ALDS & NLDS Predictions
ALDS
Boston Red Sox Vs Tampa Bay Rays
The
Rays have been a silent killer in the AL this season because nobody really
noticed how good they are until now. I wasn’t sure that they were going to be
that good this season just because they lost three of their starting pitchers
from last season when they went to the World Series, but so far they have had
no problems at all with the pitching. The batting order is one of the best in
the league and can break open an inning at any time. Randy Arozarena really
busted out last season and has continued his run into this season and he’s not
the only one in the batting order who can score a lot of runs. The Red Sox on
the other hand have looked very mediocre this season. The pitching is pretty
awful at times and they can score some runs, but the pitching will give up just
as many runs in return. The Rays owned the Red Sox this season and I don’t see
them letting up in this series!
Rays over Red Sox in 3 games
Chicago White Sox Vs Houston Astros
The
White Sox have been quietly building a dominant and young squad mostly through
their farm system over the years. This is the season where it all finally came
together and they are now a legitimate team. The batting lineup has been lights
out led by Jose Abreu who basically can’t be stopped when he steps up to the
plate. The pitching has been solid. They have their moments when they shine,
but they also have moments where they look like shit and this could be a
problem going up against the Astros. Houston has been playing some great
baseball all season long and the batting lineup is the most dominant in the
league. It’s hard to find a weak spot in the batting order because there isn’t
one. The starting pitching isn’t what it used to be, but it’s still good enough
to get the job done. The Astros offense has been high flying and is really
difficult to stop and I believe if the White Sox get in too deep of a hole they
won’t be able to keep up with Houston. This should be a fun series to watch and
I expect it to go the distance, but I think the Astros are the better team and will
come out on top in this series.
Astros over White Sox in 5 games
NLDS
Los Angeles Dodgers Vs San Francisco Giants
It’s
crazy to think with how deep this rivalry is and with how many times these two
teams have played each other, that this is the first time ever in their history
that they’ve faced each other in the playoffs! These are clearly the two best
teams in the league as they have dominated from start to finish! They have
dominated in two completely different fashions as well. The Dodgers have the deepest
roster in the league and that is with purpose given all the injuries they have
had this season. The Giants have played all around great baseball in every way.
The starting pitching is flawless, the bullpen is deep with talent, the defense
is great and the batting lineup is one of the best in the league. The Giants
hit with purpose and by that I mean they can get runners on base and score a
lot of runs out of nowhere. Even when you think they are down and out they have
made comebacks in the bottom of the 9th or in extra innings to get
it going. There is no quit in this team and Gabe Kapler has managed this team
perfectly! The edge in this matchup goes to the Giants because they are a more
healthy team than the Dodgers and I think their pitching will be able to handle
this lineup, while the offense gets them the runs they need. I expect this to
be a great series, not only because of the rivalry, but also because these are
the two best teams in the league and it will be a battle!
Giants over Dodgers in 5 games
Atlanta Braves Vs Milwaukee Brewers
When
the season began I don’t think a lot of people had the Brewers not only winning
their division, but also being one of the most dominant teams in the league.
The Brewers pitching has been phenomenal this season. The starting pitchers
have dominated and when things start to get a little shaky with the starting
pitcher, there is always someone who can take over in the bullpen to get them
out of a bind. The Brewers pitching has carried them throughout the season, but
the batting order has done its job as well. The Braves batting order is
impressive from top to bottom because they are excellent at playing small ball
by just getting guys on base and setting them up in position to score. The
pitching is not bad either. They have their ups and they have their downs, but
overall they have solid starting pitching. The bullpen can be suspect at times
and that may end up being what gets them into trouble in this series. The edge
in this matchup is the Brewers pitching. If this series turns into a pitching
battle at any point the Brewers have a much deeper bench to reach into that is
a lot more reliable than the Braves.
Brewers over Braves in 4 games