Pedro Martinez makes thoughts clear on 2026 ALCS, NLCS matchups appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 MLB postseason is shaping to be one for the ages. After all, three of the four remaining teams in this year’s postseason reside in small markets, with the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Cleveland Guardians all putting together contending teams despite operating on shoestring budgets. The ultimate goal for all three teams as they navigate their respective championship series is to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that has stacked its team, and by extension, their odds to win a title every single season.
But at the end of the day, all four teams did not make it this far without playing excellent baseball in every facet of the sport. And Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez recognized that fans like the kind of baseball that every team is playing at this juncture of the postseason.
“I think the fans are liking the brand of baseball being played. We see it in Milwaukee, Cleveland, Tampa and the Dodgers are no strangers to playing baseball the right way. Pitching, defense, strategies. All of it! It’s loud and fun to watch! I love it!” Martinez wrote on his official account on X.
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Indeed, there have been plenty of pitching duels in the 2026 MLB postseason, which makes it so that every run scored feels much more important. The Brewers, Rays, and Guardians have also not been shy to deploy small-ball tactics when necessary, and they also try to wreak havoc on the basepaths in an attempt to chisel any kind of advantage.
All four teams know what is at stake. The Brewers and Rays have not won a World Series title in the history of their respective franchises. The Guardians have not won a title since 1948. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are gunning for a third-straight World Series title, which would make them just the third team in MLB history to do so.
The Brewers are in command of the NLCS, taking a 2-0 lead heading into Dodger Stadium. Meanwhile, the Rays are on track to tie the ALCS, as they lead the Guardians, 3-1, heading into the top of the ninth of Game 2.
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