October is upon us which guarantees a few things, the days are shorter and playoff baseball is right around the corner. The grueling grind of a 162-game season that spans from March to September came to an end on Sunday.
AL Predictions by Round:
Ray’s vs A’s (Wild Card): Two teams that are great at spending their money wisely face off in a one-game, winner takes all match in Oakland. The A’s entered the 2019 season the same way they do each year, hopeful. The loveable little brother of the baseball world surpassed most expert projections, finishing the 2019 campaign with one more win than last season. The A’s won the season series, taking four of seven. The A’s hold the fourth best home record while the Rays have the second-best road winning percentage. WINNER: A’s win this one with big hits in big moments.
Rays found success this season despite having the lowest payroll in baseball through excellent decisions made by management. These moves included trading away the faces of the franchise in Evan Longoria to the Giants and Chris Archer to the Pirates. Both of those teams failed to make the postseason.
Twins vs Yankees (ALDS): For the Yankees, DJ LeMahieu is the key to victory as he led the team in average, RBI’s and runs. The Bronx bomber Gleyber Torres had a torrid year as well, posting 38 home runs at the young age of 22. On top of Stanton and Judge, this is their series to lose. WINNER: History repeats itself, Yankees in 5.
A’s vs Astros (ALDS): Pitching tends to prevail in these situations and the Astros have just a little bit too much. Garrett Cole and Justin Verlander are workhorses on the mound: both boasting an impressive ERA under 2.6. WINNER: Astros send the A’s back to earth in 5.
Yankees vs Astros (ALCS): Capturing the best record in baseball, the Astros will attempt to win their second championship in three years. They have young ballers all around the diamond making another championship a realistic goal this fall. This series has high scoring written all over it with two of the top-hitting teams in the league. Both teams have solid pen arms to balance, making this series a potential classic. WINNER: Once again starting pitching overcomes as the Astros move on in 6.
NL Predictions by Round:
Brewers vs Nationals (Wild Card): The Brewers got hot at the right time, overcoming a five-game deficit in early September for the final playoff spot. Not to mention they lost their team captain and reigning NL MVP for the season after he took a ball to the knee cap. They rallied after losing their big bat, going 19-4 since his absence. The Nationals started the Bryce Harper-less era exactly how they hoped: in the postseason as his Phillies are on the couch for October. The Nats started the season losing 31 of 50 games. But since May 23, they went 72-38, the best in the National League and secured their spot in October. Per usual, our nation’s capital team can hit with the best of them and has reliable starts from the likes or Strasburg, Corban and Scherzer. In a one game showdown, pitching usually wins it. Although the brew crew has the best closer in the game, they may not get the chance to use him. WINNER: Nationals in a rout.
Cardinals vs Braves (NLDS): The Braves took control of the NL East all season long, finishing the year with the most wins since 2003. This youthful club is looking to get their first playoff series win since 2001 against an opponent in the Cardinals whom they haven’t had great success against. The pressure will rest on those young superstars, Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. Late injuries for the Braves will prove to make a difference in this one. The St. Louis Cardinals’ new addition, Paul Goldschmidt, paid off in the home run category as he posted 33 this year. Mainstay Kolten Wong had a solid year and young aces Dakota Johnson and Jake Flaherty led the team in wins and ERA. The experience on the side of the Cardinals can’t be denied. WINNER: Cardinals win in 4 as Braves show their age.
Nationals vs Dodgers (NLDS): The complete team of the Dodgers should prove to be too much for a team that just can’t get past the divisional round. The Nationals’ bullpen is not a bright spot. They posted a 5.73 ERA, second worst in the league, only ahead of the 54-win Orioles. For the boys in blue, with all their abundance of regular season success, will look to finally finish a season as the last team standing. The Dodgers are attempting to go to their third straight World Series after coming up short in the last two Fall Classics.The bats come alive for the Dodgers while the Nationals’ bullpen struggles. WINNER: Dodgers in 4.
Cardinals vs Dodgers (ALCS): These teams are beyond familiar with one another and know what buttons to press at the right moment. They have not won a championship since 1988 against the Oakland A’s. The Dodgers had a largely successful and steady season, relying on hitting from new and old faces, using the next man up strategy that has this team pegged as the deepest and most versatile in the league. WINNER: Kershaw gets the monkey off his back and pitches great in enemy territory, Dodgers in 6.
World Series
Dodgers vs Astros: In a rematch of the 2017 series we will witness deja vu as they will battle each other with the same formula. Timely hitting will be key in this one. Astros will put runs on the board. The Dodgers bullpen is a must if they intend to refrain from facing the same, infamous fate as Jim Kelly and his Bills. WINNER: The Dodgers continue to hit the fastball and prove why they have been the most consistent team—the trophy comes back to the city of angels in 7 games.
