The Major League Baseball playoffs get underway Sept. 30 with the Wild Card round.
In the new format, only two teams advance straight to the Division series, with the Nos. 3-6 seeds in each league playing a best-of-three series in the Wild Card round, with the winners moving on.
Legendary New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who is now a BetMGM brand ambassador, recently visited the Jersey City office and took some time to preview what is to come in the MLB postseason.
Jeter won five World Series titles, so he knows a thing or two about what makes a team successful in October. And he says rising to the moment is paramount.
“Some of it is preparation,” the Emmy Award-winning FOX MLB studio analyst said. “Some of it is mindset, and being able to turn the page. Things seem to be contagious at times. Good hitting is contagious, but bad hitting is also contagious.”
Check out Jeter’s thoughts on this year’s Wild Card matchups, and keep your eyes posted this weekend for his feedback on the top teams.
American League Wild Card Round – No. 3 Guardians vs. No. 6 Tigers
This will be a rematch of an ALDS matchup from last postseason, where the Guardians beat the Tigers in five games.
Despite their issues down the stretch, Jeter likes what he’s seen in Detroit.
“It seems like if you take the last few weeks out of it, they have taken the momentum from the second half of last season into this season,” he said. “They have been able to sustain it, with the exception of the last month. You never know, they can flip the switch.”
American League Wild Card Round – No. 4 Yankees vs. No. 5 Red Sox
Boston and New York will meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2021, when the two teams played in the Wild Card round. This was when it was a winner-take-all game, and the Red Sox won, 6-2.
Jeter likes how his old team is entering the postseason.
“They are playing well right now,” he said. “As much scrutiny as they have taken throughout the year, they have [one of the best records in the league]. They are playing well now. That is what I like about them.”
National League Wild Card Round – No. 3 Dodgers vs. No. 6 Reds
As the division winner with the worst record, the Dodgers are forced to play in the Wild Card round against the Reds.
“They have won,” Jeter said of the Dodgers. “They know how to win. People have been talking about them struggling, but for them, they have been here before, so it’s just get to the playoffs.”
National League Wild Card Round – No. 4 Cubs vs. No. 5 Padres
These two teams met six times during the regular season, with each team winning three games.
As for this series, Jeter called the Cubs “sneaky good,” but the Padres enter the postseason red-hot, winning seven of their last eight games.
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