The Journey to the World Series: An Almost Impossible Feat

The Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series is an amazing spectacle in sports that occurs every year. There are several things that make the World Series such a special event. Thirty MLB teams, sixteen from the National League and fourteen from the American League, go to battle for 162 games with the intention of making the playoffs.

An MLB season is extremely rigorous, and will test the physicality and mental capacity of every player. A 162 game season is the longest in any professional sport, and it can have a serious toll on the players. To put things into perspective, there was only one MLB player (1B Prince Fielder, MIL) who played all 162 games during the regular season. By the end, their bodies are fatigued and some may even feel mentally drained. This is the reason why only the best teams, comprised of the best players, will make it to the playoffs. Grinding through 162 games is extremely difficult, but doing it successfully is even harder.

Success in baseball is measured by your ability to make it to the playoffs. Only eight MLB teams out of the thirty, four from each league, will actually be eligible for the playoffs. Making the illustrious MLB playoffs can be considered one of the hardest things to do for any sports team. MLB’s eight-team playoff bracket has been subject to debate because many feel that some really good teams are left out. However, a counter point would argue that its design is perfect, because it ensures that only the best and most qualified teams will be eligible. If you compare the MLB playoff structure to the NBA for example, there is a significant difference. In the NBA, the number of teams who are eligible for the playoffs is doubled (16 teams) when compared to the MLB. So in essence, you can see how difficult it truly is for MLB teams to make the playoffs. However, making the playoffs is only the beginning of the journey to the World Series.

The MLB playoffs are a completely different environment in comparison to the regular season. The stadiums are sold out, the energy is high, and the players know what’s at stake. And the best part is, after grinding through 162 games to make it, the playoff teams have only five games to prove they deserve to move on. The five game series format is used throughout the playoffs, up until the World Series.

Although the preliminary MLB playoff series’ are filled with excitement, they cannot compare to the riveting atmosphere of the World Series. Every game is crucial, and seems to never lack intensity. You can see the focus and determination in every player, and that’s what makes it truly entertaining. As a result, MLB fans, and even the so-called fair weather fans, will continue to anticipate the World Series for an unforeseeable future.


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