Liga Mexicana de Beisbol: The Zona Sur’s Team-By-Team Playoff Possibilities As Regular Season Winds Down

With just 15 games remaining for each team in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, most, but not all, of the league’s 20 teams are still alive for one of the six playoff berths in each of the LMB’s two divisions.

Below is a breakdown with each Zona Sur team’s remaining schedule and outlook towards the playoffs with a little over two weeks remaining.

Diablos Rojos del Mexico

Record – 53-25, First Place
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 at Leon, July 24-26 vs. Veracruz, July 27-29 vs. Yucatan, July 31 to Aug. 2 vs. Oaxaca, Aug. 4-6 at Quintana Roo.

Playoff Outlook – With an eight-game lead in the Zona Sur and riding a 13-game winning streak that began the game after Trevor Bauer made his first start, the Diablos, like the Toros in the Zona Norte, are going to make the playoffs with the top seed barring a historic and unfathomable collapse. They have a tougher schedule over the final two weeks-plus than the Toros do, but they’ve hit their stride and will be the team to be as they look towards winning a third consecutive Serie del Rey.

Olmecas de Tabasco

Record – 45-33, Second Place, eight games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 20-22 at Puebla, July 24-26 vs. Yucatan, July 28-30 at Veracruz, July 31 to Aug. 2 vs. Leon, Aug. 4-6 at Campeche.

Playoff Outlook – The Olmecas have been the surprise of the season, rebounding from a slow start to compete for home field advantage in the playoffs. All 15 remaining games are against teams behind them in the standings, and going 8-7 should be enough to ensure hosting the first two games in the first round of the playoffs. It’s probably too late to catch the Diablos barring big streaks by both teams, but the No. 2 seed is well within reach.

Pericos de Puebla

Record – 40-36, Tied for Third Place, 12 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 20-22 vs. Tabasco, July 24-26 at Quintana Roo, July 28-30 vs. Queretaro, July 31 to Aug. 2 at Yucatan, Aug. 4-6 vs. Veracruz.

Playoff Outlook – The last team to win the Serie del Rey not named the Diablos is part of a logjam in the standings, and they could potentially finish anywhere from second to seventh. They do have nine games remaining against teams that are currently on the outside looking in, which bodes well for their playoff chances, as does their not having another series against the Diablos. They have the most favorable schedule of the teams tied for third, what they do with it is up to them.

Bravos de Leon

Record – 41-37, Tied for Third Place, 12 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 vs. Mexico, July 24-26 vs. Campeche, July 28-30 at Oaxaca, July 31 to Aug. 2 at Tabasco, Aug. 4-6 vs. Queretaro.

Playoff Outlook – The team that lives or dies by its bats has to face the top two teams in the division three times each in the final 15 games, but added Alejandro Mejia and activated Jimmy Kerrigan from the injured list, fortifying their offense for the stretch run. Being swept in either or both series will likely push the Bravos out of home field advantage in the postseason, but barring a complete collapse, the Bravos ought to get into the playoffs.

Guerreros de Oaxaca

Record – 41-37, Tied for Third Place, 12 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 vs. Quintana Roo, July 24-26 at Queretaro, July 28-30 vs. Leon, July 31 to Aug. 2 at Mexico, Aug. 4-6 vs. Yucatan.

Playoff Outlook – The Guerreros have the second-most favorable schedule of the three teams tied for third in the Zona Sur. While they have to face the Diablos, they don’t have to face any other teams above them in the standings as of today. The biggest series of the year for both the Guerreros and Bravos comes July 28-30 at Estadio Yu’Va. A series win or sweep will likely put the Guerreros ahead of the Bravos in the final standings, given that the Bravos have to face the Diablos and Tabasco before the end of the year.

Piratas de Campeche

Record – 38-36, Tied for Sixth Place, 13 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 at Veracruz, July 24-26 at Leon, July 28-30 at Quintana Roo, July 31 to Aug. 2 vs. Queretaro, Aug. 4-6 vs. Tabasco.

