Who should SF Giants fans root for in the MLB Postseason (Wild Card Round)?

With the SF Giants on the outside looking in this MLB postseason, which teams should fans be pulling for in the Wild Card Round?

The 2022 MLB regular season has come to a close, and the SF Giants missed the playoffs with an even .500 record. While the Giants postseason hopes are dashed, that should not stop fans from rooting for former Giants who still have a chance at winning the World Series this year. So here's a quick guide for fans.

2022 marks the first year of MLB’s expanded Wild Card round. Each Wild Card Series will consist of three games in one ballpark, with no travel. There will be no re-seeding or recalibration with records; the winner of each series will go on to play either the 1 or 2 seed in a full seven-game divisional series. Here’s our breakdown of who to root for:

National League Playoffs:

• Byes: No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 2 Atlanta
  
• Wild Card Series: No. 5. San Diego Padres at No. 4 New York Mets
• Wild Card Series: No. 6. Philadelphia Phillies at No. 3 St. Louis Cardinals

Mets ace Jacob deGrom throws a pitch / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Who should SF Giants fans root for?
Padres at Mets

As noted, without reseeding, the winner of the Padres-Mets will head to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers. Giants fans may take great joy in seeing the Padres take on the Dodgers, and San Diego also has former Giants pitcher Pierce Johnson on their roster. Still, fans might want to consider rooting for the Mets in this series.

At the trade deadline, Giants fan favorite Darin Ruf was sent to New York in exchange for several players, a deal that has worked out quite well for San Francisco. In 2021’s NLDS series against the Dodgers, Ruf came up big for the Giants, tying game 5 at 1-1 with a powerful 452-foot home run. Ruf has struggled in New York but has a chance to be on their playoff roster. Furthermore, the Mets star-studded rotation should be a more formidable opponent against the Dodgers.

Pick: Mets

Who should SF Giants fans root for?
Phillies at Cardinals

Giants fans will remember the Cardinals being a long-time thorn in the side of their postseason hopes, going back to the ‘80s. Albert Pujols, who spent the first 11 years of his career in St. Louis, is closing out his final season with them this year and has had a resurgent bat, reaching the 700 home run milestone just a few weeks ago. He and his longtime friend and teammate, Yadier Molina, will be retiring together at the end of the season. The Cards also have a pair of former Giants on the roster in Jose Quintana, who will start Game 1 of the series, and former Giants first-round pick Chris Stratton.

However, the longtime postseason rivalry between the Cardinals and Giants makes it easier for me to root for the Phillies. The Giants acquired backup catcher Austin Wynns for pitcher Michael Plassmeyer earlier this year, and Plassmeyer has joined the Phillies’ postseason roster.

Pick: Phillies

American League:

• Byes: No. 1 Houston Astros and No. 2 New York Yankees
• Wild Card Series: No. 5 Seattle Mariners at No. 4 Toronto Blue Jays
• Wild Card Series: No. 6 Tampa Bay Rays at No. 3 Cleveland Guardians

Former SF Giants catcher Curt Casali throws a ball to first base for the Mariners / Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Who should SF Giants fans root for?
Mariners at Blue Jays

The Mariners completed 2022 with an electric run to the playoffs, marking their first appearance in the postseason in 21 years. Their squad is a mix of young talent and veteran players, with all eyes on emerging star Julio Rodriguez. Giants clubhouse favorite Curt Casali and reliever Matt Boyd, who were traded to the Mariners at the deadline, have both been nice veteran additions for their second-half run.

While it would be easy for Giants fans to root for the Mariners’ Cinderella story, Casali, and Boyd, the Toronto Blue Jays make a compelling case as well. Kevin Gausman, an important piece of the 2020-21 Giants’ starting pitcher rotation, joined the Blue Jays in the offseason, his signature splitter helping him post a 12-10 record with a 3.35 ERA and 205 strikeouts this season.

Pick: Toss Up

Who should SF Giants fans root for?
Rays at Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians have put together a wonderful 2022 season at 92-70. Rookie Steven Kwan, a Fremont native who grew up a Giants fan attending games at Oracle Park, had an excellent start to his season and remains a key contributor. The Rays have the only player in the series who has spent time in the Giants organization, José Siri, but Kwan and his immense Bay Area pride is too fun not to root for.

Pick: Guardians

Games begin on Friday, with the Rays taking on the Guardians at 9:07 AM Pacific Time on ESPN. The entire Wild Card Round will be broadcast on either ESPN or ABC.