This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Notre Dame chapter.
Are you as disulussioned with the NFL lately as I am? If so, there’s luckily another sport at the peak of its season – Major League Baseball. I’m a die-hard baseball fan and have been for several years, but even if you aren’t too familiar with the ins and the outs of the season, here’s what you need to know about the upcoming playoffs:
- Watch out for the Wild Card: In 2012, the MLB added a second wild card spot to each league, to capitalize on the buzz and revenue the playoffs always bring. This bring more teams into the hunt and makes these last few weeks of the regular season crucial. This year, however, the teams aren’t your usual suspects. The Red Sox are last in the AL East after winning the World Series last year. The perennially playoff Texas Rangers are the worst team in the league. The Tampa Bay Rays are hovering at mediocrity (sob). Instead, look out for the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Brewers–all set to compete for a coveted wildcard spot.
- Justin Verlander? Yeah, right: The Detroit Tigers are leading the AL Central and set to take their seat in the playoffs, but it’s not due to their ace. Verlander, a former Cy Young winner and once heralded as the best pitcher in the game, is decidedly off his game. His ERA (Earned Run Average, the definitive stat for pitchers) is 4.81 as of today, almost a point and a half higher than last year’s. The reason why? Experts point to a decreased velocity. It could also be the pressure of competition within his team – two of his fellow teammates, David Price and Max Scherzer, are Cy Young Winners and pitching at that level. Of course, it could be this lovely lady right here:
Yep, that’s Kate Upton. Yep, they’re dating.
- Derek Jeter: Sure, he’s having the worst season of his career. Sure, his team isn’t anywhere close to playoff contention. Still – he’s Derek Jeter, a retiring legend with a winning smile. Gotta love him. (And I hate the Yankees).
- The Orioles are kinda scared: Even if he’s had a down year, which team would want to be without their biggest hitter just in time for the playoffs? Certainly not the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Davis, also known as Crush, has been suspended for 25 games because he tested positive for Adderall (which may seem silly, but amphetamines like Adderall can impact a player’s game just as much as steroid hormones, if not more). 25 games means he can return mid-postseason…provided the Orioles last that long.
- The Cubs are still waiting:
Someday, Cubs. We have faith in you.
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