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In order to keep breathing, the New York Mets needed Noah Syndergaard.

In about the worst possible way imaginable before the very real threat of elimination would set in, the Mets needed Noah Syndergaard.

So, the 23-year-old fireballer with all of 150 major league innings to his name and a baby face peeking from his flowing hair gave the guys from Queens what they needed—a pitching performance good enough to win, regardless of what it looked like and no matter what route he took to the eventual destination.

In the face of virtual elimination, with his Mets down two games to none in the best-of-seven World Series, Syndergaard threw six innings, peppered with seven hits and a couple of walks. He allowed three runs—one on a passed ball—struck out six and got nearly as many swings-and-misses in his time (16) as there have been from all other starting pitchers combined in these three games (19). He also retired 13 of the last 16 batters he faced before he was done.

When the game ended, the Mets repaid their pitcher with gobs of run support, and they all left Citi Field with a 9-3 victory Friday night, pulling a little closer in this championship series against the Kansas City Royals, who still hold a 2-1 series advantage.

“He delivered,” Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters in his postgame press conference. “He came through exactly how we expected him to.”

Syndergaard did not start out dropping the hammer of Thor on everyone who stepped into the box, though. Early on, there was a twinge of panic. 

After his first pitch flew up and in to Royals leadoff man Alcides Escobar—which many of the Royals did not approve of, though they were met with defiance—Syndergaard gave up a double and single to Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain, respectively, and Zobrist scored on a fielder’s choice for a quick 1-0 lead.

After Mets captain David Wright homered to give the Mets the lead in the bottom of the first, Syndergaard coughed up another run by allowing three consecutive singles and a third score on a passed ball. His pitches were hard, but it did not stop the Royals from getting enough wood on them to make things seem like Syndergaard would not be long for Game 3, and that the Mets would have to cover too many innings with their bullpen in the first game of three in a row at home.

Before Syndergaard got out of that two-run second inning, Collins had Jon Niese warming in the bullpen, because even he knew the leash had to be short at the risk of finding his club one win away from watching the Royals celebrate on New York’s own diamond. 

“We swung the bat really good against him in the first two innings,” Royals manager Ned Yost told reporters in his postgame press conference. “If you’re going to get a really good pitcher, you better get him early. And we put some runs on the board against him early, but he settled in. He settled down and started throwing his secondary stuff for strikes and spotting his fastball better.”

Once that happened, Syndergaard was masterful. He struck out five in his next four innings, and the next baserunner did not come until there were two outs in the sixth inning. A single and a couple of walks loaded the bases for Kansas City, but on his 104th pitch, a slider, Syndergaard got Alex Rios to ground out to strand all three runners.

Should the Mets come back to win this seres, Noah Syndergaard retiring Alex Rios with the bases loaded is the moment it all started.

— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) October 31, 2015

Syndergaard was not dominant Friday night, except for a stretch of 12 consecutive hitters from the end of the second through two outs in the sixth. In fact, he had the same bottom-line results as Game 1 starter Matt Harvey, though one start was praised, while the other was tamped down.

Why? Because the Mets scored for Thor the way they could not for the Dark Knight. In Game 1, the Mets scored three runs while Harvey was in the game, and he left with it tied. In Game 3, Syndergaard got all nine runs and left (officially) with a six-run lead.

Harvey and Syndergaard had the same end result, three ER in six IP. One was considered a disappointment, one is widely being lauded.

— Peter Botte (@PeterBotte) October 31, 2015

Matt Harvey gave up 3 runs in 6 innings. Noah Syndergaard gave up 3 runs in 6 innings. The difference in perception is entirely run support.

— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) October 31, 2015

It does not matter how the Mets won, or who is celebrated in victory. Not now. Not when the Game 3 stakes were either get back into the series or have all hope sucked from your team. In that kind of circumstance, all that matters is the final score. And with that in play, Syndergaard did exactly what he had to for the Mets to get the win.

