MLB Network host Adnan Virk Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
By Michael Grant on

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For baseball fans, this is an exciting time of year.

The MLB Playoffs start with the Wild Card Series on Tuesday. So many storylines are on the table, from the Los Angeles Dodgers attempting to three-peat to the Milwaukee Brewers’ dominance, to the Boston Red Sox’s shocking midseason turnaround, to the Chicago White Sox’s postseason appearance after a previously struggling season.

To help us better understand, we recently caught up with MLB Network host Adnan Virk to break down the matchups and discuss what he’s looking forward to.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

What do you think would be the best World Series matchup?

Adnan Virk: “If the Milwaukee Brewers are involved, I think that’ll be a blast. They won over 100 games, a franchise record. My sister-in-law is from Wisconsin, and I go to Milwaukee occasionally to visit my brother and the kids. They have such a great passion for the Brewers in that city and state. It’s the smallest media market. So, I shouldn’t be stumping for them as a TV guy. And I’m sure Fox executives may have a different take, but I’m just telling you as a baseball fan: if not now, then when? You’ve won over 100 games. You’ve got (Jacob) Misiorowski, who’s going to win the Cy Young. You’ve got an offense, which may not have major names, but Brice Turang has 100 RBIs. William Contreras has been really good. Jake Bauers led the league in on-base percentage. The defense is very good. They’re well-managed by Pat Murphy.

“In the American League, I don’t necessarily have a choice. I think the Rays will be good, but obviously they’re the best team in the American League. The Yankees certainly would be notable. But I would think the Brewers, no matter what, from the National League, have the most sway and are the team I’m kind of quietly pulling for.”

Which Wild Card team has the best shot at the World Series?

“I think it’d be the Yankees. Ultimately, their starting pitching is just so strong. Cam Schlittler is going to win the Cy Young, and he’s starting Game 1. Max Fried’s there for Game 2, and Gerrit Cole for Game 3. They could have gone with Carlos Rodón in Game 3, but they’re going with Cole instead. I think that’s really strong. Ben Rice having a 40-home-run season and Cody Bellinger being back healthy are so important for them. Now the Red Sox are tricky because they do a great job of neutralizing lefties, and the Yankees have a lot of lefties in that lineup, and Payton Tolle is a load.”

How much pressure is there on Yankees manager Aaron Boone?

“He’s seemingly always under the gun. I think he understands and appreciates that he’s the manager of the New York Yankees. They haven’t won the World Series since 2009. If you don’t win the World Series, you’re a disappointment. So that’s totally fair, and he gets that. I always find the criticism a little excessive. To me, no matter what, the Yankees are in the playoffs; they’re expected to perform well, and they do. It’s 90-plus wins every year. If they hadn’t been rained out (Sunday), it would have been another 94-win season. Again, second-best record in the American League. That’s with Aaron Judge gone for much of the year. I mean, the three-time MVP, one of the best players in the sport, was gone for three and a half months.”

How do you explain the inexplicable turnaround by the Boston Red Sox?

“It’s maddening to me. I talked to my buddy Alex Cora after he was dismissed, and I don’t think either of us expected this situation. I think, ultimately, you have to pitch. Cora said that to me. This team can pitch. There’s no question about that. So whether it’s Payton Tolle, who again is one of the most likable guys in the sport, if you’re looking for somebody to root for, look no further than Payton Tolle. He’s just a great guy. He’s overcome the passing of his mother, and he’s spoken about that in interviews and how he carries her with him out there. He’s a fun-loving, big lefty who throws hard, and he’s become a fan favorite there in Boston. Ranger Suárez is coming over from the Phillies. Sonny Gray won almost 20 games this year. He was tremendous. And I was not expecting that… With those three guys, you can pitch. (Aroldis) Chapman has still been amazing as their closer.”

Which Wild Card matchup do you find most fascinating?

