Postseason Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Barrie Baycats - 2024 Quarterfinal Series

Barrie's Ryan Rijo and Toronto's Johnathan Solazzo led their respective clubs in home runs this season.  As go their bats, so may go this quarterfinal series.

Start your engines, it's playoff time.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' rolling caravan prepares to head up the 400 as the Leafs begin their 2024 postseason campaign against the Barrie Baycats.

The rivalry is renewed.  In recent seasons these clubs have done battle with a mixed bag of victories and defeats for each side.

The season series was a lopsided affair in the Baycats' favour.  They won five in a row, including a couple of big blowouts, before the Leafs won a wild 10-9 walkoff at Christie Pits on August 7.

Recent postseason history has favoured the Leafs.  They ended the regular season with some wind in their sails, and hopefully that will carry them to an opening round victory.

What do the stats say?

AT THE PLATE

I am literally cutting and pasting the following line from last year's postseason previews.  The Maple Leafs live by the bat and die by the bat.  When they rally, runs come in bunches and wins follow.

The 2024 Baycats outhit and outslugged the Leafs in most categories, but the Leafs know when to pick their spots.  They hit the third-most home runs in the IBL this season.  Johnathan Solazzo, Justin Marra and Jordan Castaldo are always threats to go deep, but there's home run power up and down the lineup.  If the bats go cold, the Leafs will be in tough.

KEY STAT: Bases on Balls.  The Leafs' 226 walks led the league by a mile.  Next closest was Welland with 172.  Ryan Dos Santos and Jordan Castaldo were the club leaders in walks, and no surprise they were also among the leaders in runs scored.  Plate discipline will be key in this series.

ON THE MOUND

Hang on to your wigs.  Toronto Maple Leafs pitching was a total thrill ride this season, and not in a good way.

In 2024, the Leafs were near the bottom of the IBL in terms of hits, walks and earned runs.  Same goes for opponents' batting average and WHIP.  I could go on but I'm trying to be nice.  

Game One starter Angel Castro remains the club's spiritual and psychological leader at least from the listener's perspective.  He comes at teams like a thundercloud of chaos.  Teams never know if they are going to have hell rain down on them, or if they can string a few hits together and slip out of his screaming grasp.  

Game Two starter Wilgenis Alvarado was the 2023 IBL leader in ERA.  The good news is that he has shown flashes of that brilliance in his past couple of starts.

Sam Greene rounds out the postseason rotation and he will go in Game Three.

If the arms can hold back the Baycats' offence, the Leafs stand a great chance to advance.

KEY STAT: Hit by Pitch.  Maple Leafs hurlers plunked opposing batters a league-leading 68 times in 2023.  The next closest was Chatham-Kent with 56 and the rest of the league was way behind.  So maybe there's an intimidation factor that the Leafs could use to their advantage.  These guys are nuts!  Absolute madmen!  Think about your life before you think about swinging! 

THE HISTORY

These two clubs last met in postseason play in 2022.  It was not that long ago and both rosters are relatively the same.

The Leafs swept the Baycats in a quarterfinal series that ended with a dramatic walkoff victory at Christie Pits.

Having won the first two games with ease, the Leafs staged a ninth inning comeback to take Game 3 and sweep the series.  The win propelled them to their second consecutive IBL championship series where they fell to the London Majors.  

The Leafs' last IBL championship was in 2007.  Tonight in Barrie, they begin the quest for the glory that has eluded them since then.

QUARTERFINAL SERIES SCHEDULE (best 3 out of 5)

Game 1

Thursday, August 22 - Toronto at Barrie - 7:35 pm

Toronto starter: Angel Castro

Game 2

Saturday, August 24 - Barrie at Toronto - 7:30 pm

Toronto starter: Wilgenis Alvarado

Game 3 

Sunday, August 25 - Toronto at Barrie - 3:05 pm 

Toronto starter: Sam Greene

Game 4 (if necessary)

Wednesday, August 28 - Barrie at Toronto - 7:30 pm

Toronto starter: TBA

Game 5 (if necessary) 

Thursday, August 29 - Toronto at Barrie - 7:35 pm 

Toronto starter: TBA