Playoff Outlook – The Piratas have been hot and cold all year, though they should get in the playoffs again if they can win nine of their remaining games. They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games, but will still have to face Leon and Tabasco during the final stretch. The July 28-30 series against Quintana Roo will likely make or break Campeche’s – and Quintana Roo’s – season, as a sweep for either team could be the difference between a playoff berth and a head start on preparations for the winter ball season.

Tigres de Quintana Roo

Record – 39-37, Tied for Sixth Place, 13 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 at Oaxaca, July 24-26 vs. Puebla, July 28-30 vs. Campeche, July 31 to Aug. 2 at Veracruz, Aug. 4-6 vs. Mexico.

Playoff Outlook – Quintana Roo is likely going to need to win four of the final five series to have a shot at getting into the playoffs. It’s hard to see them edging their long-time rival, the Diablos Rojos, in the season’s final series, but it’s possible that the other four series go their way, leaving them a chance at getting in. With only three games against a team below them in the standings, though, it’s going to be a tough battle for the cats from Cancun.

El Aguila de Veracruz

Record – 37-40, Eighth Place, 15 1/2 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 vs. Campeche, July 24-26 at Mexico, July 28-30 vs. Tabasco, July 31 to Aug. 2 vs. Quintana Roo, Aug. 4-6 at Puebla.

Playoff Outlook – It’s possible that El Aguila can swoop in and swipe a playoff spot over the final two weeks, but it would like take at least nine wins to do it. With all five remaining series against teams above them in the standings, including three games against the Diablos and three against Tabasco, it’s going to be a tall order.

Conspiradores de Queretaro

Record – 32-46, Ninth Place, 20 1/2 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 at Yucatan, July 24-26 vs. Oaxaca, July 28-30 at Puebla, July 31 to Aug. 2 at Campeche, Aug. 4-6 at Leon.

Playoff Outlook – There’s a slim chance that Queretaro can still make the playoffs, and there’s also a slim chance that Trevor Bauer pitches in the Major Leagues again. Neither is likely.

Leones de Yucatan

Record – 27-49, 10th Place, 25 games behind the Diablos Rojos
Remaining Schedule – July 21-23 vs. Queretaro, July 24-26 vs. Oaxaca, July 28-30 at Puebla, July 31 to Aug. 2 vs. Puebla, Aug. 4-6 at Oaxaca.

Playoff Outlook – When he was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Mora was famously asked about his team’s playoff chances after a bad loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and famously replied, “Playoffs? Don’t talk about – Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game – another game.” If you asked Leones manager Hensley Meulens about the playoffs, you’d likely get a similar response.

The LMB’s Unique Playoff Format – The LMB playoffs start with the top six teams in both the Zona Norte and Zona Sur making the playoffs. The first round is seeded as you would expect, with the regular season division winner facing the sixth-place team, the second-place club facing the fifth-place club, and the third and fourth-place teams each meeting in a best-of-seven series.

That, of course, means that three teams advance by winning the first-round series. It also means that a fourth team is needed for the second round, so the team that loses a first-round series but wins the most games also advances to the second round, where the top remaining seed plays the series loser that advanced. The other two series winners face off, again in a best-of-seven series.

Last season provided a good example of how the system works. The sixth-seeded Charros de Jalisco upset the Zona Norte regular season champion Sultanes de Monterrey twice, beating them four games to three in the first round. The Sultanes advanced because they won three games in the first round and finished ahead of the Acereros de Monclova, who also won three games in the first round but lost their series in the regular season. The Sultanes won their second round series, sweeping the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, then faced the Charros again, falling four games to one as the Charros advanced to the Serie del Rey.

The winners face off in the Serie Campeonato, which determines the division’s representative in the Serie del Rey, the league’s championship series.

Where to Watch – All Liga Mexicana de Beisbol games are streamed live with a subscription on LMB TV, and a season subscription is on sale for MX$799 (about US$46) until April 30. Select games are streamed live on the YouTube page for Latin American network Claro Sports.

Photo: Seth Beer, a former first round pick of the Houston Astros, has helped the Olmecas de Tabasco to second place in the LMB’s Zona Sur. (Photo courtesy of the Olmecas de Tabasco)