How Each MLB Playoff Team Made it

The season began on March 25th in Japan, with 30 teams hoping to be able to win the World Series. Only eight teams had the chance to continue that dream after completing the long 162-game season.

Four teams from each league had one particular goal in mind: to be the last team standing, come the end of October.

The defending champions, the Boston Red Sox were back. This year however, they weren’t even the first place team in their division. The surprising Tampa Bay Rays held that honor, but that doesn’t mean a thing, because every team who gets in, holds the same chance to be crowned champion.

The Rays are a really young team that have been counted out since day one. The Rays are one of those Cinderella teams that make people think anything can happen.  Before this season, the Rays had never won more than 70 games in a season, since coming into the league in 1998. 

They have a low payroll and have to count on a lot of players, who others have given up on, or players who have came up through their system.

Tampa Bay relies heavily on rookie third baseman, Evan Longoria. Longoria was in Triple A with the Durham Bulls when the season began. Since his call up, he has made pitchers' lives miserable by putting up 27 homers and 85 runs batted in, while playing in only 122 games.

Tampa Bay has had to go through a lot of adversity this season, which makes what they have done this season seem unreal.  Despite losing several key players for an extended amount of time in early August, due to injury, the Rays put up their best record for a month in franchise history, and helped them hold off the Boston Red Sox.

The Chicago White Sox are another team that survived the regular season, but it wasn’t easy. They had to play a one game playoff, against the Minnesota Twins to cash in their ticket to the postseason, and become AL Central champions.

The White Sox is another surprise playoff team. This is because of the offseason moves the Detroit Tigers made, and since the Cleveland Indians were one game from playing in the World Series last season.

The White Sox received a lot of major contributions from unexpected places in the 2008 season. Many players seemed to finally play up to their potential, which allowed them to show the MLB that they were for real, and helped lead the White Sox to a postseason appearance. 

The starting pitching for the White Sox might have had some under the radar type players, but they didn’t pitch that way. 

Galvin Floyd is one of those underrated players who was obtained in a trade this offseason. He was a highly touted prospect, who never lived up to expectations, but this season he finally did just that. Floyd won 17 games and had an earned run average of 3.84.

The White Sox also got some major contributions from Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez is a rookie second baseman, but he hasn’t hit like a rookie. He had an average of .290 and had 21 homers, which was the most in the American League.

The Anaheim Angels were a very consistent team in 2008, winning 100 games. They made a big deal right before the trade deadline by getting first baseman Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves. 

Vladimir Guerrero led the Angels in numerous offensive categories, with a batting average of .303, 27 home runs, and 91 RBI. What really made the Angels so dominant was their bullpen.

Their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, broke a major-league record by earning 62 saves in 2008. The Angels didn’t have the best offensive numbers, but with Rodriguez closing games, all they had to do was take the lead heading into the ninth inning.

Anaheim made a big splash in the offseason by adding Torii Hunter, a center fielder who fits right into the Angels' style. Hunter might not put up the best number in the majors, but he is consistent and merely helps his team win.

The Boston Red Sox had to deal with a lot of controversy at the trade deadline by trading Manny Ramirez, one of the most feared hitters in major league baseball. After the deal, they just continued to win and showed why they are the defending champions.

Many players had to step up to the challenge after Ramirez' departure, and they did just that. Dustin Pedroia, the starting second baseman for the Red Sox, put up MVP type numbers by hitting an average of .326, 17 homers, 83 RBI, 118 runs, and 20 stolen bases.

Pedroia just did a little bit of everything, which helped lead them to a playoff berth, which gives them the opportunity to repeat as World Series champions.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, a starting pitcher in his second major-league season, put up some of the best numbers in the majors. He had a win-loss record of 18-3 and an earned run average of only 2.90.

The Chicago Cubs and the N.L. Central champs were spectacular in the regular season, by winning 97, in what turned out to be one of the most consistent divisions in baseball; with four teams finishing with an above 500 record. 

The Cubs rookie catcher, Geovany Soto, put up solid numbers by having an average of .283, 23 homers, and 83 RBI. His great season helped lead the Cubs to a successful regular season and helped him become the first rookie catcher in MLB history to start in the All-Star Game.

