The Wild Card era of baseball officially began 21 years ago this season. While it was initially met with resistance, the additional round of baseball has created many harrowing moments in the game, and has even seen teams crowned champion who wouldn’t have the chance in the old playoff system.
Let’s look back and recall the 10 greatest Wild Card teams that appeared in the MLB Playoffs.
#10
San Francisco Giants (2002)
The Giants ended the ‘02 season with a record of 95-66, an impressive record for a second place team (finishing a scant 2.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks). 2002 was the height of the Barry Bonds era. Prior to this season, Bonds hadn’t had much success in the playoffs. But he was coming off a year in which he shattered an 80 year old slugging percentage record set by Babe Ruth himself. Bonds played a key role in the playoffs this season, smacking 7 homers including one that made an opposing player say “That’s the furthest homerun I’ve ever seen.” Other stand outs on the team included Jeff Kent (108 RBI) and a pitching staff anchored by Jason Schmidt.
The Giants took out the Atlanta Braves 3 games to 2 in the first round, then plugged the Mark McGwire led Cardinals in 5, making it to the World Series. In the Series, the Giants offense pushed the team as far as it could go, including planting 16 runs on the board in an all-important Game 5. But by Game 7, the sporadic pitching staff finally fell apart, and the offense couldn’t solve John Lackey and the Angels.
#9
St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
The Cards picked up the Wild Card nod with a 90-72 mark, edging out the Atlanta Braves by a single game. The interesting thing about this Cardinals team was their way to win unremarkably. They didn’t feature a single player with over 100 RBI’s (Albert Pujols led the team with 99) nor a pitcher with over 14 wins (Kyle Lohse, 14-8, 3.39 ERA). They weren’t a grand team, but they found ways to win. This wound up being Pujols’ final season in St. Louis, and he made the most of it.
The first round series against the 102-win Phillies was arguably their greatest challenge of the playoffs, culminating in a 5-game series ending when Chris Carpenter out-dueled Roy Halladay in a 1-0 clincher. They brought the lumber and took down the MVP Ryan Braun and the division winning Brewers in 6 games. And squaring off against the Texas Rangers, they again found any way they could to stay in the game (as the back and forth tussle of an 11-inning come from behind victory to stave off elimination could attest to.) The 2011 National League Wild Cards hoisted the World Series trophy thanks in large part to another gem by Chris Carpenter.
#8
Colorado Rockies (2007)
The Rockies finished in a virtual tie atop the NL West, but tiebreakers gave it to the Arizona Diamondbacks outright. At 90-72, the Rockies owned a better record than either of the other division winners. The Rockies got national attention with their demonstrative offense, featuring five players smacking in over 90 runs, three of them grossing over 110 (Matt Holliday led the league with 137). With Brad Hawpe, Garrett Atkins, and Todd Helton behind him, the team turned in the most prolific offensive squad in team history. The pitching, however, remained an achilles’ heel; in a six-man rotation, not one had an ERA under 4.10 (Aaron Cook at 4.12 in 25 starts).
The Rockies dropped the Phillies in 3 straight, including an astonishing pitching gem by Ubaldo Jiminez during the deciding game (in Coors Field, no less--a 2-1 pitcher’s duel with Jamie Moyer). They continued their timely hitting against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS, wiping them out in 4 straight games. No one had ever swept their way into the World Series, and the Rockies looked like they could just out score anyone with a “just-enough” pitching staff. But they ran into the buzzsaw known as the Boston Red Sox. The Sox power hungry lineup easily bested the patchwork pitching staff of the Rockies, dealing them 4 straight losses and a defeat in their only World Series appearance thus far.
#7
New York Mets (2000)
The Mets of the late 90’s were akin to the New York Knicks during the mid-90’s. They were the greatest team on that side of the conference… except when it came to one team. For the Knicks, it was the Chicago Bulls. And for the New York Mets, they were continually foiled by the Atlanta Braves. It was an advantage when they didn’t have to see the Braves in the playoffs that year.
Not to cheapen the 2000 Mets’ accomplishments, because they truly had a championship caliber team. The defense was one of the best in majors thanks in large part to Mike Bordick stepping in for the injured Rey Ordonez. Mike Piazza rolled with the offense in his prime, clubbing 38 homers and leading the team with 118 RBI’s. Edgardo Alfonzo was the grease that got the cogs moving with a shiny .324/.425/.542 sash paired with 109 runs. Al Leiter was the senior citizen on the pitching staff, but he performed at the top of his game, paired with Mike Hampton who pitched admirably.
The Mets played cardiac kids, winning 2 of their 3 playoff games against the Giants in extra innings. In the NLCS, they saw the St. Louis Cardinals, fresh off a dumping of bitter rival Atlanta Braves. And the Mets responded in kind, stomping the Cards in 5 games thanks in large part to two shutouts by Mike Hampton. Any other year, the Mets would have had a decent shot at the title. But they were overmatched against the big bad Yankees in the prime of their 90’s dynasty. The Mets only mustered up 1 win thanks to a late game double by Benny Agbayani in Game 3.
