Playoffs 2021 Newsletter

The playoffs are here! Congrats to those that made it! Here is the bracket we have:

UDL Championship

Semifinals

Quarterfinals

Aaron East Champ

1. Back2Back Jax

Koufax Wild Card #2

8. Forgot About Trea

Quarterfinals

Koufax East Champion

4. Wayne's Hardware

Aaron Wild Card #1

5. Torrano Beisbol Birds

Semifinals

Quarterfinals

Koufax West Champ

3. Springfield Isotopes

Aaron Wild Card #2

6. Big League Chu

Quarterfinals

Aaron West Champ

2. The Gamblers

Koufax Wild Card #1

7. Maine Cobra Kai

Playoff Matchups - A Closer Look

Back2Back Jax vs Forgot About Trea

Back2Back Jax comes in as the #1 overall seed and does so for a reason. There is plenty of prowess in the lineup and an awful lot of speed, including the far-and-away two best theifs of the year in Starling Marte and Whit Merrifield. The rotation is hanging on the back of Max Scherzer and a solid bullpen could play a big factor as well. A possible two-start week from Scherzer could be huge and Chris Flexen, who has been racking up quality starts the last month, gets a nice matchup at home against Arizona.

Forgot About Trea comes in with the other major Nat-turned-Dodger and a load of hot offense including Salvador Perez and the always-incredible Juan Soto. Lucas Giolito has landed on the IL at a rather inopportune time and the uncertainty of Alex Wood's availability isn't encouraging either. Zack Wheeler will have to come up big in his Rocky Road matchup.

Wayne's Hardware vs Torrano Beisbol Birds

Wayne's Hardware features a solid lineup including the hot bat of Randy Arozarena. Joey Votto doing his thing again would be huge. The pitching staff features the red-hot Logan Webb, but gets him on a week he pitches in Coors. Luckily, the rotation also features Cy Young-hopeful Robbie Ray and some other arms that have potential to make a solid impact.

Bo Bichette leads the Torrano Beisbol Birds into battle alongside Manny Machado and the hot bat of Alex Verdugo. A potential two-start Aaron Nola could be a big factor if the ace can return to form. Adam Wainwright has been anchoring the staff recently, but gets a tough matchup against the Dodgers. This matchup could easily go either way.

Springfield Isotopes vs Big League Chu

The Springfield Isotopes tried to tell me they wouldn't be here, but are one of the hottest teams in the UDL. Ty France and Javy Baez lead the charge with the offense while Dylan Cease and Jose Berrios try to hold the pitching together. The formidable bullpen led by Emmanuel Clase could also be a key factor.

Big League Chu fought tooth and nail in the final week of the regular season to edge their way into the playoffs. Cedric Mullins, Ian Happ, and Lorenzo Cain are swinging hot bats that will carry the offensive production. A solid rotation featuring Tarik Skubal, Charlie Morton, and Blake Snell offers plenty of potential. Big League Chu also features one of the strongest bullpens in the league led by Josh Hader. This could be a fun one in the saves+holds category.

The Gamblers vs Maine Cobra Kai

The Gamblers feature a thumping lineup including Matt Olson, Jorge Soler, J.D. Martinez, and Aaron Judge. Can Eugenio Suarez make a difference? The Gamblers pitching is stacked, but will Lance Lynn return to make a start this week? Either way, Luis Castillo and Corbin Burnes know how to hurl a few baseballs. Joe Musgrove is certainly great too, but has a tough matchup at Dodger Stadium. All those aces, but will it be a two-start Bailey Ober that tips the scales?

You can't spell Schwindel without "win". We shall see if Frank Schwindel can continue to carry the offense along with Nick Castellanos, Josh Bell, and Trevor Story. The Maine Cobra Kai rotation offers plenty of potential and includes two-start weeks from Lance McCullers and Jameson Taillon. It could be a tough go against The Gamblers rotation, but there is still hope!