. The Dodgers had no hits, the Yankees ace in the zone, and the New York offense rolling. Then the two teams reached the fifth inning. Three blatant errors later and five earned runs later, it was 5-5. In an infamous inning, the Yankees squandered a 5 run lead, and allowed the Dodgers offense to get back in the game. The Yankees were their own worst enemy, and their errors led to a series loss.