Tag: 2024 MLB Postseason

Why MLB teams have STRAUSS ads on their helmets during the postseason

Fans are not happy about the look.

While uniform sponsors have long been prominent in international sports, the American sports landscape has gradually seen more and more ads make their way onto the uniforms. In baseball, jersey sleeve sponsors have been in place for a couple seasons.

But MLB waited until the postseason to make quite the league-wide change.

As the NL and AL wild-card series got underway on Tuesday, fans noticed that all the batting helmets had a massive “STRAUSS” ad on both sides. This evidently was a partnership between Major League Baseball and the German workwear brand that was finalized back in September. Yet, unless you were paying attention to MLB press releases, Tuesday was the first time many fans saw the sponsored helmets.

MLB — particularly under Rob Manfred’s leadership — has never been one to turn down a quick buck. We remember the FTX debacle where the scandal-ridden, now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange had its logo on all the umpiring uniforms. So, we shouldn’t be surprised that Manfred would let a brand with minimal awareness in the U.S. be plastered all over helmets in the sport’s biggest games.

According to Sportico, the placement could be worth $15 million in brand exposure.

But it was safe to say that MLB fans were not enthused with the sponsored helmets.

This was how Twitter/X reacted

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The playoff scenarios for the Braves, Mets and D-backs ahead of Monday’s crucial doubleheader

We’re in for a wild Monday.

Going into Sunday’s potentially final day of the MLB regular season, there were several scenarios that could have led to the cancelation of a Monday doubleheader between the Mets and Braves. Instead, we got the absolute chaos scenario.

With the Braves holding a one-game lead over the Mets and Diamondbacks (along with tiebreakers over both teams), Atlanta just needed a win to clinch a playoff spot. The Braves, though, would lose to Kansas City as the Diamondbacks and Mets both cruised to easy wins.

That left us here: a three-way tie for two spots.

With that tie, the Monday doubleheader will happen in Atlanta, and the Diamondbacks are going to need plenty of help. These are the scenarios at play here.

Braves and Mets split the doubleheader

If the Braves and Mets each win a game on Monday, they both will be in as the final two National League wild-card teams. The Braves — holding the tiebreaker over the Mets — will head to San Diego, and the Mets will be off to Milwaukee. Arizona would be eliminated.

Braves sweep the Mets

The Braves would clinch a playoff berth with the win in Game 1. But if they wanted to play spoiler for their NL East rivals, a two-game sweep would eliminate New York and send the Diamondbacks to Milwaukee for Tuesday’s wild-card series.

Mets sweep the Braves

The Mets would clinch a playoff berth with the win in Game 1. And just like above, an additional win in Game 2 would eliminate the Braves. The Mets also hold the tiebreaker over Arizona, so the Mets would head to San Diego in this scenario. Arizona would play the Brewers.

A mutual forfeit??

This almost certainly won’t happen, but the Braves and Mets would be better suited if each agreed to forfeit one game of the Monday doubleheader. This would eliminate the Diamondbacks while both the Braves and Mets would make the postseason as the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds respectively. This would save both clubs from using pitching and traveling a long distance with minimal rest for a playoff series. I wouldn’t count on this happening. But could you imagine?

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