#6
Anaheim Angels (2002)
The World Series of 2002 featured the first matchup between both NL and AL Wild Card teams. The 2002 Angels have the honor of having the best record of any Wild Card team of all time, winning the playoff spot with a 99-63 record, still 4 games back of the AL West champion Oakland A’s. The Angels were a dominating force who could do it all, with scrappy contact hitters Darin Erstad and David Eckstein setting the table, and sluggers Garrett Anderson and Troy Glaus knocking them in (123 and 111 RBI’s respectively). The pitching staff was an amalgamation of grizzled veterans and upcoming prospects meshing with a potent bullpen. In short, the Angels were a championship team posing as a Wild Card.
The Angels first broke the stranglehold the New York Yankees had on the American League by being the first AL team to defeat them in four years, fairly handily 3 games to 1 (dismantling their legendary pitching staff at that, planting 9 runs in each of their wins). In the ALCS, the Angels dropped Game 1 to the Minnesota Twins, but steamrolled their way to 4 straight and an AL pennant, thanks in large part to Adam Kennedy and John Lackey. And the World Series against fellow Wild Card team, the San Francisco Giants, proved evenly matched, plugging huge run totals on the board to tie up the series. It was upcomer John Lackey who sealed the deal with a 1 run gem in Game 7.
#5
Florida Marlins (2003)
The Marlins flew under the radar for much of the 2003 season. Even after a hot start in May and June, many expected them to go quietly into the season just as they had in recent seasons. But the chemistry between the team pushed the Marlins into the limelight. Many questioned Ivan Rodriguez’s decision to sign with the Marlins after his exodus from the Rangers, but his presence on the team confirmed his leadership abilities. And his ability to manage a young pitching staff was on display, leading players like Brad Penny, Carl Pavano, and Josh Beckett into prominence. Also, there was a guy named Dontrelle Willis taking the league by storm. It was the Perfect Storm of talent, chemistry, and anonymity. A team without expectations can go far traveling under the radar.
The Marlins took the Wild Card with a 91-71 record, well behind the division winning Atlanta Braves. They shocked the world by taking out the defending NL champion San Francisco Giants in the first round, 3 games to 1. And their NLCS matchup against the Chicago Cubs has been highly scrutinized in the past 13 years. The Marlins won the series in dramatic 7-game fashion. And once again facing limited expectations, the Florida Marlins shut down the New York Yankees thanks in large part to the brilliant pitching of Josh Beckett. The ‘03 Florida Marlins may have been the most unlikely Wild Card champion in the history of baseball.
#4
Kansas City Royals (2014)
Speaking of unexpected, the meteoric rise of the Kansas City Royals shows the dividends it pays to get hot at the right time. On July 22, 2014, the Royals were 48-50 and 8 games behind in the AL Central. They then won 24 of the next 30 games, and found themselves in sole possession of first place by 3 games. The Detroit Tigers got on a hot streak of their own and sniped the division in the last week, but the Kansas City Royals snagged the top Wild Card spot and made their first playoff appearance since 1985. And they did it with a team of virtual unknowns who have now become household names: Hosmer, Moustakas, Aoki, Salvador Perez.
Major League Baseball had expanded the playoffs and awarded two Wild Card teams per league now which would be played in a 1-game playoff to increase drama and give more advantage to a division winner. The Royals overcame a four run, 8th inning defecit and stormed back to defeat the Oakland A’s in the Wild Card game. After that, it was smooth sailing for the upstart Blues. They dispatched World Series favored Angels in a 3 game sweep, and moved onto the ALCS where they trucked the Baltimore Orioles in a 4 game sweep. The Royals pulled off an unbelievable 8 game playoff winning streak. The World Series was back and forth much of the time with the San Francisco Giants, but in the end they couldn’t solve Madison Bumgarner. Still, the white hot winning streak they blazed from the middle of July into the World Series will long be remembered as the season the Royals took the baseball world by storm. .
#3
Florida Marlins (1997)
The Marlins of ‘97 were the very first team to directly benefit from the expanded playoffs. At 92-70, they finished well behind the Braves for the NL East crown, but took advantage of the Wild Card to claim their first playoff appearance. The team was centered around a solid pitching staff, aced by Kevin Brown (16-8, 2.69 ERA, 205 K, received several Cy Young votes) and Al Leiter. The lineup consisted of young, upcomers who would go on to be some of the biggest names in the league--Edgar Renteria, Gary Sheffield, Cliff Floyd, Moises Alou--all hitting around renaissance veterans Bobby Bonilla, Jeff Conine, and Devon White. Only the fifth year of their existence, the Marlins weren’t expected to compete for years in a competitive division like the NL East.
