We've Got a World Series Matchup, and, uh...

 

...yeah, this...isn't quite what I ordered, but it's not BAD.

My worst fear for this playoffs was an Astros-Cardinals series. Clearly, this is not that. The Cardinals lost the Wild Card game, that wasn't gonna happen. But...any attempt to stop the Astros by great teams like the Red Sox and White Sox was futile, because the Astros had built up so much momentum that not even human starts by Luis Garcia and Zack Greinke could stop them. The Sox had a lead, the Astros won 3 straight, and that was it. There was always going to be that possibility that the Astros had a easy path to the World Series.

What I wasn't sure of was whether or not there was anyone in the NL that could stop them.

Going into the playoffs, I was thinking the Brewers were heading to a World Series, by the strength of their rotation, and the contact ability of their lineup. I just thought they were gonna dominate, and they'd be a match to Houston. But then the Braves beat them. Then I figured the Dodgers were gonna waltz all the way to the end on their payroll and strength alone, and their big-game mentality, like Chris Taylor and his 3 home runs, would obliterate Houston as payback for 2017. 

But then the Braves beat them. Which made me think...holy crap, are the Braves gonna be able to take Houston?

This is a thought I couldn't have had in August, when this team was still scraping by and trying to advance. When they had no outfield, I just couldn't see them doing anything in a postseason situation. But now they have an outfield of Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall and Joc Pederson [and Jorge Soler when he's healthy], and it's made all the difference. Duvall, Pederson, Soler and ESPECIALLY Rosario have been heroes this postseason for them. That has made them into contenders, even if I lambasted the idea at the time. 

So now, the Braves have enough in the tank that they could definitely be a match for Houston. Charlie Morton taking down his old team is a good story. Dusty Baker against the symbol of his old mentor is a good story. Freddie Freeman, a future Hall of Famer with a few more years like this, finally getting to a World Series is a good story. It's a true good vs. evil matchup, and there shouldn't be any doubt as to who I'm rooting for here.

I'm hoping for a fun Series, something that doesn't depress me too much for the forthcoming offseason. I just really hope the Astros allow for one.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #298-306

 We reach the last true hero number of the set, hurdle the last 100th post, and begin to head towards the home stretch of this 2020 Final Edition set. Some big guns here, and a few who've already been DFA'd in 2021

On we go...

Card #298- Yu Darvish ASG, Chicago Cubs

By the point in the 2020 season that, if simmed correctly, would have been accounting for an All Star break, Yu Darvish was the best, most dominant pitcher in the NL, and was off to one of the best starts of his career. Though he lost traction to Trevor Bauer as the season went on, Darvish definitely would have been the starting pitcher for the NL ASG team had the season played out at a normal pace, and nobody would have argued with it. At 34, Darvish is still one of the more consistent pitchers in the bigs, and may go down as one of the greatest Japanese pitchers ever to cross over. 

Card #299- Kenta Maeda ASG, Minnesota Twins

Speaking of Japanese players that had incredible 2020s, Kenta Maeda, who, it's very hard to believe, is a year younger than Darvish, would have qualified for his first ever ASG nod, thanks in part to his blistering August with 6 beautiful starts, a 2.39 ERA and 42 Ks. Maeda had control like he hadn't since his rookie year in the states, and led the Twins to great heights. Unfortunately, his follow-up season in Minneapolis hasn't been as celebrated.

Card #300- Sixto Sanchez, Miami Marlins

Yeah, I think Sixto was a pretty obvious pick for a hero card as well. Going into 2020, Sixto Sanchez was one of the biggest prospects in baseball, and was already a steal for the Marlins having been traded there from Philadelphia in exchange for J.T. Realmuto. Sanchez was called upon to supplant the rotation in August, and was undeniably one of the factors that led the Marlins to the postseason, with a 3.46 ERA and 33 Ks in 7 starts, plus a shutout start against the Cubs during the postseason [despite getting roughed up by Atlanta in the next round]. With Sixto's excellent 2020, it's a saddening factor that injuries and rotation capacity have led the Marlins to keep Sanchez down in 2021. Hopefully he'll be back to his old tricks soon.