Now, they are in decent shape. They still trail by a game, but they are home with Steven Matz (2.58 ERA in eight major league starts, including the postseason) pitching against Kansas City’s Chris Young, who had a 4.52 FIP in 123.1 innings this season. Win that game, and things go from seemingly impossible for the Mets to somewhat favorable with co-aces Harvey and Jacob deGrom throwing the next two.

But before anyone could consider those possibilities, the Mets needed to keep breathing. And Noah Syndergaard, the young man with the superhero nickname, allowed them to do so.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired first-hand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The lead is now commanding, and the Kansas City Royals have their season-long goal within reach.

After Johnny Cueto once again reverted to ace form and led the Royals to a 7-1 Game 2 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals lead the best-of-seven World Series 2-0 as it heads back to Citi Field in New York on Friday. But despite the Mets getting the next three games in their yard, the Royals control the most important series of the year.

The first two games showed us Cueto’s outstanding pitching performance along with the Mets’ top two starters faltering, the hotness of Alcides Escobar and the cooling down of Daniel Murphy. It also showed us plenty of reasons why the Royals have won the first two games.

As the series heads into its first day off, we look back at what we’ve already seen.

Begin Slideshow

This thing started off with a historic bang. 

The Kansas City Royals’ 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday in Game 1 of the 2015 World Series, which lasted 14 innings and ended up being the longest opener in Fall Classic history, puts the Royals three wins away from the championship. But this series is far from decided despite that emotional come-from-behind win for the Royals.

The Mets can come right back and tie things up Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. All they have to do is follow the plan that got them here, which is centered on good-to-great starting pitching. However, the Royals’ game plan of steady defense, good relief pitching and high-leverage, timely hitting was on display for most of the first game, and those elements could be there in the second to give them a dominant advantage in this best-of-seven series.

Going into Wednesday’s game, both teams have clear objectives to fulfill. If they can, we might get another instant classic. If one club does and the other cannot, the odds definitively swing to one side based on these Game 2 keys for victory.

Jacob deGrom Must Be Sharp

The right-hander legitimized his ace-hood during a phenomenal All-Star Game performance, and his 13-strikeout outing in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers further solidified that fact.

However, the Mets opted to hand Matt Harvey the ball in Game 1 of the World Series because they felt deGrom was fatigued in his last postseason outings. He allowed only four runs over 13 innings in those games, but he had 17 baserunners in those two turns and allowed two home runs. That led to the Mets giving him the extra day of rest before handing him the Game 2 start.

“He’s been erratic with his command, and that to me is due to a little bit of fatigue,” manager Terry Collins told reporters last Friday. “So is it going to benefit us to start him and use him three times…?”

Now they get a somewhat fresh deGrom, who has not pitched since Oct. 20 on six days of rest. For the Mets to win this game, deGrom, the team’s No. 1 pitcher for the entire regular season, has to be sharp. The Royals are not a team that tends to miss a ton of scoring chances as the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs did against deGrom—Kansas City was second in the American League with a .281 average with runners in scoring position during the regular season.

If deGrom is back on his game as he was in Game 1 of the NLDS—seven shutout innings to go with those 13 strikeouts—he would put the Mets in position to level the series and swipe home-field advantage in what would then become a best-of-five World Series.

“I didn’t feel fatigued out there. I just felt I was having trouble locating, which happened to me early on this year,” deGrom told reporters Tuesday. “I don’t know if it was fatigue. I feel good now, so I don’t think the rest hurt me.”

As Johnny Cueto Goes, So Do the Royals

When Johnny Cueto has been good during his time with the Royals, which has spanned 16 starts including the playoffs, the team has gone 5-2 in games when he gives them at least a quality start—six innings, no more than three earned runs allowed. In the two losses, in which Cueto allowed four total runs, the Royals scored a total of five runs in those games.

The problem lately is Cueto has been a total enigma. The Royals do not know who is going to take the ball—the good Cueto or the one who finished the regular season with a 6.49 ERA in his final nine turns and allowed eight runs in two-plus innings in his lone American League Championship Series start against the Toronto Blue Jays.

