Whoever believes baseball lacks drama should take a closer look at the 10 Major League teams vying for a trip to the Fall Classic.

David Ortiz's farewell season is going better than anyone could have imagined, leading the league in slugging percentage and on-base percentage in this, his age-40 season. Boston's next challenge in completing Ortiz's Peyton Manning-like sendoff comes against a Cleveland club advancing to their first ALDS since 2007.

An Indians-Chicago Cubs World Series would break one of two generations-long curses that has come to define pessimistic optimism in each city. Cleveland's last title came in 1948; Chicago's last celebration came in 1908, when the fledgling sport still fielded teams nicknamed the Highlanders and the Superbas.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to break their own postseason skid. The Clayton Kershaw-led team has lost two NLDS and three NLCS over the last eight years despite winning their division each time. Zack Greinke followed Kershaw in the Dodgers postseason rotation last year. Now they have Kenta Maeda, a Japanese rookie with 16 wins under his belt.

October baseball is anything but dull. The first chance to prove it will be with Tuesday night's AL Wild Card game.

Blue Jays, Orioles Prepare for a Home Run Derby

Toronto and Baltimore combined for 474 home runs this season, led by Mark Trumbo's resurgence as a right-handed hitting power threat.

The Seattle castoff smashed an MLB-leading 47 homers this season, his first as an Oriole. Not that Baltimore needed much more offense; Chris Davis and Manny Machado each hit 37 or more and Adam Jones fell one short of a 30-home run season.

Edwin Encarnacion led Toronto's charge by completing his fifth consecutive 34-plus home run campaign. Like Baltimore, the Blue Jays are fortunate to have a surplus of sluggers. Encarnacion is wedged in between a reigning AL MVP in Josh Donaldson and an intimidating presence in Jose Bautista, who remains a home run threat despite lingering knee issues.

Playoff games - more often than not - are decided by pitchers and how they approach hitters in decisive situations. The issue O's and Blue Jays pitchers face is that every batter they face is a legitimate power hitter.

Baltimore led the league in homers (253) and six player hit 22 or more. Only Boston and Colorado had a higher slugging percentage. The Blue Jays don't play small-ball; they carried a middle-of-the-pack .248 batting average and stole fewer bases than Milwaukee's Jonathan Villar.

But a team like Toronto doesn't need to play station-to-station baseball. Not when the live and die with the long ball.

When: Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

Time: 8:08 p.m. EST

TV: TBS

Live Stream: MLB on TBS

Pitching Matchup: Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77 ERA) vs. Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37 ERA)

A Look Back: Tillman and Stroman each have 5-plus lifetime ERA's against Tuesday's opponent.

Mets, Giants All-In with One-Game Playoff

Compare the New York Mets' 2015 World Series starting rotation with this postseason's and notice how only one name makes both lists.

Noah Syndergaard will take the mound against San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner Wednesday night in the NL Wild Card game. Ideally, Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom would serve as long-relievers if Syndergaard struggles, but both pitchers are sidelined with season-ending injuries.

Harvey had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in the summer, deGrom had elbow surgery last month, and their other two young arms - Steven Matz and Zach Wheeler - each suffered setbacks on rehab assignments, though it briefly looked like Matz would be back for the playoffs.

Yet the Mets persevered. Saturday's win over Philadelphia assured guaranteed a Wild Card slot and marked just the second time in team history they would make the postseason in back-to-back years.

Only Boston and Atlanta had a better September record. Conversely, the Giants trudges to a 15-15 mark in the month and narrowly avoided being left out the playoffs with win on Sunday.

San Francisco was in a similar spot two years ago when they faced Pittsburgh. Then, just like now, their season rests on Bumgarner's right arm.

When: Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Where: Citi Field, Flushing, N.Y.

Time: 8:09 p.m. EST

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Pitching Matchup: Madison Bumgarner (15-9, 2.74 ERA) vs. Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA)

A Look Back: Bumgarner tossed six shutout innings against Syndergaard and the Mets on May 1.