Stat Leaders

 

Luke Voit (above) and DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees closed out the regular season with a noteworthy accomplishment: they're the first teammates to lead a league in home runs (Voit) and batting average (LeMahieu) since Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron of the 1959 Milwaukee Braves. Short season or not, their ability to produce consistently and stay healthy deserves recognition. But -- and you knew there was a "but" coming -- can this predict the future?
In 1959, there was a National League playoff. The Braves and Dodgers finished the regular season tied. So, just like 1951, the Dodgers found themselves in a best-of-three game showdown to decide the pennant. The Braves dropped the opening game 3-2 at Milwaukee County Stadium (where both Mathews and Aaron were held hitless); then back at the L.A. Coliseum, game two also went the Dodgers way, 6-5, with Brooklyn legend Carl Furillo delivering the walk off RBI single in the bottom of the 12th. Oddly, 1959 was one of only two seasons during the '50s (and one of just two spanning 1949-'64) that the Yankees didn't win the pennant.

So what does that mean for our 2020-model crystal ball (equipped with GPS and backup camera)? Who's to say. The Yankees will be in Cleveland for a best-of-three round with the Indians. And the Braves, where Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley, now fill the shoes of Aaron and Mathews, will host the Reds starting Wednesday in a National League Wild Card series. And, because fair is fair, Milwaukee, the city spurned by the Braves in the mid-'60s, will be playing -- you guessed it -- those Dodgers in their opening round series.

Where will it lead? The Dodgers and Rays were the best teams over the course of 60 games. But last year's champs were the Washington Nationals, the #2 Wild Card club. One thing more, the Marlins, perhaps baseball's biggest surprise, are back in the tournament for the first time since 2003, when, as a Wild Card, they marched to a World Series title, stunning the heavily favored Yankees.

So, toss your dice in the air, or let your cat's paw glide across the gaming app of your phone. There is no way to predict which team will be holding the trophy five weeks from now.



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