The Chicago Cubs had a very consistent pitching staff in 2008. The staff leaders  included Ryan Dempster. Despite being the closer for the Cubs the past few seasons, he put up some unbelievable numbers. Dempster had an earned run average of 2.96, with a win loss record of 17-6 for Chicago.

Rich Harden was a key acquisition for the Cubs at the deadline and put up solid numbers after getting traded to the National League. Harden had an earned run average under two for the Cubs, which essentially helped solidify themselves as champions of the N.L. Central.

Carlos Zambrano, the ace of the Cubs pitching staff, had another solid season, despite  having a couple stints on the DL.  Zambrano won 14 games and even threw a very rare no-hitter for the Cubs in 2008. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers came from behind to win the NL West in 2008. They relied heavily on Manny Ramirez, who hit 17 homers and drove in 53 runs, in just 53 games played after a shocking trade deadline deal.  After the trade, the Dodgers just seemed to hit their stride and play up to their potential. 

The pitching staff was led by Chad Billingsley, who had an ERA just over three, with over 200 strikeouts in 2008.  He also won 16 games for the Dodgers and showed what the 25-year-old starting pitcher can bring to the table. Derek Lowe, a free agent after this season, won 14 games, and had an earned run average of just 3.24 for the Dodgers. 

The 36-year-old veteran showed teams that he still had some left in the tank, and should be on the top of teams' list for pitching help in the offseason.

Los Angeles also got some much needed production from Russell Martin, who quietly did a lot for the Dodgers in 2008. Martin, the 25-year-old catcher, had a batting average of .283, with 13 homers, and 18 stolen bases to help bring the Dodgers to a playoff appearance and a division championship. 

Another key player for the Dodgers was Matt Kemp, who hit .290, with 18 homers, and 35 stolen bases. Most importantly, he played a great defensive center field, which saved a few runs and helped get the Dodgers back into the playoffs, after missing them last season.

The Philadelphia Phillies got hot after the All Star break, and now see themselves three series wins away from winning their first World Series title since 1980. The Phillies had a lot of contributors to their playoff run, such as Brad Lidge, the Closer, whom they received in a trade during the offseason, when the Houston Astros gave up on him. 

Lidge had the best season of his career, by converting all 41 of his save chances.  What makes this even more amazing, is that just last season Lidge blew eight of his 27 chances. 

Cole Hamels, the crafty lefty, was the ace of the Phillies staff in 2008. He won 14 games and had an earned run average of 3.09. Hamels struck out just under 200 batters for the Phillies and kept the opposing teams hitter’s honest in a hitter’s friendly ball-park in Philadelphia.  

The Phillies were lead by three hitters, who have all received Most Valuable Player votes in recent years.  Ryan Howard, the power hitting first baseman, hit 48 homers, and drove in 146 runs in 2008. Chase Utley, the team’s starting second baseman, had an average of .292, with 33 homers, and drove in 104 runs for the Phillies.

Jimmy Rollins, last year’s MVP winner, had an off year for the Phillies, putting up some of the lowest numbers in his entire career. Rollins batted .277, with 11 homers, 59 runs batted in, and 47 stolen bases, but after winning the MVP award last season, opposing teams better hope that this shortstop doesn’t break out of his off year against them in the playoffs, and send them home early.

The Milwaukee Brewers barely made the playoffs by clinching the Wild Card on the last day of the regular season. Like many of the playoff teams, the Brewers made a blockbuster trade by getting CC Sabathia at the trade deadline. He then helped carry the Brewers to their first playoff appearance since 1982. 

Sabathia went 11-2 with an earned run average of just 1.65, with seven complete games in just 17 starts for the Brewers in 2008.

Ryan Braun, the second year left fielder for the Brewers, helped carry the offensive load for the Brewers in 2008.  He batted .285 with 37 homers, and 106 RBI. Those huge numbers might even give him some MVP votes after this season. 

Prince Fielder, the first baseman for the Brewers, had another solid season by hitting 34 homers, with 102 runs batted in.  Fielder showed why the Brewers drafted him with their seventh pick in the first round of the 2002 first year player draft, with his contributions in 2008.