Every year leading up to the MLB postseason, a burning debate takes over TV shows, podcasts, and analysis sections: is it better for a team to risk elimination but maintain its competitive rhythm in the Wild Card round, or advance directly to the Division Series and get almost a week off?
Many people point out that entering the Division Series is much more convenient, as it puts teams closer to the League Championship Series without having to risk elimination in a best-of-three series in which anything can happen. Others, however, believe that keeping the roster hot and focused on playing highly competitive baseball is perhaps more important and beneficial than the extended break.
Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes tends to lean toward the second option. He explains his reasoning:
“In baseball, especially where you play every day, where you have your routine, where teams tend to put winning streaks together when they are consistent, when they’re going to the ballpark every day, playing games every day, then all of a sudden you get a five-day break,” Hoynes said. “It can be a negative.”
It’s all relative, and not every team behaves the same way. Some squads actually benefit from the extended break: it helps them regroup both physically and mentally, and it allows them to re-align their rotation the way they want to. It also gives them enough time to properly prepare to battle their next opponent.
For example, had the Guardians lost the battle for the AL Central, they wouldn’t have been able to use Parker Messick and Gavin Williams in four of the five hypothetical AL Division Series games, which is probably their current plan.
Others, however, do lose the competitive edge and the rhythm they had in the final days of the regular season. Fans sure hope the Guardians can keep themselves focused on the ultimate goal, which is winning the next series.
The team hosted a ‘stay ready’ camp to keep everybody sharp ahead of the key weekend series. The hope is that Cleveland, a team that went 19-11 in its last 30 games, can carry that momentum throughout the Division Series despite the extended inactivity.
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