“My ups and downs have been, it’s just part of the game,” Cueto told reporters Tuesday. “I’ve pitched some good games as well. Obviously the year is not over, and all I’m focused on is trying to go out and help this team win.”

The Royals getting that kind of help from Cueto has been a crapshoot lately.

MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac said on its postgame show:

We’re not sure which Johnny Cueto is going to show up: the Johnny Cueto in Game 5 of against the Houston Astros [in the AL Division Series] or the Johnny Cueto in Game 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays. I don’t think the Royals or [manager] Ned Yost know which Johnny Cueto is going to show up, and the proof in the pudding is he’s starting Game 2 and Game 6. They want him pitching at home.

There are no definitive splits that show Cueto is better at Kauffman Stadium than on the road, but it would be a fabulous time for him to become good again. He has been once in this postseason when he gave the Royals eight innings of two-run ball and eight strikeouts in the deciding Game 5 of the division series. If it’s that Cueto on Wednesday, the Royals could head to New York with a cushy 2-0 advantage.

Stingy Defense for Both Teams

Both teams are capable of playing good, even great, defense. However, Game 1 was highlighted by some critical misplays, and the three biggest ones all led to runs, including David Wright’s 14th-inning error that put the eventual game-winning run on base.

The Royals were the best overall defensive team in baseball this season, and it wasn’t even a close race. According to FanGraphs, The Mets were quite mediocre, but they have some capable defenders. The problem is they have to make plays when they arise, and it does not help that their Gold Glove center fielder, Juan Lagares, was on the bench during the outfield miscommunication that led to Alcides Escobar’s inside-the-park home run.

Michael Conforto thought Yoenis Cespedes called 1st-inning fly ball. Cespedes said he didn’t. Either way, they know it needed to be caught.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) October 28, 2015

Terry Collins indicated that Juan Lagares will start in center field in Game 2. That should push Cespedes to left field and Conforto to DH.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) October 28, 2015

Because every baserunner is so critical in a series like this, whichever team can player crisper, error-free defense will give itself a significant advantage in Game 2, which will alter the complexion of this series no matter which club wins.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This should be David Wright’s stage. 

This should be where the man once tagged as Captain America and the captain of the New York Mets, the only franchise for which he’s ever played, shined brightest. In David Wright’s first World Series, he should be the superstar of superstars. 

Unfortunately for him and his Mets, the 32-year-old, 12-year veteran is a falling star this October. Whether it is because of his wrenched, hurting, game-altering back or not, Wright’s lack of production has made him a slight liability during this postseason.

And while his defense has at times been outstanding, it was his botched ground ball and wide throw in the 14th inning that eventually led to the Kansas City Royals winning Game 1 of the World Series 5-4 at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night—or Wednesday morning, depending on your time zone.

Wright went 2-for-7 in the Fall Classic’s opener. He stranded four of the team’s 11 runners left on base, including stranding two after striking out in the 11th inning, and he was thrown out trying to steal in the ninth inning. For the postseason, he is now hitting .189/.348/.243 with 14 strikeouts and no home runs.

“It’s obviously a tough one to swallow, but once we leave the ballpark tonight we need to forget about it and start focusing on tomorrow’s game,” Wright told reporters after the game, as shown on MLB Network. “Coming into this we knew these guys were an excellent opponent, and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. These are the types of hurdles we’re going to have to clear if we expect to win this thing.”

Wright has not been a total disaster in his second postseason. He has acknowledged not feeling great because of the spinal stenosis that limited him to 38 games this season, but it has not completely hurt his entire game.

“I’ve been better,” Wright told reporters, including Dan Martin of the New York Post, during the National League Championship Series. “When you’re not feeling great at the plate, you try to work some walks and do other things in the game well. Hopefully the hits come and I can join in offensively.”

