Surgnbuck wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 1:32 pm
Here were the final rankings of teams year end 40 man rosters per Cots, as far as playoff teams go. So far, only one team that was in the top 15 was beaten by a team in the bottom 15, when Detroit (26) beat Houston (5).
1. Mets-NLCS
2. Dodgers-NLCS
3. Yankees-ALCS
4. Phillies-lost in NLDS to (1) Mets
5. Astros-lost in ALWC to (26) Detroit
7. Braves-lost in NLWC to (15) Padres
15. Padres-lost in NLDS to (2) Dodgers
21. Royals-lost in ALDS to (3) Yankees
22. Brewers-lost in NLWC to (1) Mets
23. Guardians
24. Orioles-Lost in ALWC to (21) KC
26. Tigers
So far, only the Tigers and Padres have won a series against a team that ranked higher in payroll. As fun as these playoffs have been so far, one only needs to follow the money to see how things are most likely going to play out.
Today's game would seem to indicate that the Guardians are most likely to advance to lose against the Yankees.
What's most interesting is when you look at the payrolls and the team divisions. With the exception of the Orioles, all the teams below 15th in payroll are from Central division teams. Of the ten teams that make up the Central division in both leagues, only the Cubs (8) and Cardinals (12) are in the top 15 in payroll. Is it any wonder there really hasn't been much success in the playoffs, primarily post covid, for the AL and NL Central divisions? Not counting this season, a Central division team has never made it past the LDS, and only two of them have even won a series, when Cleveland beat the Rays (surprise! bottom 5 payroll!) in the 2022 WC round, and the Twins beat the Blue Jays in the 2023 WC round, a rarity of lower salary (17) beating higher (7) for that season.
Heck, even that crazy tournament from 2020, not a single Central team advanced to the second round. Remember the NL Central as a group won only one game, the Reds were shut out in both games, the Brewers and Cubs shut out in one game each, and scored 2 and 1 run respectively in the other? The Cardinals were the only NL Central team to win a game, and lost 2-1. The only reason a central team is advancing to the ALCS this year is because two of them are playing each other.
So I ask, what changed with 2020? Prior to that year, the Central divisions were quite prominent from 2011-2019 in the playoffs. In 2011, the Tigers made the ALCS, and the Brewers and the Cardinals squared off in the NLCS, the Cards winning the WS. In 2012, the Tigers won the AL pennant, and the Cards were in the NLCS. In 2013, Detroit was in the ALCS and the Cards won the NL pennant. In 2014, the Royals won the AL pennnat, the Cards were in the NLCS. In 2015, the Royals won the WS, and the Cubs were in the NLCS. In 2016, the Cubs won the WS and Cleveland won the AL pennant. In 2017 the Cubs were in the NLCS. In 2018 the Brewers were in the NLCS.In 2019, the Cards were in the NLCS. You had to go all the way back to 2010 to when at least one Central division team didn't make it to at least the LCS.
Is it possible that with the exception of the Cardinals and the Cubs, that the central division teams are looking at the bottom line more, simply because you have a shot to make the playoffs with a smaller payroll, because your entire competition are similarly lower payroll teams? When you look what's going on in the Central divisions, it's almost collusionary looking. Are all of those teams so risk averse to becoming another Los Angeles Angels or Toronto Blue Jays that they'd rather see if they can shoe string it rather than go for it?
I almost shudder to think that BOB's way of doing business is becoming the business model for the Central division teams.
