The Mets hire prominent player agent Brodie Van Wagenen as their General Manager, replacing Sandy Alderson. Other GMs have worked briefly as agents in the past, but none so prominent as Van Wagenen, who heads his own firm, CAA Baseball, and has a number of his clients currently playing in the organization.

Edwin Diaz is named winner of the Mariano Rivera award as the best reliever in the American League while Josh Hader wins the equivalent Trevor Hoffman Award in the NL.

2018 – The Dodgers win a marathon Game 3 in the World Series, 3 – 2 over the Red Sox, on a walk-off homer by Max Muncy off Nathan Eovaldi to lead off the 18th inning. The game lasts 7 hour and 20 minutes and begins with a great start by Walker Buehler, who shuts out the Sox for 7 innings. But Los Angeles can only score one run on a solo homer by Joc Pederson in the 3rd, and in the 8th Boston ties the score on a two-out homer by Jackie Bradley off Kenley Jansen. The two teams trade runs in the 13th when the Dodgers manage to score on a two-out error by 2B Ian Kinsler. The score remains at 2 – 2 until Muncy ends the game as Eovaldi begins his 7th inning of work. The game’s total time and the 18 pitchers used are both postseason records.

The Blue Jays also name a manager, settling on long-time coach and minor league manager Charlie Montoyo, whose post-playing career has all been in the Tampa Bay Rays system.

2018 – The Red Sox take a two games to none lead over the Dodgers in the World Series with a 4 – 2 win at Fenway Park. David Price gives up just 3 hits in 6 innings, and J.D. Martinez drives in two runs with a bases-loaded single off Ryan Madson with two outs in the 5th to provide the margin of victory.

The Dodgers become the first team to use an all right-handed lineup in a World Series game due to the dominance of Red Sox southpaw starter Chris Sale facing left-handed swingers, who batted a paltry .170 against him during the regular season. The strategy proves to be effective when Los Angeles pounds out five hits and scores three runs during the left-hander’s four inning of work, but the team loses Game 1 of the Fall Classic at Fenway Park, 8-4.

2018 – Two teams announce that they have hired a new manager for the 2019 season. The Angels settle on Brad Ausmus to replace long-time skipper Mike Scioscia, who retired at the end of the past season, while the Reds tab David Bell, for whom it will be a first opportunity to manage at the major league level, and who will become the fourth second-generation manager in major league history.

The Dodgers win Game 7 of the NLCS, 5 – 1 over Milwaukee, to return to the World Series. The Brewers open the scoring on a 1st-inning homer by Christian Yelich, but Los Angeles replies with a two-run shot by Cody Bellinger off Jhoulys Chacin in the 2nd, and a three-run shot by Yasiel Puig off Jeremy Jeffress in the 6th. Bellinger is named the NLCS MVP.

2018 – With a four-run 1st inning against Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Brewers win Game 6 of the NLCS, 7 – 2, forcing a decisive Game 7. Things start off fine for the Dodgers, with a lead-off homer by David Freese off Wade Miley, making his second straight start, but Milwaukee’s reply sets the tone as the Brewers cruise to an easy win.