MLB postseason does not get as much hype as other sports, and I am of the firm belief that too many people out there are missing out. Tuning in this October is going to be worth it! Even if you're not hopelessly romantic about the fall air, seven-game series, and wild finish to America's pastime, there's some serious athletic talent and riveting history to be a part of. I'm the kind of person who can cry at a good MLB commercial—remember that "for the fans" one?—but there's no reason non-baseball fanatics can't jump on the bandwagon this year and enjoy what's sure to be a wild finish to the 2015 season.
Forget the "baseball is boring" state of mind. We're looking at a three-week haul of seven-game showdowns between the top teams in the American and National Leagues, and there are so many Cinderella stories to tell already that it can only get better. There's someone to root for in every matchup, so if you love high-stakes gambling, 2015 is your year to join an MLB pool! Just to set the stage, we have typical powerhouse club the New York Yankees knocked out of the picture in the AL Wild Card game. So for those of us not interested in seeing World Championship No. 28, worry not. 'Tis the year of the underdog.
The real David and Goliath story this season is the No. 1 seed St. Louis' Cardinals matched up against the No. 5 seed Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. The Cardinals are a traditionally dominant club, boasting 11 World Series wins. Then there's the Cubs. Ever heard of the Curse of the Billy Goat? (Sympathetic Sox fan here having flashbacks to the Curse of the Bambino.) Go look up the full story if you're curious about details, but essentially the Cubs have had a 107-year World Series drought. Yes, 107 years. One century and seven more long years. There are so many people and fans who have waited a literal lifetime to see the Cubs win a World Series, and this year it could happen! Honestly, if there's any match up to tune into, it's this one. Cardinals fans are crazy with the success of their team, and Cubs fans are crazy for some sliver of success for their team, so emotions will be running high, and it's bound to be wild to watch.
The other NLDS matchup is the No. 3 seed New York Mets against the No. 2 seed Los Angeles Dodgers. It's a fairly even showdown, and I'm slightly biased due to some influential Mets fans in my family, but the fun part of this series is going to be watching the Mets pitchers. With their storied rotation, featuring arms nicknamed The Dark Knight (Matt Harvey) and Thor (Noah Syndergaard), and Captain David Wright finally back after a long stint on the DL, watching this team continue to scrap their way to the top should be good.
Swing over to the American League (puns!), and the competition is equally fierce and fun to watch. Both ALDS match ups have one of the eight teams in the MLB who have never won a World Series, so no matter who you watch, there will be history in the making! The No. 5 seed Houston Astros are vying for their first ever franchise World Series win—if they can get past the No. 1 seed Kansas City Royals with only one World Series to their name and hungry for another. The other ALDS series has another one of the eight World-Series-less franchises competing, No. 3 seed Texas Rangers going up against the No. 2 seed Toronto Blue Jays, equally determined to win after coming off a 22-year playoff drought. With this combination of championship-hungry clubs and fans, the American League is going to showcase some incredible baseball history this postseason.
In short, the MLB 2015 postseason is going to be a historic one. Almost every team has a drought to end, a record to break, and something momentous to prove. It's worth keeping up just so you can remember watching this year's World Series someday when it's down in the history books. And even if you're not an avid baseball fan, the hype from the crazy devotees will definitely pull you in—there're just too many years of heart riding on this postseason!
So grab a rally cap, find some friends who like baseball, and take an afternoon or night to sit down with some good snacks and watch a game. I promise you won't be disappointed, and you might even find yourself pulled in. If you can appreciate what's going into this World Series chase, nine innings won't seem as long to sit down for and a full seven-game series will have you hooked. Baseball is America's pastime for a reason, and October is the time to join in!
