MLB Postseason: A Hobby Hero For Each of the ALDS Teams
The MLB Postseason continues with ALDS and NLDS. Each series offers players a chance at greatness, not just on the field, but in the hobby. October heroes become cardboard heroes. The Wild Card series gave us Pete Alonso and Jackson Chourio. The divisional series will provide more. Let’s look for a potential hobby hero for each team left standing.
Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers- Cleveland has a stable of overlooked players, but none more than Jose Ramirez. He’s on one of the quietest marches to the HOF in history. Knocking out Tim Anderson didn’t move the needle. Neither did an almost 40/40 season. Some Postseason glory might do the trick. The hobby has long slept on Ramirez and this could be the time he wakes collectors up.
Riley Greene has been as good as advertised but collectors have been slow to notice. Injuries wiped away much of the hype around Greene, but the 24-year-old has played at an All-Star level this year and his cards are primed to finally move if he can get some attention this October.
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals- The Yankees aren’t hurting for hobby-relevant players. Juan Soto is always right on the cusp of being the biggest thing in baseball. A World Series win with the Yankees and then re-signing with them is a surefire way to get there. Soto’s cards are up on the year but have cooled as collectors shifted to Ohtani. Let’s see if Soto can get the spotlight back.
The Royals have hobby-darling Bobby Witt Jr. and not much else in terms of hobby-relevant guys. Maybe collectors should take a look at Salvador Perez. The former World Series MVP has a chance to challenge Bill Freehan for the most All-Star appearances without making the HOF. On the other hand, another stellar MLB Postseason and a couple of more years of solid production and maybe Perez can make his way into the HOF.
