2024 WILD CARD PREVIEW
WRITTEN BY: MIKE GUISTOLISE
It all came down to the regular season finale on Sunday, but the 2024 Frontier League Playoffs are finally set.
On Tuesday, the postseason will finally begin with two separate Wild Card matchups:
EAST DIVISION - OTTAWA TITANS @ TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS
The ValleyCats went through a rollercoaster of a season where they bounced in and out of the playoff picture in the Frontier League East Division. However, the 'Cats caught fire in the second half and finished the final month going 17-10. The question now becomes if Tri-City can hold its own against the upper echelon of their division. The ValleyCats dropped five of their six matchups with Ottawa after the All-Star break while being outscored 44-17. That being said, Tri-City holds two advantages:
1.) The ValleyCats are hosting this season's East Wild Card game at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. They hold a 28-19 home record in 2024 and won four of the last six in Troy.
2.) Tri-City's offense has solid all season, ranking in the top-five in terms of total runs (528) while being in the top half in team batting average (.261). Ottawa, on the other hand, ranks 10th in the league in terms of total run production and the bottom three in the East.
For Ottawa, it will all come down to their pitching. Right-hander Tyler Jandron will toe the rubber for the Titans in a do-or-die game after putting together an excellent season, gathering a 3.61 ERA and an 8-6 record across 20 games (18 starts).
Ottawa's pitching staff has a top-five team ERA (4.20). With closer Erasmo Pinales lurking in the back of the bullpen, Ottawa just needs to grab the lead in any way it can and trust its pitching staff to carry the team to the Divisional round.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
For Tri-City, all eyes should be on All-Star Catcher Oscar Campos. The backstop/designated hitter for the ValleyCats has put together his most impressive season to date in the Frontier League, leading the team in home runs (11) and RBIs (62). Campos, a former Frontier League Player of the Week, will be coming into the playoffs hot after ending the closing out the season with six RBIs in the final six games.
For the Titans, all eyes will be on their star third baseman AJ Wright. AJ earned All-Frontier League honors at third base after a fabulous third season in Ottawa where he set career-highs in batting average (.307), hits (104), and slugging percentage (.477). Wright also took home a Player of the Week award this season and was named the starting third baseman for the East Division All-Stars.
GAME DETAILS
FIRST PITCH: 6:30 PM EDT at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium (Troy, NY)
TV/RADIO: FloSports, CKDJ 107.9 radio in Ontario
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Tyler Jandron (Ottawa) vs. RHP Wes Albert (Tri-City)
WEST DIVISION - LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS @ GATEWAY GRIZZLIES
The Gateway Grizzlies and the Lake Erie Crushers both enjoyed successful seasons but entered the postseason under contrasting circumstances. For the Grizzlies, they finished up the final month of the season with a 19-9 record including a stretch where they won seven in a row from August 15-22. During that time was also when Grizzlies right-hander Deylen Miley turned in one of the best pitching performances of the season, a 16-strikeout masterpiece where he sat down a record-setting 10 consecutive batters on strikes. As coincidence would have it, Miley will be on the mound for Gateway on Tuesday.
Lake Erie on the other hand stumbled significantly after the break, dropping from half a game back from the Frontier League West Division lead to nearly missing the playoffs entirely. It all came down to the final day of the regular season when the Schaumburg Boomers lost both games of their doubleheader, helping the Crushers to secure the final postseason spot. The issues have come on the offensive side; Lake Erie has averaged under four runs per game after the All-Star Game, including being shut out six times — which includes the scoreless game win in this case. If the trend continues, the Crushers' exit from the playoffs will expedited. On the bright side, the Crushers have won twice despite only having one hit, with one of those wins coming against Miley and the Grizzlies.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Grizzlies' first baseman Peter Zimmermann was a man on a mission during the final weeks of the regular season, closing out the final month of the season with a three-home run game and his second Player of the Week honors of the year, and became the first player in Gateway franchise history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single season. Where Zimmermann goes is typically where the Gateway offense goes.
For the Crushers, they will likely be hoping for a breakout performance from designated hitter Vincent Byrd Jr. When Byrd is hot, he is one of the most dangerous power bats in the league, as showcased by his team-leading 15 home runs. When he isn't, the Crushers go quiet, and bad things tend to follow.
GAME DETAILS
FIRST PITCH: 6:30 PM CDT at Grizzlies Ballpark (Sauget, IL)
TV/RADIO: FloSports, Grizzlies Media Network
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP: LHP Darrien Ragins (Lake Erie) vs. RHP Deylen Miley (Gateway)
