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We’re now one round into the MLB Postseason and the stage is set for the eight team in the Division Series. The first round brought plenty of fireworks with three teams including the two biggest underdogs in the playoffs sweeping their opponent and one series going the distance.

The top two seeds in each league have been waiting and will look to avoid stalling out after a bye which has happened often in recent years. Meanwhile, the Wild Card teams will try to ride their momentum to upset victories.

There’s nothing more exciting than October Baseball and we’ll continue bringing you all the information you need throughout the playoffs!

Updated MLB Postseason Bracket

American League Playoffs

The division that was considered by most to be the worst in baseball last year and heading into this season has three of the final four teams remaining in the American League side of the bracket.

That is one of the many reasons this side of the bracket is so exciting because the underdog stories in Kansas City and Detroit are incredible to witness. The Royals lost over 100 games last year while the Tigers had less than a 1% chance to make the playoffs in mid-August but here we are now.

These two teams came out and flat out took care of business on the road against two teams heavily favored to win the series. Before we shift focus this weekend to the next matchups featuring these teams taking on the Yankees and Guardians, let’s look at how each team got past their first opponent of the playoffs.

Tigers Defeat Astros in Two Games

Wow. After seven years of dominance, the Astros will not be in the ALCS (or even the ALDS) and did not a single game at the mercy of the Gritty Tigers as they’re being called during this unbelievable run.

AJ Hinch was at the helm for the Astros when their dynasty emerged and now he’s the manager of the team that potentially just ended it. Baseball has a funny way of things working out in harmonious ways and this is the perfect example.

The Tigers went into Houston with possibly the best pitcher in MLB and soon to be AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on the bump for the tone-setting game. He performed at a level we have only seen from one other Tigers pitcher in recent memory. His six shutout innings and a big string of hits from the offense in the second inning led them to a 3-1 victory.

Heading into the second game, the Tigers opted for a bullpen day without a second starter that they feel fully comfortable with compared to the best bullpen in baseball over the past couple months. The Astros went with the young Hunter Brown who really found himself in the second half of the season.

Despite a strong start from Brown, Parker Meadows mashed a solo homer to get Detroit on the board first. Houston retook the lead but it didn’t last for long when Andy Ibañez came off the bench and cleared the bases to completely open the game up against Josh Hader. The Tigers never looked back and finished the game off by a score of 5-2 to officially sweep and eliminate Houston.

For fans who have watched Houston dominate the American League for quite some time, this was thrilling to say the least. The biggest underdog of all took down a giant. This team is on absolute roll and they may not be done yet.

Read our full series analysis from staff writer Clay Snowden!

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Royals Defeat Orioles in Two Games

After finishing as the second-worst team in baseball last season, the Kansas City Royals were a surprising spender this offseason as they added two key rotation pieces, bullpen veterans, and steady bats to supplement their young core.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles made a huge splash by trading for Corbin Burnes to anchor a pitching staff that clearly needed support. However, they remained hesitant in the offseason and then again at the deadline to trade their high-end assets to upgrade in a significant way especially when faced with injuries to their staff.

Entering the season, Baltimore was projected to win 17 more games than Kansas City on BetMGM, but it’s the Royals that got the best of them in a clean sweep.

Both teams sent their fully-rested aces to the mound in Game One with Cole Ragans and Corbin Burnes both dominating the opposing offense as just a single run got it done for Kansas City. None other than likely MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. drove in the sole run off Burnes on a single in the sixth inning. The Royals shut out the Orioles offense as deadline acquisition Lucas Erceg closed it down with a four out save.

The Orioles needed their offense to break through in Game Two against veteran Seth Lugo and they started to do so a little as they tacked on a run via a Cedric Mullins home run and threatened for more before the Royals bullpen took over in the fifth inning and allowed just one hit the rest of the game.

Kansas City’s offense wasn’t much better but Witt came through again as did Vinnie Pasquantino, who just returned from the IL for the playoff run. This game was a defensive masterclass from Royals as well with a number of web gems keeping them in the lead as they held a once dynamic Baltimore offense to one run in two games.

This offseason will be a tough one in Baltimore as they try to figure out how to adjust following another brutal playoff showing. The underdog Royals will now face the top team in the American League which will test their depth but momentum is with them.

Read our full series breakdown from staff writer Caleb Moody!

National League

With a high stakes doubleheader the day before the start of the postseason, the National League playoffs were bound to chaotic. The Mets were able to save their top starters after winning the first game of the doubleheader while the Braves were without their ace due to a back injury.

The circumstances and overall talent of San Diego got the best of Atlanta as they fell in two games while the Mets and Brewers series was the only not to end in a sweep.

