MLB Postseason 2021: The Picture is Complete

The final day of the MLB season, aka Game 162, had the potential to be very chaotic and result in some things being unsolved. There was still the National League West up for grabs, but it was the American League Wild Card that had the biggest logjam. And with all of the games going on at once, per the recent tradition, it all made for a fantastic day in baseball.

The only thing that the National League West race faced was Game 163 between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that was kiboshed when the Giants racked up a huge lead over the disappointing San Diego Padres. Dodgers had a big lead of their own over the Milwaukee Brewers, but it was too late. The Giants won, 11-4, giving them not only the NL West, but the best record in baseball at 107-55. The Giants' 107 wins is a franchise record, and the most by a NL team since the 1986 New York Mets won that many (that team went on to win the World Series). As for the Dodgers, they have the indignity of being the most successful Wild Card team in baseball history, as the defending champions won 106 games, which was their exact win total in 2019.

The Dodgers will host the red hot St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Wild Card Game, with the winner facing off against the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series. The other NLDS matchup will pit the Milwaukee Brewers against the Atlanta Braves in a battle between the last two teams to lose pennants to the Dodgers.

The American League's Wild Card race had the most intrigue, with the New York Yankees hosting the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays hosting the Baltimore Orioles, the Seattle Mariners hosting the Los Angeles Angels, and the Boston Red Sox on the road against the Washington Nationals. Entering Game 162, the Red Sox and Yankees were tied at 91-70, while the Blue Jays and Mariners each had 90-71 records. Because of this, the picture faced the possibility of a three-way or even a four-way tie, which would result in two games played. If the latter happened, the Red Sox and Blue Jays would host games, and it was announced that just in case this happened, the Yankees would head to Boston, while the Mariners would head to Toronto.

However, that scenario was prevented, as were other ones. It was pretty nail biting for Yankees fans (myself included), as the game was scoreless throughout. The bottom of the ninth was where the heroics came in: a single from Rougned Odor (Tyler Wade pinch ran), a long flyout from Gleyber Torres to send Wade to 2nd, Anthony Rizzo ends up doubling, sending Wade to 3rd, and Aaron Judge hits one off the mound to send Wade in. Yankees won 1-0, sending the Bronx Bombers to the postseason.

The Blue Jays were beating the Orioles soundly, so it looked like they would be alive in the race. The Red Sox were down 5-1, but the Mariners? They were losing...badly. The Mariners were trailing 7-3 at home, so it looked like their season would come to an end. Even so, it looked like Game 163 between the Red Sox and Blue Jays would happen, but Boston came back to tie it up, and in the ninth, Rafael Devers hit a two-run shot that gave Boston the lead. MLB Network later shifted the scene to Toronto; showing a scene of crestfallen Blue Jays fans. The door was closed in the bottom of the ninth, and the Red Sox won and advanced to the postseason.

So it's all set. The Yankees and the Red Sox will face off in the American League Wild Card Game in Fenway Park. The winner will face off against the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series, while the other series will be between the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros--a rematch of the 2005 World Series. For the Blue Jays, it was a valiant effort, but they came up short in the end. As for the Mariners, however, that's where the real heartbreak is. Their lengthy postseason drought is now at 20 years. Twenty years. That is double the length of the second longest drought in baseball, which belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mariners can take some solace in this: the potential is there. They had a strong August and September. They are now capable of being a playoff team. The only thing that will tell the tale: time.

So the long journey is over, and now the real fun begins: the MLB Postseason. If you would like to learn about the history of MLB's Postseason, click the stories below:

Part I: Classic World Series Era (1903-1968)

Part II: Divisional Play & League Championship Series Era (1969-1993)

Part III: Wild Card & Division Series Era (1995-2011)

Part IV: Double Wild Card Era (2012-present)