First Base: The regular season concluded on Sunday. The Rockies and Dodgers were both tied for the NL West lead going into today and they both won, with the Rockies defeating the Nationals 12-0 and the Dodgers defeating the Giants 15-0, both teams remain tied in the NL West and will play a one-game tiebreaker on Monday to decide the NL West Champion. To go along with the tight race in the West, the Cubs and Brewers entered Sunday tied for first place in the NL Central and they both also ended up winning. The Cubs beat the Cardinals 10-5 in Chicago and the Brewers beat the Tigers 11-0 in Milwaukee. As a result, the Cubs and Brewers will also play a one-game tiebreaker to decide the NL Central crown. The Cubs play the Brewers at 1:05 PM ET in Chicago, followed up by the Rockies taking on the Dodgers in LA at 4:05 PM ET. This is the first time in MLB history that there will be two game-163 tiebreakers in the same year. The loser of each game will face off in the NL Wild Card game on Tuesday, while the winner of the Brewers/Cubs game will take on the winner of the Wild Card game, and the winner of the Rockies/Dodgers game will meet the Braves in the NLDS.
Second Base: The Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon hit for the cycle for the first time in his career on Sunday at Coors Field against the Nationals. Blackmon became the ninth Rockie in franchise history to hit for cycle, and the first since Nolan Arenado’s cycle against the Giants last year. Blackmon has had a solid year at the plate, but hasn’t been at the level he was at last year, when he finished fifth in the NL MVP voting, in a year in which he hit .331/.399/.601 with 37 home runs and 104 RBIs. This year he has hit a respectable .289/.356/.501 with 29 home runs and 70 RBIs, while being the Rockies third best hitter with a 115 OPS+, only trailing Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story. Blackmon has been especially hot as of late, hitting .349/.410/.624 in September, and will be looking to carry that momentum into game 163 on Monday, and the Postseason which begins on Tuesday.
Third Base: History was made this week with the Yankees and Astros each winning their 100th game of the season this week, joining the Red Sox who already had 100+ wins. This is the first time in MLB history that three teams in the same league have each had 100+ wins. The Red Sox have had a season for the ages, winning the most games in a single season in franchise history at 108, and putting together their fourth-best single season winning percentage, and their best since 1946. The Sox will be taking on the winner of the AL Wild Card game in the ALDS, and will have home field advantage throughout the Postseason. The Astros, looking to defend their title, likely have a better team than they did last year, when the won the World Series. Like the Red Sox, the Astros also set a franchise record for wins this season, with 103, and also have their best winning percentage in franchise history. The Astros will be taking on the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. The Yankees have had a season to remember for themselves too. This week, they broke the record for most home runs hit by a team in a single season with 265, passing the 1997 Mariners. The Yankees are also the first team in history to have 12 players hit 10+ home runs each. Despite winning 100 games, the Yankees will have to play in the one-game winner take all AL Wild Card game against the A’s on Wednesday. If the Yankees win, they will be taking on the Red Sox in the ALDS, which could be a series for the ages.