MLB Playoffs 2022: Early Hot Takes from MLB Twitter for ALDS, NLDS
The excitement and fervor surrounding postseason baseball is bound to generate hot takes across social media—some based on merit, others simply out of bold confidence in one's favorite squad.
Whatever the case, Twitter was home to a doozy or two ahead of the start of MLB's divisional round Tuesday afternoon.
In preparation for some high-stakes matchups, here are some of the most eyebrow-raising.
Guardians Beat Yankees? 'Book It!'
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The Cleveland Guardians injected energy and excitement into the wild-card round Saturday with a 15th-inning walk-off home run by Oscar Gonzalez that catapulted the No. 3 seed past the Tampa Bay Rays into the division series against the New York Yankees.
Perhaps spurred by the excitement of the dramatic finish, Aram Leighton of Just Baseball took to Twitter moments later.
Momentum in sports is huge, and there have been more than a few instances in recent memory of the right team getting hot at the right time and making a deep run. Look no further than the in-state Cincinnati Bengals, who marched to the Super Bowl in February after getting hot in the NFL playoffs.
The lengthy game, though, came at a price for the Guardians, as pointed out by one Twitter user.
The Guardians used eight pitchers in the deciding game.
The Yankees may prove too tall a task for the Guardians to overcome. An exhausted bullpen, plus a New York team that leads the majors in homers (254) this season, is not a great formula for Cleveland, no matter how much momentum it's carrying.
Seattle Eliminating Houston Is a Joke
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The Seattle Mariners stunned Toronto in the Wild Card Round, coming back from seven runs down in Game 2 to eliminate the Blue Jays and move on to an AL Division Series showdown with the top-seeded Houston Astros.
It is not the first time the teams have met this season.
The defending American League champions ended Seattle's 14-game winning stream this season, and now the Mariners have the opportunity at grander revenge.
Given the fact that it has been over two decades since the Mariners have appeared in the postseason, though, the idea of their knocking off the AL's best is comical to some.
The Astros have been so dominant in the American League over the last half-decade that there is reason to be skeptical of a team for which it has been an entire generation since its last playoff victory.
A great rotation, strong hitting and playoff experience fuels Houston, not to mention the desire to avenge last year's World Series loss to Atlanta. The Mariners, though, have a solid bullpen, too, and if the 2022 playoffs have taught us anything, it's that pitching is often the difference between wins and losses.
The Astros staff stands at a 2.90 ERA, while Seattle sits at 3.59, both top-five in the AL. Both have top-four marks among AL pens, too, with Houston coming in at No. 1 (2.80) to Seattle's No. 4 (3.33).
A team's ability to shut down the opposition's bats and keep the score close enough for a single swing to be the difference in the game far trumps the length between a team's trips to the postseason.
Houston's has the advantage in both, but it shouldn't look past the Julio Rodriguez-led M's.
That Philly Confidence
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The Philadelphia Phillies took their time getting into the playoffs and did so again when beating the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
A six-run flurry in the top of the ninth in the opener and utter dominance from the mound in Game 2 propelled them into the NLDS, where they'll meet the defending champion Atlanta Braves.
The last time the teams clashed in the postseason was 1993, when the Phils knocked the Braves out of the NLCS.
With momentum on their baseball team's side and the Eagles running up a 5-0 record in the NFL, Philadelphia fans have a lot of confidence.
Even more so than usual.
The idea of the Phillies beating Atlanta 3-1 is absurd, if for no other reason than the fact that the Braves have been among the best teams down the stretch that included a three-game sweep of division foes the New York Mets, who effectively lost the NL East and a wild-card bye.
Their rotation is good, their bats are awake and they have Ronald Acuña Jr.—who missed last year's title run with a torn ACL—this postseason.
It would be foolish to think the Phillies can't knock off the Braves. Even though Atlanta holds the edge in head-to-head matchups 11-8 and is a better team on paper, there is something to be said about momentum, especially after Philadelphia took down such a strong St. Louis pitching staff.
It is foolish to think it will be as one-sided in the favor of the wild-card team as Twitter user Batthew suggests, though.
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