Card #301- Jonah Heim, Oakland Athletics

Despite Sean Murphy's strong season behind the plate for the A's, the A's were lacking in strong backups at that position last year. So after the trade deadline, they brought up Jonah Heim, a catching prospect, and he was decent in 13 games, with good defensive numbers despite a .211 average. Heim was one of the pieces dealt in the trade that sent Elvis Andrus to Oakland, and Heim, unlike fellow trade package-mate Khris Davis, is still on the Rangers, albeit hitting sub-.200

Card #302- Jon Jay, Arizona Diamondbacks

Jon Jay has been with a different team every season since 2016. The former Cardinals outfielder has become a designated defensive outfield replacement who can hit for average if possible. Last season, Jay spent the summer with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team he'd been with before in 2018. Unlike his last tenure with the D-Backs, Jay struggled off the bench, with a .160 average in 18 games. Jay actually did pretty well with Anaheim this year before being DFA'd and later demoted to the minors.

Card #303- Antonio Senzatela ASG, Colorado Rockies

Yes, surprisingly, the best starter in Colorado last year was not German Marquez, nor Jon Gray, nor Kyle Freeland, but their fellow battery partner Antonio Senzatela, who'd struggled in the years since his 2017 callup. Senza's 2020 would have definitely been worthy of an ASG nod, with consistency in the face of injury, and a 3.44 ERA in a snakebitten Rockies climate. He's a bit shakier in 2021, but his 2020 should have been commemorated.

Card #304- Tyler Matzek, Atlanta Braves

Talk about another feel-good comeback story from 2020, the season of many. Tyler Matzek was a former Rockies starting piece who struggled in his first two seasons, then spent a good 5 years in the minors, fighting to come back. After a nice minor league year with the 2019 D-Backs, he was signed by Atlanta, impressed in relief in the minors, and was brought to the majors for 2020. Matzek's 2020 was an excellent one, with a 2.79 ERA in 29 innings, with 43 Ks as well. Matzek also had a 1.09 postseason ERA with 14 more Ks, and a winning outcome against the Dodgers! So far he's dealing similar stuff for the Braves, which will hopefully get nastier as the Braves do.

Card #305- Cameron Maybin, Chicago Cubs 

Maybin, like Jay, has also changed teams multiple times since 2015. Mostly, because Cameron Maybin often signs with lower-market teams, has great seasons with them, and always is traded to competitors. It happens. EVERY. YEAR. Maybin began the 2020 season with the Tigers, did an excellent job in a starting OF role, and was subsequently traded to the Cubs. In Chicago, he hit .250 with 5 RBIs, and didn't get much done in his 2 postseason at-bats. Maybin did his best in a run with the Mets, but barely got any hits at all. Not sure what's next for the veteran.

Card #306- Nick Anderson ASG, Tampa Bay Rays

Undeniably one of the best relievers of last year, Nick Anderson definitely would have been called upon by A.J. Hinch as a relief asset for the AL ASG team in a 2020 scenario. Anderson came to prominence as one of the hardest-throwing relievers in Miami before getting dealt to the Rays, getting playoff time, and then having a HUGE 2020 with a 0.55 ERA and 26 Ks in 16 innings, as well as a strong first two postseason series before getting chewed up by the Astros and Dodgers. Anderson's out for the majority of the season, but will hopefully be a strong asset when he returns. 

Monday we get the next 9 cards in this set, the third-to-last post of this project. Can confirm 2 big rookies and 1 big traded player.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Braves

After 4 games, the Atlanta Braves had a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, and were inches away from taking out the Dodgers and advancing to the World Series...and then the Dodgers showed up.

The heartbreaking end to this season shouldn't define the Braves, as they as a unit had one of their best seasons in years, overcoming issues that had hampered them in the past, and bringing some truly fun performances to the forefront.

Despite an injury limiting him to only 29 games this year, Ozzie Albies still had a decent enough year, batting .271 with 19 RBIs and 6 homers, better numbers than Ender Inciarte could muster in 46 games. Albies was also sharp in the postseason, with 13 hits, 4 RBIs and 2 homers. Clearly still a big part of this Braves core.

2021 Prediction: Back to full health and full production. Will have a 200-hit year with 75 RBIs. 

Another comeback: after opting out of the season before summer camp, Nick Markakis suddenly got the bug, and wanted to play baseball this year. So he made the call to Brian Snikter, and for 37 games, Kakes was back in Atlanta. His numbers weren't terrific, as he only hit .254 with 33 hits and 15 RBIs, but he still had 8 postseason hits. This may not have been the starriest final season for Markakis, who's been with the Braves since 2015, but it was still a fine note to end his consistent Braves years on.

