Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has put up some of the best regular-season numbers in baseball history over the past six months. Bobby Witt Jr. is a precocious 24-year-old who just won the American League batting title.
They've both proven they are excellent at baseball.
Now it's time to see if they're good at October baseball.
“The mound is 60 feet, 6 inches away, first base is 90 feet away," Witt said on Monday. "It’s the same game I’ve played since I was little, and so just go out there, enjoy every moment and take it all in.”
The Kansas City shortstop was trying not to put too many expectations on himself before the biggest games of his professional career. That's probably smart.
But there's little doubt that October competition is a little different. It all starts on Tuesday when the Tigers-Astros, Royals-Orioles, Mets-Brewers and Braves-Padres begin their best-of-three Wild Card Series.
The Yankees, Guardians, Dodgers and Phillies all earned a bye until the Division Series, which begins on Saturday.
Everyone feels the pressure of the playoffs. Owners, fans, players. Yankees slugger Juan Soto, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander and Mets first baseman Pete Alonso are among the upcoming free agents who could increase their value by millions with good postseason performances.
Soto was the World Series MVP in 2019 when the Washington Nationals won their title. A similar performance over the next few weeks could send his asking price this winter into the stratosphere.
The postseason is also where legacies are made.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is already one of the most productive sluggers in the storied franchise's history. He smashed 58 homers this season two years after a 62-homer campaign and his tape measure homers are the stuff of legend.
But he doesn't have a championship ring, and that's the expectation in the Bronx. The Yankees haven't won a title since 2009.
“I think there’s no question he’s one of the franchise’s greatest players,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But he’s playing for (championships). That’s why he does this, not to rack up personal accolades. He embodies that. He lives that. I’m sure winning it all would add a level to his legacy.”
Philadelphia's Bryce Harper is another one of this generation's great players who has never won a title. The two-time MVP led the Phillies to the World Series in 2022 — earning MVP of the National League Championship Series along the way — before losing to the Houston Astros for the title.
It's one of the few missing pieces of a stellar career.
“We’ve just got to play Philly baseball and continue to play,” Harper said after his team clinched the NL East.
There's little doubt that MLB is salivating over a potential Ohtani vs. Judge matchup in the World Series. This is Ohtani's first trip to the postseason in his seven-year career. He nearly won the National League Triple Crown this season, batting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases this season.
But the stats reset to zero when it comes to October.
Those who can deal with the pressure excel. Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez was the World Series MVP in 2015 and hasn't been back to the playoffs since. One decade later, he's relishing his return to fall baseball.
“Pressure? You get excited," Perez said. "Maybe a little more in playoffs. ... It’s just a game. You’re just competing and have fun and try to do the best to help your team to win. In playoffs, a little more. I think these guys, they’re ready.”
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York, and AP National Writer Howard Fendrich and AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in Baltimore contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
David Brandt, The Associated Press
