With the dust settling from the trade deadline, teams are turning to the postseason focus. Baseball implemented a new path with three Wild Card teams for each league a few years ago, and it seems like virtually every team has a shot at the postseason because of it. I like the system because it does make the stretch run more interesting. In today’s game, we have one team with no shot at the playoffs and one battling for a division or Wild Card berth.
The are a complete disaster and have been for the better part of the past few years. Sure, they made it to the National League Championship two years ago, but it was a huge hot streak that propelled them there. Then they fell off a cliff last year and have not been able to climb back up. It hasn’t been for a lack of moves or anything; it just seems like the team can’t click. They are 49-66 for the year, one of the worst records in baseball.
Even after trading away a few of their pieces, the Mets do still have a lot of talent on the roster. One of their better arms remains as a starter, with Nolan McLean taking the ball today. McLean is 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. His 148 strikeouts also rank ninth in baseball, putting him at top-20 for ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP. He has been great on the road this season, with a 2.29 ERA as a visiting pitcher. July was his best month of the season with five quality starts and no more than two earned runs allowed in any of the outings. The Guardians history against McLean is good in very limited experience. They’ve gone 4-for-7 against him.
The Cleveland Guardians made some very nice moves at the trade deadline, bolstering an already strong rotation and adding a solid hitter to their lineup. We’ve seen the Guardians make late runs as recently as last year. Cleveland is currently trailing the White Sox in the standings, but they are only three games back of the White Sox at the moment. Additionally, they are tied for the final Wild Card spot, but there are four teams within three games of the final spot. Again, a lot of teams have a chance at the postseason thanks to those three spots.
That is one of the reasons that the Guardians went out to get Foster Griffin. Griffin has been fantastic this season as he returned from overseas to the league. He is 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA, and a 1.07 WHIP. He also has added 116 strikeouts for the year. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the trade in the middle of the breakout year. He had very little pressure on himself with the Nationals, but now has to figure out how to adjust to a new team, and a new league. He did face the Mets earlier this year and allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings.
The early line movement has been toward the Guardians, but I’m not sure I agree with it in this situation. I think Griffin might struggle in his first outing with a new team. That happens to a lot of pitchers. Additionally, I think the Mets have their best shot at winning with McLean on the hill. He has been great on the road. I know we’ve seen some success in limited exposure from the Guardians, but I don’t believe it will make a major difference today. Give me the Mets on the moneyline.
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