Playoff preview: How do Majors stack up against Royals?

Around the Diamond: London takes on Guelph in first round of IBL playoffs; Majors have been playing ‘playoff’ baseball for months; Jose Arias strong out of ‘pen; Kyle Maves a catalyst …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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They’re not flashy, but they’re as versatile a team as there is in the Intercounty Baseball League. With a record of 24-18, the London Majors finished third in the regular season standings, setting themselves up with home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

It’ll be a tough task right away for the Forest City squad, though, as they’ll take on an upstart Guelph Royals team that has bolstered its roster in the second half of the season, seemingly looking to peak come playoff time.

“They’re not a typical six seed. They’re a top team,” said Majors manager Roop Chanderdat. “I think they’ve added five bigtime guys down the stretch. They have a lot of pitching depth – three or four good starters, and four or five good bullpen arms. And they’ve got a lot of veteran guys. So, it’s going be a tough task for us.”

But the Majors are ready. Despite losing their final regular season game against Barrie (which broke a tie for second place), London beat Hamilton and Chatham-Kent in the final week of the season. And they’ve got something going for them they didn’t have last year.

“We’re more or less healthy. No big injuries,” Chanderdat said. “And we’ve been playing decent ball, winning close games. We’re feeling good going into the playoffs.”

IBL Playoffs First Round: London Majors (No. 3) vs. Guelph Royals (No. 6) (best-of-five series)

Game 1: Fri. Aug. 22 (7:35pm at Labatt Park)
Game 2: Sat. Aug. 23 (7:30pm @ Hastings Stadium)
Game 3: Sun. Aug. 24 (6:05pm at Labatt Park)
Game 4: Tues. Aug. 26 (7:30pm @ Hastings Stadium) (if necessary)
Game 5: Wed. Aug. 27 (7:35pm at Labatt Park) (if necessary)

1) Tale of the Tape. The Majors (24-18) and Royals (20-22) met five times during the regular season, with London coming out on top in three of those contests. London ace Victor Payano, who will throw in Game 1 of the series, tossed a gem back on July 4 in a 2-1 win at home over the Royals, allowing just a single run on five hits over eight innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.

While we can’t totally throw the first four matchups out the window, significant roster changes for the Guelph side have made them a much different team than they were earlier in the season. The most recent result? A 7-6 Royals victory in London two weeks ago.

In that contest, the Majors saw import arms Antonio Frias and closer Edgar Garcia, while Franklin Torres, who has torn up the IBL in his first 11 games, batting .489, went 5-for-5 with a home run and a pair of steals. Perennial all-star, Garrett Takamatsu, went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

REGULAR SEASON SERIES: London vs. Guelph (Majors win 3-2)

Guelph 0 @ London 7 (May 16)
London 0 @ Guelph 5 (May 31)
Guelph 1 @ London 2 (July 4)
London 7 @ Guelph 4 (July 12)
Guelph 7 @ London 6 (Aug. 8)

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

2) Playoff baseball. With Victor Payano and Travis Keys, the Majors have a solid 1-2 punch in starting pitchers. With Skylar Janisse, who set an IBL record with 12 regular season saves, they have a dependable closer. With Eduardo de Oleo, they have a surefire all-star catcher behind the plate. But this isn’t a London team that blows you away. It’s not stacked with all-stars, like the 2022 repeat IBL champion squad was.

Don’t get us wrong, there’s a lot of talent on this team. Toby Simmons is an uber athletic centrefielder with speed. Shortstop Francisco Fajardo, who finished the regular season with a .344 batting average, is very good on both sides of the ball. And Taylor Zdunich has been a solid bat in his first in the Majors pinstripes. But this is a team that grinds out wins.

“If you look at our record, and our games, we’ve been playing playoff-type baseball all season,” said Chanderdat. “We haven’t been blowing anyone out, and no one has been blowing us out. So many games have been tight. So, you learn how to play in tight games, which is typically what playoff baseball is like.”

In fact, the Majors have played 16 one-run games this year, six more than any other team. And they’ve fared well in those close contests, going a combined 11-5. They’ve gone 4-3 in extra-inning games, and they’ve excited fans with several walk-off victories this season.

“We’re a team where we do whatever to get the next man up, because we’re confident in that next man,” said Chanderdat. “We haven’t had a set lineup this year. The guys have moved around, and I think they’re comfortable with that. Everyone is ready.”

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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3) Nifty transition. In July, import arm Jose Arias was moved to the bullpen. A longtime starter, he’d struggled this year to that point, and the hope was he could recover some velocity and find success in a different role. That’s exactly what’s happened.

Outside of a shaky appearance in Toronto in mid-July, the 34-year-old combined to post a miniscule 1.08 ERA in the other nine games he appeared in out of the bullpen. In those nine contests, he allowed 12 hits and just three walks while striking out 18 in 16 2/3 innings.

“He’s been phenomenal,” said Chanderdat. “And he’s gone multiple innings for us [out of the pen]. He’s gone three and even four one time.”

What that means is the right-hander could be considered to start a Game 3, if things shake out that way (Payano and Keys will start Games 1 and 2). Otherwise, Chanderdat will likely go with either Alex Springer or Colby Ring to start the third contest, which will, for all intents and purposes, be a ‘bullpen game.’

But having a productive Arias, who can go multiple innings, and serve in various capacities, will be a boon for the Majors in the playoffs.

4) Start me up. Unfortunately, due to coaching commitments, he’s only been a part-time player this year. But when he’s been available, Kyle Maves has been excellent for the Majors in 2025.

And, lately, he’s become a key piece of the top of the order. In his last eight games, dating back to July 27, the 25-year-old boasts a batting average of .382 (13-for-34) while recording at least a hit in each of those contests.

“I’ve been hitting him in the leadoff spot, and he’s been a catalyst for us when he’s been in there,” said Chanderdat. “He’s been the straw that stirs the drink.”

On the year, in only 16 games, Maves is batting .322 (19-for-59) with five walks and seven RBIs. He wasn’t available in the regular season finale against Barrie, but he’s expected to be in action for the entirety of London’s first-round series against Guelph.