Opinion

The high-powered Toronto Blue Jays lineup often looked less than high-powered through the club's first seven postseason games, and it was basically all Troy Tulowitzki's fault.

OK, fine. That statement is two things: a slight exaggeration and, thanks to more recent events, water under the bridge anyway.

It has been the same problem all season long, and it was the No. 1 concern going into this postseason. 

The Kansas City Royals’ starting pitchers had been inconsistent at best. From Opening Day though the end of the season, that has been the case. October baseball’s bigger stage and brighter lights have done nothing to improve the outlook over the team’s first eight playoff games.

For all but four teams in baseball, the offseason has already begun, and so has the speculation and buzz. With the winter meetings about a month-and-a-half away, the rumor mill is starting to buzz once again.

Let's break down some of the more interesting buzz making the rounds.

Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals

NEW YORK — Take a board. Now take your head. Rear back, and slam your forehead into that board and see if you can break it.

As the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets take this National League Championship Series back to Wrigley Field with the Mets leading 2-0 following Sunday night's 4-1 win, this is what the rest of the league must be feeling like. The Cubs? The Mets? So young. So talented. So looking like they could dominate these big October stages for years to come.

The Kansas City Royals, two wins away from reaching their second straight World Series, march north of the border Monday after thwarting the Toronto Blue Jays in Games 1 and 2 of the American League Championship Series.

The biggest game of Marcus Stroman's life is the next one. Or it was the last one.

Or maybe it was the one he pitched against Steven Matz back in 2009, when they were high school seniors dueling on Long Island.

Matz was the big prospect, sure to be a high pick in that June's draft (he went to the New York Mets in the second round). Stroman, his talented but undersized opponent, knew it.

Kendrys Morales hasn't left his mark on the American League Championship Series—yet.

On Sunday at Citi Field, it was all about Thor hammers and billy goat namesakes. That is to say it was all about Noah Syndergaard, Daniel Murphy and the New York Mets.

Thanks in large part to Syndergaard's god-like arm and Murphy's infallible bat, the Mets cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs and grabbed a commanding 2-0 edge in the National League Championship Series.

The New York Mets drew first blood in the National League Championship Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4-2 in Game 1 on Saturday at Citi Field.

Now, with another contest in Queens on Sunday at 8:07 p.m. ET on TBS before the scene shifts to the Windy City, the Cubs will look to even the ledger.

NEW YORK — He took the mound to begin the series, determined to set a tone. He left the mound nearly eight innings later, with the fans chanting his name and his teammates ready to sing his praise.