Wright has at least been able to get on base with those walks. He’s drawn nine in these playoffs, and he went into Game 1 Tuesday with a .359 OBP despite going 1-for-16 in the National League Division Series. He picked it up in the NLCS by going 4-for-14 with a .444 OBP, but there was no doubt he was having issues catching up to good fastballs and covering pitches down and away.

Both those problems could easily be related to a bad back.

“He’s just a little late,” Mets hitting coach Kevin Long told Martin. “He needs to be more ready to hit the fastball. It’s nothing more than that.”

Joe Buck just said David Wright is “dealing with a bad back this year.” That’s a heck of an understatement.

— Matt Foreman (@HypeProspect) October 28, 2015

Wright’s back certainly has not hurt his defense much, if at all.

He made more than one play in the NLCS that in no way suggested he was a third baseman in his 30s playing with a crippling back injury—watch them here. He looked agile and quite capable of being one of New York’s defensive pillars, as he has been at times throughout his career.

Wright showed off again Tuesday. He made a leaping play when he went up to snatch extra bases from Royals catcher Salvador Perez in the fourth inning of a tied game.

David Wright kept making Michael Jordan references in Chicago. Here, he does his best Jordan impression with a leaping catch to end the 4th.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) October 28, 2015

Unfortunately for the Mets’ chances of winning this series, Wright could not make the play on the ball hit just about right at him. And that likely had nothing to do with his aching back, but it definitely helped his club lose the first game of this series. 

Afterward, Wright said the error happened because of “an in-between hop,” per Matt Ehalt of the Record. Whatever it was, it hurt, as did his two-out strikeout with two runners on against Ryan Madson on a cutter down and away. That came five pitches after Wright got ahead in the count 3-0.

Great throw by Granderson but no escaping leadoff error by David Wright.

— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) October 28, 2015

The Mets now have to regroup and rebound. They still have the better starting pitching. They still have a lineup capable of getting on base and hitting for some power.

They also have their captain. He is still getting on base, and he is still a valuable glove at third base despite his costly error. However, if he stops drawing walks and continues to strike out, the value of his defense and his leadership will not trump his shortcomings. Then, no matter the reason, he will become a liability in this World Series.

For now, the Mets will ride him out because he is their franchise player, hurt or healthy.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Major League Baseball’s postseason can make stars out of the ordinary, and it can also legitimize existing ones. 

This year’s postseason is no exception, as it has already produced wonderful storylines for the likes of Daniel Murphy, Alcides Escobar and the New York Mets starting pitchers. With the World Series starting Tuesday night, those angles could continue to develop, or give way to new players to perform in the spotlight when the Mets and Kansas City Royals meet in the Fall Classic.

The World Series MVP trophy has been scattered between superstar players like Madison Bumgarner and David Ortiz as well as players with lesser reputations like Edgar Renteria and David Eckstein. Based on big names and recent postseason performances, choosing who could win the award in 2015 can be a somewhat accurate exercise.

Here is a look at which players in the World Series have the best chances to be forever known as its MVP, starting with the least-likely candidate, though that is hardly a negative.

Begin Slideshow

The shake-up in Los Angeles has already started. 

The Dodgers dropped the biggest, though hardly the most surprising, news of the day early Thursday morning when they and manager Don Mattingly mutually decided to separate. That is how the team has termed its parting with its manager, who was under contract through next season.

While this is a relatively significant happening for the Dodgers, it is far from their biggest decision as the offseason approaches for an organization entering its second winter under the direction of the Whiz Kid Dream Team—president Andrew Friedman, general manager Farhan Zaidi and senior VP of baseball operations Josh Byrnes, among others.

Zack Greinke’s pending and probable opt-out is easily the team’s biggest offseason event to this point. He is one of the game’s true aces and helped carry the Dodgers to a third consecutive National League West title in 2015 with arguably the best season of his stellar career.

