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ESPN Staff Writer- MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Been with ESPN since 2013
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ESPN Staff Writer- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
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ESPN Senior Writer- Covers MLB for ESPN.com
- Former deputy editor of Page 2
- Been with ESPN.com since 1995
Baseball's new postseason format means October starts with a new tradition -- the elimination of four wild-card teams in the first three days of the MLB playoffs.
This year, four teams got eliminated in just two days, as we saw sweeps across the board to end the round. The Rays became the first team to exit when they were knocked out by the Rangers, hours before the Blue Jays' postseason ended in Minnesota. Soon after, the Brewers were eliminated by the Diamondbacks and the Marlins by the Phillies.
Despite winning 101 regular-season games, the Orioles became the first team eliminated in the division series with a sweep at the hands of the Rangers and, one night later, the Twins' postseason run ended with a loss to the Astros. In the National League, two huge upsets defined the division series -- the Diamondbacks sweeping the Dodgers and the Phillies bouncing the Braves.
Next, the Astros' bid for back-to-back titles ended with a seven-game ALCS loss to the Rangers. Finally, the Diamondbacks were sent packing by the Rangers in the World Series.
Whether your team's playoff departure comes in the opening days or after a long run, it's time to look ahead to what could be on the front office's to-do list heading into the offseason. ESPN MLB experts Alden Gonzalez, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield identify the free agents to watch, key priorities and a question that will shape the coming months for each eliminated team.
Did your favorite team miss the postseason altogether? We answered one big question for each nonplayoff team.
