The A.L. Wild Card game features two of the savviest franchises in baseball

It's the American League's turn in the spotlight after the National League Wild Card thriller Tuesday. Here are the major storylines ahead of Wednesday's clash between the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays, which airs at 8 p.m. ET on TBS.

Savvy baseball — Tampa Bay had the lowest payroll in the league and Oakland was the 25th biggest spender this year. Instead of relying on deep pockets, the clubs stand out by drafting and developing young players and picking up under-valued pieces. That's not to say the two teams lack star power — Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman, for instance, is one of the best overall players in baseball, and the Rays have a Cy Young winner in Blake Snell, and another contender in Charlie Morton — but it's clear that these franchises prioritize constructing a well-balanced roster over everything.

Unconventionally conventional — The Rays play a particularly inventive brand of baseball, often relying on "openers" in their games. That is, they will start a typical relief pitcher for one or two innings, before turning it over to a long man. But in the Wild Card game, manager Kevin Cash is relying on his ace, Morton, who will remain on the hill as long as he's pitching well. The A's tried "bullpenning" last year in their Wild Card game against the New York Yankees, meaning they hoped to get one or two innings out of their best relievers throughout the night. Alas, it was to no avail, and Oakland is now also going traditional, with no. 1 starter Sean Manaea taking the mound.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

No Lowe — Manaea is keeping Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe out of the batter's box. Lowe, a rookie, was one of Tampa Bay's best hitters when healthy, but he's struggled against lefties like Manaea all year. In his place will be fellow rookie Mike Brosseau, who's had a nice year himself, but A's fans probably don't mind that Lowe might not get any at-bats, especially if Melvin turns to lefty phenoms A.J. Puk or Jesus Luzardo.