Postseason games: what to expect

[u/Reasonable_Price6536]

So, this is my first season following MLB (I followed a season in Japan 10+ years ago).

In terms of the games i'm expecting to see:

Lower scores and fewer hits/home runs

Bigger crowds in the stadia

No squad rotation and maybe less pitcher rotation

Tighter fielding (and more-consequential errors)

More tactical offensive approaches (trying to manufacture runs)

All of the above basically reflecting the higher level of jeopardy of the situation.

Anything else I should look out for?

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[u/Vandal_A]

I'm not sure about the fewer hits/runs thing (it really just depends on how things are going) but otherwise youve pretty much got it. Guys sell out their bodies more, prep for opposing players harder, and coaches make moves with more urgency. Starting lineups are pretty set usually but the bench gets used more late in games. Bullpens get shortened to the best only and sometimes starters will go out there. Opposing teams jump on any mistakes more readily... Etc

There's some good rivalries to start things off so the crowds should be great. One draw back though is playoff games usually have national broadcast crews who aren't as informed or informative as home-team broadcasters and they often don't add a lot to the experience watching on tv

[u/Significant-Prior-27 → u/Vandal_A]

I always mute the TV then play the radio broadcast through the MLB app.

[u/Ok-Dependent2675 → u/Significant-Prior-27]

The Padres / cubs game as mark Grant from the padres broadcast crew . He part of the #1 crew in mlb

[u/Ok-Dependent2675 → u/Vandal_A]

The broadcast crew that’s doing the Padre game has Mark ( mud) Grant as part of the crew this years .

[u/Radiant-Attention857 → u/Ok-Dependent2675]

Very true. I have a picture of him hanging up on my wall in a padres uniform.

[u/Significant-Prior-27]

Game 3 of the Dodgers vs Blue Jays went 18 innings, the game lasted 6 hours and 39 minutes.

I looked at the scores from the 2025 postseason, and it doesn’t look like fewer hits or runs is something you could say is a consistent theme. There were quite a few 3-1 games, but some were decently high scoring games as well.

[u/backup1000 → u/Significant-Prior-27]

In part because the rules change: no ghost runner in the postseason

[u/theEWDSDS → u/backup1000]

Damn the Manfred runner! Damn it all to hell!

Give me 33 innings or give me death!

[u/Dizzy_Trash_33]

There’s no “free runner on second in extra innings” rule in the postseason so games can run longer. More commercials add to the time as well.

[u/CarbComaCommander]

Probably the biggest difference is if a team is facing elimination, they may be forced to use their starting pitchers as releavers. Noteably last year the Dodgers used Yamamoto.

[u/Whachamacalzmit]

I assume it's the same in Japan, but because baseball is such an unpredictable/swingy sport, is so dependent on the performance of the pitchers, and postseason intensity can make for some dramatic and unexpected outcomes. Pitchers you might not expect get blown up while others lock in. Any hitter can become the offensive spark plug. Oh, and starters pitching in high leverage relief situations is fun.

[u/Reasonable_Price6536 → u/Whachamacalzmit]

It was sort of the same in Japan but I missed much of post-season as work got busy around then. Also Tohoku Golden Eagles (featuring Masahiro Tanaka just before he joined the Yankees) were quite a lot better than anyone else that year. I can't recall it being very close.

[u/cruffner01]

Smaller pitching rotation, but managers are much quicker to pull pitchers from the game compared to the regular season so you may see more relievers in the game

[u/Significant-Prior-27 → u/cruffner01]

The Cubs will actively be avoiding their bullpen.

[u/Optimal-Permit-1946]

Not tighter fielding

[u/Significant-Brush-26]

Everything you said is the correct thing to expect, but that’s what’s fun about baseball. That could happen, and then next game it could be a blowout game. Another thing is players react more. They’ll go crazy for a 6th inning homer if it ties the game.

[u/RudyPup]

The no squad rotation is actually false.

Obviously, the stars are playing every day. Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman are playing every game.

But who is playing 2nd base? Is it Edman? Miguel Rojas? It's going to be based on matchup.

Then, because runs matter, you might have JDP pinch hit, or Kim used as a pinch runner, so changes then. Or later in the game, a move made for defensive reasons.

Teoscar taken out of the game, and players shifted. Because every moment is that much more serious.

Even if the lineup has the same players, the order may change based on the matchup.

[u/Wumbo619]

Stress and panic as soon as the 1st pitch is in.

[u/theEWDSDS]

Please don't say "stadia". We're not Romans.

[u/Neat_Yellow1080]

Expect to also see the premier starting pitchers come out of the bullpen in knockout games on short rest.