After the Yankees and Brewers punched their tickets to the postseason yesterday, listed below are three issues we’ll be keeping track of across the baseball world in the present day:
1. Ohtani approaches 50-50:
$700MM man and two-way famous person Shohei Ohtani entered the 2024 season unable to pitch after present process elbow surgical procedure final September, leaving him to behave as a pure DH this season (for now, not less than). That actuality seemingly instructed that the remainder of the Nationwide League would be capable to keep away from being overshadowed by the Dodgers’ new star within the first yr of his contract, however Ohtani seems poised to make historical past in a brand new approach: by changing into the primary MLB participant to hit 50 dwelling runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
It’s a feat that might propel Ohtani to a different type of historical past—the primary MVP award win for a full-time DH—and with ten video games to go within the common season Ohtani is tantalizing near the milestone with 48 dwelling runs and 49 steals. He’ll look to take one other step towards historical past this afternoon in Miami, with first pitch scheduled for 4:40pm native time.
2. Key matchups for NL Wild Card contenders:
The NL Wild Card race has tightened up, with the Mets (84-68) and Diamondbacks (84-68) now tied within the standings whereas occupying the second and third spots. The Braves (82-70) are additionally nonetheless within the thick of the race, at present sitting two video games behind Arizona and New York. In the present day might present Atlanta the chance to make up floor within the race, as each the Mets and Diamondbacks are scheduled to start sequence towards powerful opponents.
The Snakes are headed to Milwaukee for a set towards a Brewers membership that simply clinched the NL Central, whereas a Phillies membership that hopes to punch its personal ticket to the postseason is headed for a night recreation in Queens. In the meantime, the Braves may have ace Chris Sale on the mound for a recreation towards the Reds and rookie Julian Aguiar (4.88 ERA in six begins). The 35-year-old Sale can be seeking to put the ending touches on his resume for the NL Cy Younger Award and inch nearer to a potential pitching triple crown: Sale leads the majors with a 2.35 ERA and is tied for the key league lead with 17 wins this yr. He’s simply two strikeouts in need of the MLB lead with 219 to Tarik Skubal’s 221, and only one behind Dylan Stop’s 220 strikeouts for the Nationwide League lead.
3. Twins barely holding on:
The Twins (80-72) have struggled badly down the stretch this yr with a 5-10 file of their final 15 video games. These struggles have opened the door for a surging Tigers membership (80-73) to pressure its approach into competition for the AL Wild Card spot with an precisely inverted 10-5 file in their very own final 15 video games. With Detroit off in the present day, the Twins will both both lengthen their result in a full recreation or fall right into a tie. Though Minnesota does maintain the tiebreaker after successful the season sequence between the 2 golf equipment, the Twins certainly don’t need the race getting any tighter.
To stop that, they’ll should greatest an 88-65 Guardians workforce that has began to run away with the AL Central and seems more likely to enter the postseason with a bye via the Wild Card spherical. Cleveland received yesterday’s recreation between the 2 golf equipment in a one-run heartbreaker that prolonged to additional innings. The Twins will ship rookie Simeon Woods Richardson (4.08 ERA in 26 begins) to the mound towards struggling Guardians rookie Joey Cantillo (4.99 ERA in six begins). The sport is scheduled for 1:10pm native time.