“I think Red Sox-Yankees is the easy one, but I would then go quickly to Cubs-Padres. PCA. I mentioned how Payton Tolle is one of the faces of the game. Well, Pete Crow-Armstrong is that guy right now for so many young fans. He’s popular for good reason. He’s going to win the MVP. He’s a 40-40 guy, with 45 home runs. He had an OPS over a thousand after a slow start in the first month or so. After that, he was on fire from June 1 on. He’s really been the emblem of the Chicago team, which is, again, one of the most popular teams in the sport. It’s always better when the Cubs are doing well. However, they’ve got some holes, particularly with regard to their bullpen. And they’re going to start on the road. I don’t think that’s favorable to them. I think they’d rather be at Wrigley Field, naturally. They’re facing a San Diego team that’s been tremendous down the stretch. The Padres were fighting for their playoff lives in early August. It did not look very likely. Then they just turned it up a notch, and they’ve been awesome. Fernando Tatís is one of my favorite players. He’s been great over the last four months of the year.”

What do you think of the White Sox, especially after being so bad for so long?

“Best story in the sport. You get three straight 100-loss seasons and 121 losses, a record, two years ago. And you’re telling me you’re a playoff team? That’s amazing. For much of the year, it was easy to belittle the American League and decry the fact that you had all these inferior teams vying for a spot. But ultimately, I don’t have a major issue with it, because the Wild Card teams were all about .500…

“For the White Sox, it’s their offense, quite simply. Colson Montgomery may have set a record for strikeouts in a single season, but he can hit home runs. Munetaka Murakami is this generation’s Joey Gallo. Either you’re going to get a strikeout, a walk, or a home run. That happens in 60% of his at-bats. There’s a reason he became such a fan favorite on the Southside. They call him Mooney. He hits some moon shots.”

Is this Tampa Bay’s best shot at a World Series title?

“I think so. They’ve been to the World Series. They haven’t won it. … Don’t forget, last year they weren’t playing in their home park. That clearly affects the team. It’s so much more advantageous to be at the Trop, which isn’t necessarily a beloved park for fans or opposing players. But that works to the Tampa Bay Rays’ advantage, right? ‘No one likes it. Well, we love it here. This is our home. Great. We want you to be unhappy. We want you to be miserable. We want you not to like the catwalk, the lighting, and all the rest of it. And that’s fine.’ I think this is their chance. In many ways, I look at them like I look at the Brewers. If not now, then when? And the Rays, for many prognosticators, were not expected to be much less than a division winner, let alone a playoff team.”

What is the Dodgers’ biggest concern?

“Shohei Ohtani has not been hitting very well since September. He was in the MVP conversation, but then he was slowed by an injury. He hasn’t pitched in three months, and his hitting has suffered as well. He has not shown much power. And speaking of power, Freddie Freeman has lacked oomph. He is still hitting high for average, but he’s not slugging the ball nearly as much as we’re used to seeing from Freddie Freeman. So there’s a slight vulnerability right now, I think, from the left side.”

Will you be on the road for any of this week’s games?

“No, I’ll be in Secaucus, in the studio. But I’ll be enjoying it, having a blast. I always say I’ve got the best seat in the game because I get to hang out with these analysts on our comfy couches… I’ll be with all those guys, watching the games unfold, watching the pivotal moments. I’m so lucky, I’m so blessed to have this job. And no better time than the postseason because I get to hang out with former players and watch what will be, as always, an exciting postseason.”

As a movie guy, what 2026 film has stood out to you?

“The Invite was tremendous. Olivia Wilde, I think, is going to get a Best Director nomination. She might be up for Best Actress. Great script by Rashida Jones, who co-wrote it. I think it could be up for Best Original Screenplay. It might actually win. Ed Norton has got a good chance at a Best Supporting Actor nomination. A friend of mine recommended it to me. Ben Lyons, a former critic, a great baseball fan himself, and a huge New York Knicks fan. He said to me it was the best film he saw at Sundance.”

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

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