Two-and-a-half weeks. That's all we have left in the 2022 Major League Baseball season. It's flown by, right?
Or has it? I'm convinced there's a paradox in each baseball season for those of us who live and breathe with it on a daily basis.
On one hand, it's easy to say something like "it seems like just yesterday it was Opening Day!" I don't have a strong argument against it. I remember back in March when I was actually worried about the season being shortened, perhaps even drastically. It doesn't seem all too long ago that a deal was finally struck and the owners ended their voluntary lockout of the players. We rejoiced.
Like I said, it doesn't feel like that long ago.
Then again, remember debating whether or not Clayton Kershaw should have been removed from his perfect game after seven innings? Doesn't that feel like ages ago? It really does for me. It feels like a looooooooong time ago. It was April 13. By the end of the World Series, the beginning of the season will have seemed exponentially further back.
It's a grind that goes quickly and such a statement only makes sense to those of us still paying close attention. If you know, you know.
With the limited time left in the regular season, here are the nine best series with playoff implications for both sides. We'll focus on the games where both teams are likely to have something to gain and something to lose, so you won't find a team like the Dodgers or Astros listed. (The series are listed in chronological order.)
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1. Mets at Brewers, Sept. 19-21 - Sweeping the doubleheader against the Giants on Sept. 8 seemed to get the Brewers back in their groove. They are now a serious threat to the Padres and Phillies for a wild-card spot. And the Mets, well, they are in a fight to the finish with the Braves. Big one here to start the week.
2. Blue Jays at Phillies, Sept. 20-22 - In all likelihood, both teams are safely in the tournament, but a collapse could doom either and there's jockeying within the wild-card spots for seeding. The Jays could be looking upward, too, and we'll get to that in a second.
3. Guardians at White Sox, Sept. 20-22 - The two teams only have three games remaining against one another. The White Sox desperately need to damage the Guardians before Cleveland finishes with a six-game series at home against the hapless Royals.
4. Braves at Phillies, Sept. 22-25 - It's not head-to-head in the sense that they would be fighting for the same spot, but the Phillies could harm the Braves' chances to take the NL East while the Braves could make the Phillies fall out of playoff position. Hurting a rival is always fun, right? And both need to keep winning in their own right.
5. Blue Jays at Rays, Sept. 22-25 - It's a four-game series, so while it looks like both teams will safely grab wild-card spots, there's always the chance a sweep here opens the door for the Orioles to climb back into the picture.
6. Yankees at Blue Jays, Sept. 26-28 - It could be over by the time this series is played. The Yankees might not be totally out of the woods, though. The lead right now is 5 1/2 games. If the Blue Jays can have it around four or five games and then sweep the Yankees, all of a sudden it's a race to the finish.
Royals at Tigers, Sept. 27-29 - Just kidding. Two bad teams and I certainly wouldn't expect Royals fans to ever pay attention unless their team is in the playoffs. Can't stray from their brand.
7. Rays at Guardians, Sept. 27-29 - This is the last time the White Sox could get help -- and they desperately need it -- with the Guardians playing a worthy opponent. Also, the Rays could, possibly, be fighting for either a playoff spot or the AL East crown. At the very least, seeding will matter and it could lead to this being the exact same matchup in the wild-card round on a quick turnaround.
8. White Sox at Padres, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 - The White Sox could be eliminated by this series, but if they are breathing down the necks of the Guardians -- or, somehow, leading the AL Central -- this is a big one. The Padres could be dealing with the Brewers and/or Phillies for the final playoff spot, too. Maybe do-or-die games for both teams? That would be fun.
9. Mets at Braves, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 - Here we go. The best remaining series baseball has to offer. Assuming it stays this close (
