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Four eye-opening performances from the Wild Card Series

During the opening round of the postseason, the Chicago pitching staff registered a dramatic surge in velocity, averaging ninety-seven point one miles per hour to lead all playoff groups. Right-hander Hicks proved particularly lethal against Houston, retiring all ten batters he faced across two appearances while regularly touching one hundred miles per hour with his fastballs.

This resurgence follows a midseason adjustment on the injured list during June, where he elevated his arm slot by ten degrees to generate greater vertical movement. Since returning to action, his strikeout percentage has climbed dramatically following a career-low dip last year.

Meanwhile, New York slugger Ben Rice continued displaying his elite mastery over fastballs during the American League opening round. The first baseman led all qualified hitters in slugging metrics against four-seamers during the regular campaign, showing a particular proficiency for crushing elevated offerings located in the upper half of the strike zone.

That dominance carried directly into the postseason matchups, where he recorded five hits exclusively against fastballs, with every single contact registering an exit velocity of ninety-five miles per hour or higher.

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