Greinke has until the third day after the World Series to opt out of his current six-year, $147 million contract, of which he just completed his third season. He has $71 million remaining on the current deal, but he would get a significant raise—possibly more than 100 percent—on the open market. Team sources have told Bleacher Report they fully expect Greinke to become a free agent via that clause, and that belief has been reported by other sources as well.

How Greinke’s negotiations with the Dodgers, and other teams, play out over the next couple of months will have a seismic effect on the free-agent market and the Dodgers’ future.

“We’d love to keep him,” Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez told reporters, including MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer, after the team’s Game 5 loss to the New York Mets in the NL Division Series. “He’s a big part of this team. He’s been incredible the whole time he’s been here. We love him. We hope he opts to stay.”

Because Greinke has been so incredible in his three seasons with the Dodgers, and because he is coming off a historic season—1.66 ERA, 19-3 record, 225 ERA+, 0.844 WHIP—his opt-out could not come at a better time. It is totally reasonable to expect Greinke to command a deal of five or six years, and something in the area of $150 million is not so far-fetched, even with the known risks that accompany signing a pitcher entering his age-32 season.

Greinke openly spoke about the Dodgers offering him the most money as the reason why he ended up with them prior to the 2013 season, so there is little reason to think he would not make his next decision based on money. If that is the case, it is hard to see any organization being able or willing to outbid the Dodgers, who know better than anyone what Greinke’s production, even as it starts to decline, means to a rotation. Then again, the Dodgers’ analytical front office knows the inherent drawbacks of being saddled with an aging and/or declining player who is owed gobs of dough.

Mattingly couldn’t get out of the parking lot fast enough and it doesn’t matter who manages in 2016 unless they resign Greinke. #Dodgers

— Paul Lo Duca (@paulloduca16) October 22, 2015

If Greinke were willing to sign a shorter deal, say for four years, for less overall money, say $110 million for an average annual value of $27.5 million, the Dodgers might be fine with sliding that contract across the table—the AAV of that deal would be more than a six-year, $150 million one ($25 million). Also, Greinke, not known to hold his tongue or lie, thinks quite highly of his current organization.

“It’s got to be the best franchise in the game, I would think,” Greinke told reporters the night the team’s season ended. “They’re in a great situation.”

But what if Greinke wants something new? What if the Dodgers decide Greinke’s age and market value aren’t worth their nine figures? Then what?

Well, the Dodgers have plenty of other options.

This offseason’s free-agent market is loaded with starting pitching, most notably David Price. The problem with Price is that he could command around $200 million despite his shaky postseason performances, and the Dodgers already have an ace with a contract exceeding that mark in Clayton Kershaw. If the Dodgers were willing to go that route with Price, they might as well re-up with Greinke—signing both is highly unlikely, though not totally out of the question for a team that annually draws more than 3 million fans and has one of the largest television rights deals in the game.

If not Price or Greinke, then the Dodgers could pick from the likes of Johnny Cueto or Jordan Zimmermann. And if they want to sign another, Scott Kazmir, Jeff Samrardzija, Mike Leake and Yovani Gallardo are possibilities.

What is known for sure is that the Dodgers cannot and will not sit idle. They already parted with Mattingly, and parting with Greinke without replacing his production would be a step in the wrong direction, even with the underrated Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy expected back in the rotation at some point next season and Alex Wood expected to occupy a spot.

The Dodgers will not win with Kershaw and a cast of backup singers. They need another co-ace to pair with him. Who that might be all depends on how the market looks in about a month, and by being one of the heavy hitters, the Dodgers are likely to help shape it by attacking either Greinke or Price, or both or neither.

Because of their money, current standing and future outlook, the decision is theirs. And it will be their most critical of this offseason.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For all the numbers, data, formulas and eyeball scouting, the decision-makers in Major League Baseball are still human—sometimes.

They are prone to non-analytical judgments. They have feelings. They watch the postseason like everyone else. They feel the ups and the downs, and they see and feel the emotion involved with it all.

The point being, every year we see how the postseason can alter the free-agent and trade markets during the winter. Whether a player’s value drops or rises because of playoff performance, or a team realizes a weakness it needs to address, the postseason annually shifts the offseason landscape, even if it’s just a little bit.

