2026 AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “D”
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| SERIES PREVIEW – XFremont (88-74) hosts as the #4 seed and the AL East champions, earning a ghost win in the process. Hollywood (95-67) has the #5 seed as the second wild card, despite finishing with a better record than Fremont. Hollywood took the season series decisively 8-3. The last time these teams met in the playoffs was the 2023 Division Series, where Hollywood came back from a 3-1 deficit to advance, winning a nail-biter in Game Seven, 2-1.
Offense: Hollywood is top 3 in the AL with a .241 batting average, while Fremont is 8th with a .225 average. Hollywood is second in the AL with a .319 on-base percentage, while Fremont is again middling at .298. Hollywood and Fremont are 4th and 5th, respectively, with slugging averages of .402 and .398. The Cannons have the edge in HR, 211 to 194. Hollywood leads the AL in walks, so Fremont will need to avoid too many free passes. Fremont leads in stolen bases, 115 to 105, with a lead in success rate of 79.3% to 77.8%. Pitching: Fremont has a slight edge in team ERA, 3.39 to 3.46, though only the best starters will be utilized in the playoffs. The Cannons have a big edge in strikeouts, 1472 to 1251. Neither team’s relief pitching was particularly good this season, with Hollywood finishing ninth at 3.27 and Fremont at 3.43. Fielding: Hollywood has the edge in fielding average, .985 to .983. The Cannons were slightly better at controlling the run game with a 74.8% opponent stolen base percentage, ahead of Hollywood’s 76.6%. Star power: Hollywood’s attack is led by MVP candidate Aaron Judge and supported by perennial All-Star Ketel Marte. Fremont hopes for a better postseason campaign for Shohei Ohtani than his regular-season performance. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Byron Buxton round out the big three for the Cannons. Drew Rasmussen and legend Clayton Kershaw anchor the Werewolves staff, while Fremont has as potent a 1-2 punch as anybody with Tarik Skubal and Carlos Rodon. Hollywood has the undisputed top reliever in the series in Josh Hader. The series was played head-to-head over Zoom. |
2026 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “B”
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| SERIES PREVIEW – The defending MWBL champion Sacramento Capitals enter the postseason after another excellent campaign, finishing 106–56 and capturing the N.L. West. Their reward is a Wild Card matchup with the Prairie Falcons, who finished 73–89 but assembled a roster considerably more dangerous than that record might suggest.
Prairie’s rotation is headed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who finished with a 2.30 ERA, and Garrett Crochet, who logged 232⅓ innings, struck out 281, and posted a 2.63 ERA. The Falcons also feature Juan Soto, who hit 36 home runs between Tampa Bay and Prairie, and Trevor Story, who stole 34 bases. Sacramento counters with Brent Rooker (33 HR, 100 RBI), Michael Busch (31 HR, 88 RBI), Francisco Lindor (159 hits, 115 runs, 30 HR and 31 stolen bases), and Chris Sale, who went 16–3. The Capitals won 33 more games during the regular season and carry a 1–0 Ghost Win into the series—a significant advantage. Unfortunately, October has never shown much interest in what is supposed to happen. |
2026 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “C”
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| SERIES PREVIEW – The stage is set for a high-stakes 7-game Wild Card clash as the Columbus Explorers host the Alamo Defenders. Operating under a 2-3-2 format, Columbus holds home-field advantage for Games 1, 2, 6, and 7. Both clubs boast complete rosters that can grind out low-scoring duels or break games open with sudden power, making depth and late-inning execution the series’ focal points.
Key storylines to watch: Starting Rotation Depth: Columbus relies on steady front-line starter Nathan Eovaldi to set the tempo early, while Alamo counters with the big-time arm of Nick Pivetta. Alamo probably has a slight edge, but the Columbus bullpen has more depth to cover the starters. Middle-of-the-Order Power: The Defenders pack punch with key bats like Rafael Devers and Taylor Ward, whereas Columbus counters with dangerous situational hitters like Ty France and Trent Grisham. Bench & Bullpen Strategy: Late-inning defensive replacements and bullpen management will be critical during the crucial middle stretch of the series at Alamo. Columbus likes to feature run-and-gun, and Trevino and Bailey will have their arms tested. How long will the starters last? Expect extensive bullpen use. |
2026 AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “C”
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| SERIES PREVIEW – Mobsters Hold Advantage Over Bottle Rockets in A.L. Central Wild Card Clash
CHICAGO — An intense A.L. Central rivalry takes center stage this week as the division-champion Chicago Mobsters (95-67) clash with the runner-up Tijuana Bottle Rockets (91-71) in the 2026 MWBL Wild Card round. Chicago dominated the regular-season series 8-4 and enters with a decisive advantage: as division winners, the Mobsters carry a 1-0 “Ghost Win” into this seven-game format, meaning Chicago needs only 3 wins to advance, while Tijuana must take 4 of 7 on the field to survive. Pitching is Chicago’s calling card, anchored by an American League-best 2.95 team ERA. Aces Hunter Brown (15-10, 2.43 ERA, 238 Ks) and Noah Cameron (15-5, 2.47 ERA) front a fearsome rotation, while closer Aroldis Chapman (31 saves, 0.59 ERA) shuts the door. At the plate, Willy Adames (28 HR, 91 RBI), Riley Greene (34 HR), and Julio Rodriguez (25 HR, 32 SB) provide plenty of punch. Tijuana counters with one of the circuit’s most explosive lineups, led by slugger Junior Caminero (45 HR, 119 RBI), the multifaceted Corbin Carroll (24 HR, 49 doubles, 22 SB), and Pete Crow-Armstrong (27 HR, 29 SB). For the Bottle Rockets to stage an upset, ace Cristopher Sanchez (15-4, 2.78 ERA) and Jacob Latz (2.65 ERA) must outduel Chicago’s arms. Series Odds: |
2026 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “D”
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| SERIES PREVIEW – Selkirk Steelers and Triple Creek Patriots had nearly identical records during the season. Selkirk has the hurler’s edge in game 1 with Fried on the mound, but Triple Creek has the advantage in games 2 through 4. |