2021 Prediction: A goodwill one-year deal will allow Markakis one more full season of production before he retires at the end of the 2021 season.

After being the rookie of last June, Austin Riley had a second act prepared for 2020, but it was a little one-sided. Riley batted .239 with 19 RBIs and 8 home runs this year, another hint that maybe he's not gonna be the most well-rounded player on the team. At the very least, he had 4 RBIs, including a home run, in the postseason.

2021 Prediction: Will lose the starting third base gig halfway through the season and be relied upon as a bench bat into the playoffs. 

In a season where Mike Soroka, Cole Hamels and Tommy Milone succumbed to injuries, the depth of the starting rotation was one of the minor issues the Braves had to face. Kyle Wright was a sturdy solution, as he overcame a rocky start to become one of the more reliable starters in Atlanta this year. He truly came into his own in September, where he posted a 3.91 ERA, 2 wins and 18 strikeouts. He had one great postseason start in the NLDS and one truly terrible postseason start in the NLCS.

2021 Prediction: He finds the strike zone and doesn't look back, getting an ASG nod and some Cy Young votes.

One of the members of the 2019 trade deadline bullpen-packing squad, Shane Greene stayed away from the closing gig thanks to Mark Melancon, but still was mighty fine in relief, with a 2.60 ERA and 21 Ks in 27 innings. 

2021 Prediction: Whoever signs him does so with the full intention of making him the closer, and he rewards them with 35 saves. 

Tyler Matzek was the true comeback player of the Braves this year. After coming up as a starter in Colorado, then losing a few years to injuries, Matzek bopped around the independent leagues and the minors before the Braves took a chance on him. 2020 was the reward for that, as Matzek had a 2.79 ERA in 29 innings, with a scorching 43 strikeouts. He also got through the postseason with 14 Ks and only one earned run. 

2021 Prediction: Matzek's work in long relief will make the Braves flirt with giving him a rotation spot. However, the majority of his appearances in 2021 will be in relief, and they will be similar to this year's numbers.

Two seasons after being one of the few non-snakebitten relief options for the Braves, A.J. Minter struck back, only allowing 2 earned runs in 22 appearances, making for a minuscule .83 ERA. For this, Minter held the highest ERA in the bullpen.

2021 Prediction: Lower numbers, but will still be a part of the postseason squad. 

In the category of players who made their biggest impacts late in the season, Pablo Sandoval came to the team in a waiver deal, thanks to the Giants prioritizing Mauricio Dubon. People signing Panda now kinda know what they get- he's not who he used to be, but he still gives you some pop. He didn't get any hits at all this season, but it was nice to have him here for the sole purpose of seeing the Giants great on the Braves.

2021 Prediction: If anyone signs him, it'll be to a minor league deal, and he'll make a limited impact on the season. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention that Philadelphia icon Cole Hamels pitched in Atlanta this year. Yes, he only did so for one game amidst an injury-shortened year, but he's still a former All-Star and pitching giant who did play this year, even if it wasn't for much. He lasted 3.1 innings in his sole game of the season, and posted an 8.10 ERA. But he still wanted to be out there, and he still tried.

2021 Prediction: A return to form pitching for a non-competitor, and by the postseason, a trade will send him back home to Philly.

Bryse Wilson had a few starts during the regular season, but it was his postseason work that caught people's attention. In Game 4, he went mano e mano against one of the greatest pitchers in the game, Clayton Kershaw, and came out victorious, going six innings and only allowing one run, with 5 strikeouts to boot. He didn't have much else of note this season, but it definitely got people thinking about what he could do in a longer season.

2021 Prediction: He'll lose a spot in the rotation thanks to a tricky April, but will gain it back and stick with it come August.

And then there's the new rookie of note in Atlanta, Cristian Pache, who had 4 at-bats in the regular season but came alive in the postseason thanks to his skillful outfield play and his 4 RBIs in the NLCS. The Andruw Jones comparisons were heard far and wide, but something about this 21-year old intrigues me in a full season. 

2021 Prediction: NL Rookie of the Year.

Coming Tomorrow- They made the postseason by the skin of their teeth, and even if they were out of it a day or so later, they still had some intriguing stories to tell.