MLB wild card winners' players to watch

The slate is wiped clean when the calendar turns to October in baseball. Especially if your favorite team is not playing October baseball, here are some players to keep your eye on while baseball is still being played.

The first player to keep your eyes peeled for is Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers. The AL CY Young hopeful had a 2024 to remember, posting an AL-leading 2.39 ERA and pitching a gem in six scoreless innings in Game 1 of the 2024 AL Wild Card Series.

Skubal was consistently the bright spot for Detroit all year. To silence the defending champs in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series is no small feat.

The second player to be on the lookout for is Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals. In the 2024 Regular Season, Perez led all major league catchers with 104 RBIs

Perez is also a seasoned veteran in the postseason for the Royals. He was instrumental in the Royals’ 2015 World Series run. His leadership fits in perfectly, especially into the young team that is the Royals.

J.D. Martinez of the New York Mets should not be forgotten in their 2024 postseason run. The 37-year-old’s career is on its way out, but he is not to be underestimated.

Martinez hit only .235 with 26 home runs this regular season, but in his postseason career, he is hitting .293 with 10 home runs in 123 at-bats. Similar to Perez, his veteran presence is an anchor for this Mets team.

The San Diego Padres have a team full of exciting talent to watch this October. The player to watch from them in the 2024 postseason is Fernando Tatis Jr.

Tatis Jr. only played a partial season, but that didn’t stop him from hitting .276 with 21 home runs and 49 RBIs. He had a relatively modest regular season, but he has raked in his postseason career, batting .370 in 27 ABs.

Another player to keep an eye on is Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals. He took an astronomical jump in his third big-league season.

Witt Jr. led the MLB in batting average at .332. He also led all players on the Royals in virtually every offensive category.

The final player that is must-see TV when he gets the ball is Michael King of the Padres. He is really racking up the strikeouts nowadays, which makes him very interesting to watch.

Keep an eye out for his above-average changeup. He mixes it with his fastballs very well, and it is devastating when he messes up the opposing batters’ timings with it.

There is nothing like October baseball. It can be fun to watch even if your team is not competing for a championship. Keep an eye out for these players to tear it up in the 2024 MLB postseason.

Chase Yingling is a third-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cey5100@psu.edu.