The Marlins kicked off the playoffs against the San Francisco Giants by winning games 1 and 2 in walk off fashion on game winning RBI singles by Renteria and Alou respectively. They knocked the San Francisco Giants out the next game to complete the 3 game sweep. They faced the two-time defending NL pennant winner and heavily favored Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. The Marlins managed to chase Atlanta’s three-headed monster of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz (20 runs scored in 5 games), and counter attack with rookie sensation Livan Hernandez shutting down the Atlanta offense. Florida had done the improbable and defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-2. The ‘97 World Series is often ranked as one of the greatest played in the modern era, featuring the Marlins and the Cleveland Indians. The Marlins offense stepped up, averaging 8 runs in their 4 World Series wins. It culminated in one of the most memorable Game 7’s in World Series history. Jaret Wright and the Indians shut down the offense for 7 innings until Bobby Bonilla struck a solo shot, and Craig Counsell tied the game in the 9th inning on a sac fly. Edgar Renteria drove in the game and series winning RBI with a single in the bottom of the 11th. The 1997 Florida Marlins won over many of the detractors of expanded playoffs with their spirited play and championship caliber.
#2
San Francisco Giants (2014)
The 2014 World Series was only the second time in baseball history that two Wild Card teams met for the championship. It was doubly as impressive considering the expansion to two Wild Card teams per league in attempts to put non-division winners at a disadvantage. But a championship team will overcome adversity, and the San Francisco Giants did all that. The Giants were thwarted for the division by their arch rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. But their 88-74 record was good enough for the second wild card spot. The Giants did not blow away their opponents--Buster Posey led the team in most offensive categories, but only topped out at 22 homeruns, 89 RBI’s, and an .854 OPS. They struggled at times during the regular season. But as they say, the playoffs are the start of a brand new season. And the Giants did not disappoint.
The Giants were a completely different team when the playoffs began. Madison Bumgarner dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Wild Card game, going for a complete game, 10 K shutout. They then rolled over the Washington Nationals, 3 games to 1, including a marathon 18-inning affair in Game 2. The NLCS was much hyped and believed to be evenly matched between the Giants and Cardinals. The Giants dismantled St. Louis in a quick 5 game series. The Giants reached the World Series for the third time in five years. Even facing the white-hot Kansas City Royals, the Giants cooled their jets with timely hitting, solid defense, and Madison Bumgarner establishing himself as one of the most dominant World Series pitchers ever. His World Series stats were off the charts, finishing with a 0.43 ERA (1 ER in 21 IP), 0.476 WHIP (9 H, 1 BB in 21 IP), and 17 K’s, and baseball’s first 5 inning save to make sure San Francisco took home the trophy. Only 88 wins in the regular season, but the 2014 Giants played like 120 game winners in the playoffs.
#1
Boston Red Sox (2004)
The heart of the Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees rivalry came to a thrilling climax in the fall of 2004. In the early part of the decade, and for much of the century before that, the Red Sox had played second fiddle to the Yankees, planting 90+ win seasons in the books without a division title to show for it. The Sox took advantage of the Wild Card implementation, snagging the extra playoff spot 7 times in the first 14 years of Wild Card baseball. No one took advantage more than the 2004 Red Sox.
The Sox finished 98-64 that season, and chased the Yankees and the division all season long. They opened up postseason play with a sweep of the Anaheim Angels thanks in large part to Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez shutting down the offense, and David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez leading the charge at the plate.
Then came the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. It was a repeat of the previous season that saw the Red Sox push the Yankees, but New York winning in extra innings of Game 7, and the name Aaron *bleeping* Boone becoming part of Yankee lore. But the most magical moment in Red Sox lore was still to come. The Yankees jumped out and won games 1, 2, and 3 with relative ease, putting the Sox against the wall early. In Game 3, the Yankees clobbered the Sox with 19 runs, and many saw that as an omen. It was… just for the New York Yankees.
In Game 4, the Yankees held a 1-run lead in the bottom of the 9th. At the time, David Roberts’ steal of second seemed haphazard and reckless. He wasn’t given a sign, but took off anyway. He was safe, and Bill Mueller poked the ball into center field to score Roberts and tie the game. In the bottom of the 12th, David Ortiz clocked the game winning homerun. Game 5 saw the same thing; a Yankee lead late in the game, and a historic homerun hit by Ortiz. The game went into extra innings again, and Ortiz won it on a single off Esteban Loiaza. Game 6 was the infamous “bloody sock” game, a masterpiece pitched by Curt Schilling with his achilles one suture away from tearing. Completing the unlikely comeback, the Sox left little doubt scoring early and often in Game 7.
The Boston Red Sox became the first team in history to recover from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. And if embarrassing their rivals wasn’t enough, the ‘04 Red Sox went into the World Series and smoked the St. Louis Cardinals, winning their first World Series in 86 years in just four games.
The 2004 Boston Red Sox will live on in the pantheon of baseball lore. And it all was thanks to the Wild Card expansion of 1995.
We’ll see if the 2016 Mets, Giants, Blue Jays, or Orioles can create the kind of magic it takes to be a successful, championship Wild Card team.
