The first round of the 2024 MLB postseason is complete and wow was it exciting. Six of the nine Wild Card Series games were decided by two or fewer runs, and three featured lead changes in the eighth inning or later. The best-of-five Division Series begin Saturday. Here are the matchups:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ALDS1: Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
ALDS2: Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NLDS1: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers
NLDS2: New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
With all due respect to the AL, I think we all have Padres vs. Dodgers and Mets vs. Phillies circled on our calendars. Those teams seem to play nothing but chaotic back-and-forth games. Too bad these are best-of-five series and not a best-of-seven.
Anyway, MLB hands out two (really three) awards each the postseason: World Series MVP plus one MVP for each of the two Championship Series. There is nothing to recognize the best player in the Wild Card Series or Division Series though, and we're here to right that wrong. Here are our hypothetical Wild Card Series MVPs now that the round is complete.
Astros vs. Tigers: Andy Ibáñez
Tough call between Ibáñez and Tarik Skubal. Skubal was terrific in Game 1, holding the Astros scoreless across six innings, but in the end, Ibáñez provided the biggest hit of the series. His pinch-hit bases-clearing double turned Game 2 on its head and effectively punched Detroit's ticket to the ALDS. A jaw-dropper, this was:
Ibáñez went 2 for 3 with two doubles in the Wild Card Series, or twice as many extra-base hits as the entire Astros team in the series. That says as much about Detroit's stellar pitching -- Skubal in Game 1 and a bullpen game in Game 2 -- as it does Ibanez's impact. Skubal had a Wild Card Series MVP worthy start. Ultimately, Ibáñez had The Big Moment, so it's him.
Braves vs. Padres: Michael King and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Too hard to pick here, so we're going with co-MVPs for the Padres. Tatis had the loudest offensive performance in the first round. He clobbered -- clobbered as in 415 feet -- a two-run home run in the first inning of Game 1 and went 3 for 3 with a walk in the Game 2 win. All told, Tatis went 4 for 6 with the homer, two walks, and zero strikeouts in the two-game sweep.
As for King, the prize of the Juan Soto trade with the Yankees struck out 12 Braves in seven shutout innings in Game 1. It was the best pitching performance in a round full of great pitching performances. He's the first pitcher with a 12-strikeout game in the postseason game since Clayton Kershaw fanned 13 Brewers in Game 2 of the 2020 Wild Card Series.
King or Tatis, Tatis or King? We're taking the easy way out an naming co-MVPs.
The is no shortage of honorable mentions here either. Padres No. 9 hitter Kyle Higashioka went deep in each Wild Card Series game. Jackson Merrill went 3 for 7 with a double and a triple. Robert Suarez closed out both games. In the end, King and Tatis were just too good to ignore, and I don't want to short change one, so we're going with Wild Card Series co-MVPs here.
Brewers vs. Mets: Pete Alonso
Considering he had one hit in Games 1 and 2 combined, Alonso might be our most unlikely Wild Card Series MVP. Then again, how can you not give it to the guy who hit the go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth of the winner-take-all Game 3? This is the biggest swing of the season to date, for any team, not just the Mets:
Francisco Lindor had a terrific Wild Card Series, especially in the field, and Starling Marte went 3 for 9 in the three games. Alonso's homer stole our hypothetical MVP award away from young Jackson Chourio, who went 5 for 11 with two home runs and a stolen base for the Brewers. That kid has some future. In the present though, Alonso gets Wild Card Series MVP honors.
Orioles vs. Royals: Bobby Witt Jr.
I can't help but wonder if the O's would do it differently if they could do it again. In both Games 1 and 2, they pitched to Witt with a runner on third, two outs, and a base open. They could have intentionally walked Witt, who will finish no worse than second in the AL MVP voting, and taken their chances with Vinnie Pasquantino, who missed all of September with a broken thumb.
Instead, the Orioles pitched to Witt both times, and both times he made them pay. He drove in the run with a two-out single in both games and those proved to be the game-winning runs. Baltimore let the guy you're not supposed to let beat you beat them.
Cole Ragans deserves a nod here after throwing six scoreless innings in Game 1. And you know what? So does Corbin Burnes. He was a buzz saw for eight innings plus one batter in Game 1 even though he took the loss. Burnes was about as good as a player on the losing team has to be to get mentioned in a series MVP discussion.
Ultimately, Witt drove in the game-winning run in both Wild Card Series games, and that's enough for me to give him MVP over a starting pitcher who had a great game. Ragans was great. So was Burnes and Cedric Mullins. Witt had the greatest impact in the series, however, so he gets our made up award.