An excellent series to finish off the Wild Card round wrapped up as the Mets shocked the Brewers at the very last minute to advance to the NLDS for the first time since 2015 and extend the Brewers brutal playoff losing streak.

Two extremely exciting divisional matchups now loom in Divisional Round of the NL Playoffs.

Padres Defeat Braves in Two Games

They won 104 games last season and were one of the favorites to win it all, but 2024 just wasn’t the year for Atlanta. They lost their two superstars in Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season and while Chris Sale was phenomenal, it wasn’t enough as the offense struggled all year.

A late season surge got Atlanta into the postseason on the last day of the season, but Chris Sale being out with injury essentially sealed their fate. San Diego has been arguably the best team in baseball the past two months and entered this series rested and ready to roll.

San Diego was able to set up their rotation however they wanted essentially and chose to send Michael King to the mound for Game One as the Braves were forced to turn to 21-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver with none of their regular starters rested and available.

King turned in a historic performance as he struck out 12 on his way to seven shutout innings for the Padres. San Diego jumped on the young Smith-Shawver early as Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an absolute tank of a home run in the first and they chased the starter out of the game in just the second inning.

The Braves bullpen kept the game close but the Padres shut out their offense to get the job done. In Game Two, the Braves turned to their reliable veteran Max Fried who is set to hit free agency this winter. Unfortunately, his potential last start as a Brave did not go as planned and he was chased after allowing five in two innings.

Manny Machado delivered a huge hit and rookie sensation Jackson Merrill kept it rolling to break the game open. Joe Musgrove allowed a run in the first but settled in well as he was cruising into the fourth but left with an elbow injury and it doesn’t look great for his outlook moving forward.

Despite the Braves pushing back against the elite Padres bullpen largely due to Mike Harris and Jorge Soler home runs, San Diego was able to lock it down. Tanner Scott escaped a big jam and then Robert Suarez eventually locked down the save.

This season was a let down for the Braves, but they have plenty of talent and resources to regroup and enter 2025 in a strong position. The Padres are now set to take on the Dodgers with a rested ace in a matchup that delivers every single time and will surely be the most marketed series of the Divisional Round.

Brewers Defeat Mets in Three Games

One team spent essentially all of September cruising as they had such a huge lead in their division while the other was fighting until the last day to get in. But this series did not disappoint as it was the only to go the distance and delivered some incredible moments.

Milwaukee has struggled mightily in recent playoff runs, but the Mets last time making it out of the Wild Card Round was when they reached the World Series in 2015. Both teams came to play in this series despite their opposite paths to reach the postseason.

The first game was filled with early offense as the Brewers jumped out to a quick lead but the Mets answered right back to take it over. Rookie Jackson Chourio tied it up and the Brewers then took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning.

They turned it over to their bullpen but the Mets dropped five runs and took over the game from there. Mark Vientos has been huge for the Mets all season and led the way with two hits and two RBI in this one.

In Game Two, the offense started earlier again as Jackson Chourio went deep in the 1st but the Mets scored three in the first pair of innings to take the lead. They remained in control until 20-year-old Jackson Chourio did something no Brewer had ever done before to tie the game.

After their young superstar brought it to even, Garrett Mitchell delivered the moment of his career to take the lead and the Brewers didn’t look back from there. Devin Williams entered the game and swiftly took care of the Mets to even up the series.

Game Three became a borderline instant classic with the unbelievable finish as the pitchers dueled early and the game remained scoreless until the seventh when the Brewers broke it open with huge back-to-back home runs from Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick.

When the Brewers turned to closer Devin Williams in the ninth, it felt like this one could be wrap and Milwaukee could avoid a familiar fate. But Francisco Lindor worked a count, Brandon Nimmo lined a single, and the Polar Pete delivered the biggest home run of his career. The Mets left Williams and the Brewers absolutely stunned.

New York just keeps finding a way as Pete Alonso delivered in what could be his last season as a Met. They’ll now take on their divisional rival in Philadelphia in what is bound to be a thrilling series.

Just Baseball x eBay Live Event Recap

In partnership with eBay Live, Just Baseball and Bleecker Trading hosted collectors and local youth baseball teams for a special MLB Wild Card Watch Party in New York City this week. Just Baseball executive editor Aram Leighton hosted the charity box break on eBay Live while breaking down some of the top prospects in the sport and commenting on the Wild Card games being played.

For more box breaks on eBay, check out their breaks hub and look out for more Just Baseball breaks and live auctions coming very soon!

Special thanks to our friends at Bleecker Trading for being gracious hosts and to HOMAGE for hooking some epic apparel giveaways from their Topps Collection. Make sure to check out their new NFL drops, including the fan favorite Starter NFL Heavyweight Satin Jackets.

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