In 1989, the San Francisco Giants and the Oaklands A’s faced each other in the World Series. It was one to remember mostly because of the earthquake that delayed the series ten days from when Game Three was intended to be played and when it ultimately was. The series otherwise was one to forget as the A’s swept the Giants and those living outside of the Bay Area had no stake in the series itself. This series, however, was the peak of the game out on the West Coast. Yes, the Los Angeles Angels would face the San Francisco Giants in 2002 but the 1980s was a decade where baseball dominance was out West.
This season, all the great baseball has been on the West Coast. It’s a hard thing for someone in the Eastern Time Zone to admit (or want to admit) but the excitement, the stars, the great teams, all out west. It’s odd to admit but the great play not only brings us back four decades but encourages fans on the East Coast to get their caffeine and stay up until that final strikeout in Oakland.
Five of the six teams on the West Coast are above .500 and a handful looks poised to play in the World Series. Can we see a Kirk Gibson home run off Dennis Eckersley but this time have Jed Lowrie power the ball off Mark Melancon?
The Well-Built Teams
Looking at the dominant teams out West, it’s hard to not admire how well-built some of these rosters are. Front offices have been analytical for years now but these teams are built to win in the modern game and combat the skills of the modern-day baseball player.
The Dodgers for one, have built their team with power hitters like Max Muncy and Justin Turner but have added contact and On-Base batters like Mookie Betts and AJ Pollock to provide a balanced batting order. Likewise, the Dodgers built their roster with the intention of avoiding liabilities in the field. Similarly, the Dodgers have built one of the best pitching staffs over the years with a wide range of pitchers that allow them to give the opposing lineup multiple looks in one game.
The Dodgers are known for their team-building but then there are the Giants and A’s, two teams with lesser-known stories yet intriguing paths to building World Series contenders. The A’s built their “money ball” roster for years, not being afraid to go against the trend of baseball thought. The A’s ditched the closer, they play with speed and contact in a game built by power, fielding has become a top investment, and so on.
The Giants, meanwhile, are an aging roster that made a sudden and surprising turnaround. The Giants didn’t do anything special in particular rather all it took was a few players stepping up. Kevin Gausman was a valuable addition to the rotation, Mike Yastrzemski is starting to make a great impact in the batting order, and the veterans like Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford have rebounded and are overachieving. The Giants only needed a few moves to turn their roster around, a reminder of how close some teams are to competing in the MLB.
The Human Highlight Reels
The Giants, Mariners, and A’s might be the best teams with the most unknown players. The same can’t be said for the Dodgers, Padres, and Angels, who throw us back to a time where the best and most exciting players were in those same cities.
The Angels themselves have been below .500 over the course of the season. However, they have been a must-watch team with Shohei Ohtani on their roster. Ohtani is a highlight waiting to happen at any given moment and might be the best hitter, pitcher, and athlete in the game right now (if only Mike Trout was playing this season). Even a grounder from the dual star can become a special moment. Needless to say, Ohtani makes every pitch and every plate appearance, a must-see.
The Dodgers and Padres meanwhile, have given us great matchups and particularly great games between some of the best players in the game. Fernando Tatis Jr. has become the face of the Padres, something the franchise has not had since Tony Gwynn. Yet he has the power, speed, and great fielding that Gwynn lacked. Tatis, like Ohtani, has a presence at the plate and once he makes contact, reminds us why we love to see athletes on the basepaths in the game. The same can be said for the Dodgers and Padres’ entire rosters to a lesser degree. Both teams have provided more than enough excitement on their rosters as well as talent.
Reaching the Playoffs or Repeating for the First Time in Two Decades
There are two storylines on the West Coast that can develop as the season does. In a season filled with unexciting stories and unwatchable baseball, there are two storylines that will ultimately save the season.
The first of those stories is the Seattle Mariners playoff push. It might be surprising the Mariners have a winning record, only a few games back of a Wild Card spot. This is a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001, a brutal two decades. If the team continues to gain ground in the division, continues to win, the drought can end but more importantly, create an exciting end of the season in Seattle.
The other storyline is harder to root for, rather, it’s one that will draw the attention of fans regardless. The last team to repeat as World Series Champions was the New York Yankees in 1999-2000. Since then, we have seen teams come close but slip up at some point to end the repeat quests. The Dodgers have the roster to repeat. Likewise, the Dodgers are in a position to repeat as champions with a winning formula and a proven roster. Most people will probably root against the Dodgers, who have become a public enemy with their success. Regardless, they will be a driving story in this game and probably the story of the season. They will make the season exciting one way or another.
