I'm getting the feeling that the outcome I want for the World Series isn't one most of the world would want. I was raised in South Jersey, 20 minutes from Philly, by a Yankee fan father. I'd be absolutely fine with Yanks-Phils. The trouble is, everybody else would be annoyed with that. After years of Philly sports not reaching the championship threshold, now they win so often that it annoys people. And the Yankees...well, the Yankees have enough rings. For the sake of variety, everyone would prefer if the Yankees or Phillies, or Dodgers honestly, didn't make it. Which leaves virtually every other possibility as a fun one, something I agree with. The Brewers, Mariners, Padres, Cubs, Guardians, Tigers, and even the Reds if they make it in, would be super cool to see in the World Series because it's been ages since they've won one, if at all.
And honestly, this is a postseason where the Cardinals and Astros, two banes of my existence, will not be attending. Also the Braves won't be in there, nor will the Rays. Meaning most of the teams that would annoy me specifically if they took it all...are out. The Dodgers are inevitable, and if they win I'll deal. But by and large, most of the teams that piss me off are sitting this one out, in favor of fun teams I have no problem with like the Mariners, Cubs, Brewers and Tigers.
There are two I'm worried about, or at least a past version of me would be worried about. And they're both AL East teams.
The Blue Jays honestly I'm over. The 2015/2016 teams pissed me off because their greatness seemed to come out of nowhere and came at the expense of Orioles and Yankees teams I enjoyed more. This team I honestly don't feel that about. The seeds of this Jays' team were sown years ago, and so much of this team is working because it's a well-oiled machine that's finally succeeding. I can't be mad that Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kevin Gausman and Bo Bichette are tough to beat, that's a foregone conclusion. I'm mostly happy that the party seemed over in Toronto and they've made themselves a great team again when everyone counted them out. If they get to the end, even if it's at the expense of the Yankees, I'll be alright with that.
Then there's Boston. I've always gone back and forth on how much the Sox really affect me. In 2007 and 2013 it was bad. 2018 as well I guess. These past couple teams haven't bothered me as much, as it's just not as personal. I can't be mad at this Sox team for not only building a solid youth movement and using Brayan Bello, Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela to outdo the division matchups, but being super resourceful. They swung Romy Gonzalez for nothing and he's been a terrific piece at 1st this year, hitting .305 with an .826 OPS. Carlos Narvaez, Garrett Whitlock and Rob Refsnyder were all Yankee farm system guys that came over for nothing and made this team what it is. Bregman and Story now look like excellent decisions, and Crochet was absolutely everything this team needed, even at the expense of prospects. They made all the right calls to get back to the postseason, even dealing Devers. I can't fault them for that.
Now, if the Sox end up going against the Yankees this fall, I very well could sour on them, especially if they embarrass us. I think the Sox are a good, growing team that could grab momentum, and how long they hold onto it could affect the whole postseason. They're the exact kind of sneaky team that could piss me off, and I don't know if preparing for that outcome is gonna help me any. But it definitely exists.
So that's where I'm at. I could be peeved by this postseason. But only if it's painfully obvious, which is a low probability, at least for my tastes. Of course, your particular mileage may vary, but the odds that I'll be excited by this playoff season are still very high. And that's even before you factor in the last couple spots that haven't been filled as I'm writing this.
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