What Do the Top MLB Teams in Each League Have In Common?
The playoffs are a time of excitement and discovery. Which teams will hold up after the grueling 162-game season, the true strengths and weaknesses of each team, which players will appear when it matters most, and who will hoist the coveted World Series trophy? However, the teams remaining still have plenty to write before one of them will etch their names in the record books. So, instead of examining all the differences and what could set teams apart, here is a look at how the top teams in their respective leagues, the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers, are similar to each other.
One thing they have in common is the missing notable names from their postseason rosters. Brewers manager Pat Murphy left Rhys Hoskins off the roster in favor of Andrew Vaughn. The Blue Jays do not have veteran starters Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer for their division series against the New York Yankees. However, a telltale sign of a top team is finding unlikely contributors.
They have the unquestioned leaders, the faces of their franchises, the stars: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Christian Yelich. However, to win it all, role players on top teams are just as important as having star power this time of the year. For the Blue Jays, before this season, Ernie Clement and Daulton Varsho were obscure names outside their fanbase and division, but each made major contributions. Clement has played all around the infield this season, more than 15 games at each position, but spent the most time at third base. As a result, he could be a candidate for a utility Gold Glove. Varsho, though injured for a chunk of the season, still managed to hit 20 home runs. With the Brewers, Isaac Collins has been a great counterpart to Jackson Chourio in left field, with over 50 runs batted in despite not playing every day. In addition, Andruw Monasterio, like Clement, has spike marks all over the infield, but on a fill-in basis, even patrolling left field for two games during the regular season.
Neither team has reached the American League/National League Championship Series in over five years. Furthermore, neither has recent World Series experience, meaning they have dedicated and hungry fanbases. In 1992 and 1993, the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series, which are still the only times they have appeared on the big stage. The Brewers only have one World Series appearance, which was back in 1982, when they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Each team’s last World Series appearance prompted a 20-plus year postseason drought. However, this could be the year where one of these top teams can put all the doubts and odds to rest. Even after 162 games, these top teams may be invigorated by a full house at every home game in the postseason, where their fans serve as the 10th person on the field to will them to victory.