Pablo Sandoval benefitted from this last year. After a playoff run with the San Francisco Giants that saw him bat .366/.423/.465 with an .888 OPS despite not hitting a home run, Sandoval’s value soared in the eyes of at least one organization, and the Boston Red Sox ended up paying him $95 million over five years.

It worked in the opposite way for James Shields. After he had a 6.12 ERA in five playoff starts for the Kansas City Royals last fall, Shields suddenly became even older, and the innings on his arm became heavier. Once seen as a premier free-agent pitcher, the right-hander waited until February before signing a four-year, $75 million deal with the San Diego Padres while other pitchers have routinely surpassed nine figures—age played a big role in those signings, but some had weaker track records than Shields.

We are nearly through this year’s postseason, and the same storylines have already played out for some players and teams. The market has been altered based on early postseason exits and individual performances. Eventually track records and age are the most important things in evaluating these situations, but there is no doubt the postseason can help or hurt certain cases.

Impact on Free Agency

The top free agents playing in this postseason were David Price, Zack Greinke, Yoenis Cespedes and Jason Heyward, in random order. None of them have used these playoffs to impact their future earnings more than Price, but keep in mind it always takes only one team to be willing to pay a top-end ticket.

It could be argued that through the regular season, Price was the top starter on the open market. After posting a 2.45 ERA and 161 ERA+, the left-hander could have been looking for a contract topping $200 million, putting him in the neighborhood of Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer.

However, Price has a 7.02 ERA in this postseason, and it is 5.65 over his last eight playoff appearances. He has been so questionable, the Toronto Blue Jays had the option of saving Price for a series-deciding Game 5 start in the American League Division Series, but they elected to use Price in relief instead and start Marcus Stroman in Game 5. That has given Price just two starts through Toronto’s first nine 10 games, which is more like a No. 3 or 4 starter rather than an ace.

Once again, though, it only takes one team willing to pay. With the Los Angeles Dodgers having their lack of rotation depth exposed in the National League Division Series and the New York Yankees lacking depth all season, Price can market himself to two of the richest franchises in sports history.

Greinke, Cespedes and Heyward have not done a whole lot to alter their stocks, although Heyward’s 1.080 OPS in 16 NLDS plate appearances was impressive. One man who has: New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy.

Crazy: https://t.co/DJZuzBSJUG #Stud pic.twitter.com/1SEUbIQuBQ

— MLB (@MLB) October 22, 2015

Murphy is hitting .421/.436/1.026 this postseason with an uncharacteristic seven home runs in nine games. Even with objective and informed front offices, that production could hold some weight. Then again, the fact that the Mets are reportedly unwilling to re-sign Murphy is a huge albatross on his eventual value.

“He’s been great, really great,” a source told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, “but it changes nothing.” 

Further hurting Murphy’s value is that the Mets now plan to make him a qualifying offer of $15.8 million because he’s been so good in the postseason, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. It’s likely a PR decision since the Mets do not want to pay him that much while they have a seemingly capable second base prospect in Dilson Herrera waiting his turn, but ultimately it could mean Murphy is shied away from because he would be tied to draft compensation.

His great postseason to this point has served him well, but it might also hurt him by pulling in a qualifying offer. Then again, there are always the Yankees with their hole at second base and short right field porch.

Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada has also helped his stock in this postseason with five earned runs allowed in three starts (19.1 innings, 2.33 ERA). It has not been a fluke, either, as his ERA in his final 20 regular-season starts was 2.62 in 123.2 innings.

His value won’t rise dramatically because he will be 33 next July, but he has established himself as a capable full-time back-end starter at the very least, and a quality No. 3 at best. Without a doubt, he has earned himself a strong market that could range from the Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox.

“He’s looking pretty,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told reporters. “He’s a free agent. The timing is important for him.”

