2020 MetroWest Playoff Preview

(Medway, Mass.) - It is only fitting that the BMBL division to kick off the 2020 regular season is the first to kick off the 2020 postseason and crown a champion.

The MSBL MetroWest (MWL) 2020 season was limited to just 12 regular season games, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the 2019 champion Northborough Cardinals opt out of the season — and the chance to defend their title.

Nevertheless, the MWL carried on with seven teams and for what seems like the first time in league history, the MWL did not experience any rain outs for the entirety of the shortened season.

The league also welcomed in the Metrowest Astros, under the management of Mike DiPalma, who guided his team to a 3-9 finish in their first season.

At the end of the regular season, only four teams would advance on to the 2020 postseason. The 13-time league champion Orioles (10-2) once again remained at the top of the standings, earning the No. 1 seed by virtue of a coin flip over the No. 2 seeded and three-time champion Metrowest Royals, who also finished with a 10-2 record.

Rounding out the playoff field of four was the Douglas Tigers (8-4), owners of the No. 3 seed — and the Grafton Braves, who locked in the final spot with a 6-6 regular season record.

Below is a recap and preview of each of the four playoff teams:

No. 1 seed - Metrowest Orioles (10-2 overall, won coin flip)

The Orioles enter the 2020 playoffs as the perennial powerhouse, having captured the league's best overall regular-season record in four of the last five seasons. 2018 Cy Young Award winner Brian Lindsey spearheaded the Orioles' efforts with another outstanding season on the mound, going a perfect 6-0 with a 1.16 ERA, including wins over all three playoff teams. Andrew Kelley and Steve Cadoret round out the pitching staff for Manager Chris Currie, who is in his 14th season as skipper of the team and has four league titles under his belt.

Offensively, the Orioles recovered from the off-season loss of 2019 league-MVP Matt DiTullio (sitting out due to health reasons), as fellow bash brother Steve Paddock turned in a MVP-type season. The right-handed hitter pummeled the opposition this summer, finishing with a .500 average (15-for-30) with 2 home runs and 15 RBI's. Veteran Chris Deane set the table to Paddock and the birds as he scored a league-high 18 runs while batting .487 with 7 stolen bases.

No. 2 seed - Metrowest Royals (10-2 overall, lost coin flip)

After a disappointing ending to the 2019 season, the Royals vowed to return to their winning ways in 2020. The three-time league champions (2013, 2016 & 2018) relied heavily on a core group of veterans while also adding some new blood to the family in 2020. The pitching staff was guided by the dominance of Chris Dion, who went a league-best 6-0 with a 1.23 ERA, and Ian Pierce, who finished at 3-2 and a 2.41 ERA. The pair of southpaws accounted for 85% of the innings pitched for the blue and white.

On the offensive side, Manager Anthony Perry was able to acquire the talents of Alex Wong (.429 Avg.) and Nicholas Rotolo (.368 Avg.), which helped lead to a league-best .390 team batting average. Mike Power led the team in most offensive categories, including average (.681), hits (16), RBI's (7) and stolen bases (6). Two other major additions to the club this summer were the steady defensive play of shortstop Mike Oliveira and outfielder Chris Carey, both of whom are fresh off of their 2020 Yawkey Baseball League Championship with the East Boston Expos.

No. 3 seed - Douglas Tigers (8-4 overall)

Second year manager Russ Wells once again guided his squad back to the MWL playoffs as the No. 3 seed for the second straight season. The year was filled with many ups and downs for the Tigers as they began the 12-game season with four consecutive double-header splits, including wins over all three playoff teams. The resiliency of this group turned in on down the stretch as they ride a five-game winning streak into their semifinal match-up with the Royals.

Staff ace Ray Begin was lights-out all summer for the navy blue and orange, as he went 4-2 (losses to the Royals, 1-0, and Orioles) with a minuscule 0.65 ERA. The right-hander also struck out 36 batters during his 32.1 innings of work, while allowing just three earned runs. Righty Carlos Mejia also chipped in with a stellar campaign, as his perfect 2-0 record with a save and 0.48 ERA in just 14.1 innings, gave the Tigers a chance to win every time he took the hill. Catcher Matt Ryan, a potential MVP-candidate, compiled a .485 batting average and led the league with six home runs, while knocking in 20 RBI's. Eddie Wissekerke stole 7 bases and scored 13 runs in the leadoff spot, and Matt Udell led the ball club with a .600 average (12-for-20).

No. 4 seed - Grafton Braves (6-6 overall)

Seeking their first trip (in the 400Hitter era) out of the opening round, the Braves return to postseason play for the fourth straight year. Led by catcher Christian Ortiz, the Braves saw nine different players record batting averages above .300. Ortiz finished the 2020 campaign with a .517 average, while collecting a team-high 15 hits, to go along with five RBI's and a 1.162 OPS. Joff Smith was a two-way guy, as he batted .550 on the season with 4 RBI's and also accumulated a 2.58 ERA in 19 innings on the hill. Seven different Braves totaled 10+ hits on the shortened season, and the trio of Chris Frank, Tom O'Connell and Paul Branche each led the team with 6 RBI's.

Leading the Braves' pitching staff was Mike Zavala, who went 2-2 with a 1.49 ERA, issuing just nine walks in 37.2 innings pitched. Manager TJ Rizzo, who batted .429 this season, welcomed a pair of former MWL champions in Tony Sanchez (.345 avg.) and Romar Silvestre, to help bolster their playoff lineup as they face the Orioles in the Semifinals.

We should be in store for two great semi-final match-ups as the Orioles host the Braves and the Royals host the Tigers this coming Sunday, August 30. Game 1 for each series is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM. Best of luck to all teams!