Foul Ball Area

Playoff Preview 2022

The Postseason is here!

We're pumped for this year's playoffs and all the storylines they bring. Will Albert Pujols go out on top? Can the Mets make a deep postseason run? Will the Yankees finally get ring number 28?

Plus, this year brings a new playoff format, featuring a Wild Card round. The top two seeds in each league get a bye, which could work out well for resting pitchers, but could it cool down the bats?

We break down everything you need to know on today's episode.

Regular Season Wrap-up

The regular season is coming to an end, and it's an exciting one! The Braves just swept the Mets in Atlanta to take a two-game lead in the NL East with three games to go, plus they now own the tiebreaker. 

 

Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season last week, tying Roger Maris' AL and Yankees team record. 

 

The Mariners hit a walk-off home run on Friday to send them to the postseason for the first time in 21 years. 

 

There's a lot of exciting baseball happening right now, and there's only one playoff spot left up for grabs. Can the Phillies hang on to the last NL Wild Card spot, or will the Brewers overtake them in the last three games?

Pujols Hits 700

Albert Pujols has made history! The Cardinals slugger has hit his 700th career home run, joining only Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds in the 700 Home Run Club. Pujols hit two homers on Friday night against his former team in Los Angeles to hit the milestone. 

 

Meanwhile in the AL, Aaron Judge is still sitting at 60 home runs, one shy of tying Roger Maris' record. He's got 10 games left, so that should be plenty of time to break the record.

 

Tune in for all the home run talk, plus a look at the postseason races with just a week and a half to go.

Home Run Races Update

Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols are each two home runs away from hitting their milestones. Judge has 59 home runs this season, two shy of Roger Maris' AL record of 61. Pujols has 698 career home runs, two shy of becoming the fourth player in MLB history to hit 700. 

 

Can they both do it? We think so.

 

Plus, Ozzie Albies returned from injury only to get hurt again, Spencer Strider set a new record, and the Dodgers are playing at an insane level this season.

Stat Races to Watch

The regular season is winding down and we've still got our eyes on some stat races around the league. Albert Pujols is three home runs away from 700, Aaron Judge is six home runs away from 61, and Mike Trout has homered in seven straight games. 

Plus, the division races are shaping up, but the Wild Card races are still open. Tune in for everything you need to know this week in Major League Baseball.

First Place Tie

The Atlanta Braves are in first place for the first time this season! With a win over the A's, the Braves move into a tie with the Mets for first place in the NL East. That division should be the most exciting to watch for the rest of the season, but there are plenty of other races to watch as well.

 

Will Aaron Judge reach 61 home runs? Will Albert Pujols reach 700 career home runs? Can Paul Goldschmidt win the NL Triple Crown? All things that we're keeping an eye on as the season winds down. Plus, who is the AL MVP this season? 

David Driver, From Tidewater to the Shenandoah

David Driver joins us on today's episode of the podcast to break down his new book that he wrote with Lacy Lusk "From Tidewater to the Shenandoah, Snapshots of Virginia's Rich Baseball Legacy."

The book gives a look at the history of baseball in Virginia and stories of today's baseball lifers in the state. It breaks them all down by region, and gives a detailed description of baseball in the Commonwealth. 

 

 

Pujols Closing in on 700

Albert Pujols is the hottest player in baseball right now. With 6 home runs in his last 7 games, he's now just 7 home runs away from 700. He would become only the 4th player in MLB history to reach that mark if he's able to get there. 

 

He says this year is it for him, and he doesn't plan to come back next season, so the pressure is on in the final month and a half for him to get to 700. Can he do it?

 

Plus, we've got another Subway Series going on this week. The Yankees took the first game of the two-game set, and Aaron Judge hit his 47th home run of the season. Can they get hot again and win game two before they head out west? This series could set the tone for the rest of their season. 

Tatis Suspended; Buehler Done for the Season

What a week we've had around Major League Baseball. One of the bright young stars in the game got handed an 80-game suspension after testing positive for PEDs. Fernando Tatis Jr. will miss the rest of this season, and the first month or so of next season, dealing a major blow to the Padres' postseason hopes. 

 

Plus, Walker Buehler will undergo season-ending surgery, ending his chances of a return to the Dodgers' rotation. How will that affect them as they head into the postseason? They're still the best team in baseball without him, but postseason baseball is a whole different animal, and they'll miss having him on the mound. 

Tune in for all that and more on today's episode!

Contenders struggling

One week after the trade deadline, some top contenders around the league are struggling. The Padres are on a five-game losing streak, the Yankees just snapped a five-game losing streak, and the Braves lost 4 of 5 games to the Mets this weekend. 

 

Can all of these teams get back on track as the season winds down? Do we need to be worried about any of them making the postseason? We break down how each of them will fare as the playoff races begin to heat up.