Impact on Trade Market

The trade market has been affected much less by the postseason than the free-agent market, mainly because guys like Murphy and Estrada will be free agents. If they were under contract beyond this season, their trade values would have soared. Also, any team weakness exposed was already known. Still, the playoffs have highlighted certain needs for certain teams.

The Dodgers bullpen issues have been known for most of the regular season since its 3.91 ERA was in the bottom half of the National League. In this postseason, that jumped to 4.61 in 13.2 innings (seven earned runs) despite its 18 strikeouts. Setup man Chris Hatcher and closer Kenley Jansen were very good—not allowing a run and striking out seven in a combined seven innings. 

In fact, four other Dodger relievers were not scored on in the NLDS against the Mets, although none of them pitched more than 1.1 innings. All of the damage came against regular-season starter Alex Wood (four runs in two innings) and Pedro Baez (three runs in 0.1 innings over two appearances).

Again, this postseason did not expose what was unknown. And this is also not a complete teardown and rebuild for the Dodgers front office, which is heading into its second offseason. An arm here or there could suffice just fine, and if they aren’t wiling to pay for such arms, they could attempt to pry away quality arms from any number of teams, including the Kansas City Royals.

The Yankees played only one postseason game, losing the American League Wild Card, but the overall inconsistency and fragileness of their rotation all season has them in the market for starting pitching. If they aren’t willing to pay for it on the open market, they are likely to turn to trade options, which could include Shields, Tyson Ross or anybody the Oakland A’s employ.

Other playoff teams could be in on rotation parts as well. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs could be two of them, while the St. Louis Cardinals might be in the market for a bat.

Whatever way this postseason plays out, it has already affected the offseason transaction season. Exactly how much it has is a matter of waiting and seeing.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There is enough of a sample size to pass judgment.

The American League and National League Championship Series are both two games old, and both are somewhat surprisingly 2-0 in favor of the teams with home-field advantage. The Kansas City Royals and New York Mets are two wins away from heading to the 2015 World Series, but as the division series reminded us, you cannot count out the trailing teams. 

The Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs return home to try to climb back into their respective series, but through two games, the takeaways are not glowing for either club or some of their high-profile players. That makes their next three home games all the more critical, lest they want to head back on the road facing elimination.

Before we get there, though, here are five important conclusions based on the championship series to this point.

Begin Slideshow

With a sighing exhale of relief, the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals have survived.

Both teams’ American League Division Series were pushed to fifth and deciding games. At times in each series, the Blue Jays and Royals both looked left for dead before their incredible resurrections shoved them into this American League Championship Series, ripe with the league’s two best regular-season records.

The Blue Jays were the team that surged in the second half, spurred by key trades for David Price, Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins along with a boiling-hot offense and a revived R.A. Dickey. They eventually also got the services of Marcus Stroman, who ended up with a couple of quality starts in the ALDS against the Texas Rangers.

The Royals were the club that almost went wire-to-wire and ended with the best record in the Junior Circuit. They did it with the same core of budding stars they won the pennant with last season, helped this time around by Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto, trade-deadline acquisitions who, at times, were significant contributors to their run to and through the ALDS against the Houston Astros.

Now, with improbable series wins behind them, the Blue Jays and Royals face off in the ALCS with Game 1 kicking it off Friday in Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Begin Slideshow

We are completely through all but one Major League Baseball postseason division series and have plenty to take away from all four series and all eight participants.

Five teams in this year’s round were completely absent from the postseason a year ago, and those clubs have demonstrated how their systems have developed and acquired talent. They all have the potential to be legitimate threats to future World Series championships.

This round gave us three Game 5s in a best-of-five format, and rules that were unenforced, ignored or unknown played critical roles in each league’s 2015 narrative. This is a postseason that will affect how the sport is played and governed for years to come.

From Chase Utley’s slide to Russell Martin’s throw to Kyle Schwarber’s moonshot to Jose Bautista’s wood chuck, this division series round has been entirely memorable and impactful—and we still have one game left to play Thursday night.

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