mlb playoff predictions

Posted On 25 Oct 2020

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But the Dodgers will smell the finish line and should win their third National League pennant in four years. The St. Louis Cardinals are one of a few flawed-yet-competitive teams that could secure second place in the NL Central. The Rays bullpen as well as top starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are capable of curbing the Bronx Bombers. The Philadelphia Phillies bolstered their bullpen at the deadline with additions such as closer Brandon Workman and have moved into second place in the NL East. They have the ace, Gerrit Cole, and they have Masahiro Tanaka, who's one of the better postseason pitchers over the last few decades. © 2020 ABG-SI LLC. In addition to free daily MLB picks, we also provide insight into MLB playoffs betting. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman's ties to Tampa Bay will be a major subplot in this series.

Left-hander Blake Snell is a legitimate ace. If they survive the Dodgers, I think the Padres become the favorite. Or could the Tampa Bay Rays win their first title after earning just their second pennant?

The Astros are used to playing the bad guys after a season of facing the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal. Naturally, if that happened, it would end up coming against the Blue Jays. The ChiSox have a good bullpen led by closer Alex Colome, while youngsters Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease join veteran Dallas Keuchel (who is on the IL with back trouble but should return Thursday) atop the rotation. Your Ad Choices 5 St. Louis Cardinals at No. And let's also allow that Fried is healthy and available for Atlanta. But the Dodgers have spent years building toward this moment. -- Dan Mullen, Dodgers: 16 Odell Beckham Jr. injured his knee in the first quarter of Cleveland's game vs. Cincinnati. 8 series plays the winner of the No. Jesus Aguilar and Matt Joyce have any postseason experience. -- Tristan Cockcroft, Clayton Kershaw's real postseason problem? But after Zack Greinke, the Astros lack a proven postseason starter, and their bullpen is suspect. The rotation will lean on the likes of Chris Paddack and Zach Davies for strong innings should Lamet and Clevinger not be at full strength, and they'll depend on relievers Trevor Rosenthal and Drew Pomeranz -- who both had strong seasons -- to help overcome any potential starting pitching shortcomings. Luke Voit will set a new MLB record with 10 home runs this postseason. As for the outcome, the Astros have a head of steam after sweeping the Minnesota Twins on the road in their Wild Card Series.

Thanks for contacting us. World Series Daily: Can Rays seize series lead over Dodgers in Game 5? Here we go. In the American League, Tampa's collection of arms is unmatched in the American League, and Tyler Glasnow could be the breakout star of the playoffs. We'll say deGrom and New York give them a scare with a win, but Los Angeles wins the series. In Fernando Tatís Jr., they also have arguably the most exciting star we’ve seen in baseball since Mike Trout, which makes them easy to root for. If they can get into a groove by the NLDS, they may be the only team who can knock off the Dodgers. They have a very strong pitching staff and a bullpen that can protect leads. But Betts, Kershaw and Co. should ride their postseason experience to victory. That means every series will involve squads that are intimately familiar with each other, and in some cases clubs that share bad blood. The pitching will be there, and we'll predict at least one masterful start from either Bieber or Carrasco. If they don't, they'll likely slot in at No. However, I’m betting against you every day. And when the seven-game series start, it's simply too hard not to bet on the Dodgers' deluge of talent. The Miami Marlins, as well as the Brewers, Reds and Colorado Rockies all could claim a playoff spot. 2: Reds 11, Braves 9, Cubs 8, Marlins 1.

Below are the vote totals along with analysis from some of our experts. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show folks, the postseason is here. 2 series plays the winner of the No. Sure, it's a bit of a feast-or-famine lineup -- but postseason games often come down to the long ball, and Jose Abreu, Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, Edwin Encarnacion and Eloy Jimenez can all change a game with one swing of the bat. All rights reserved.

They're still without ace Justin Verlander (forearm), and their bullpen and lineup have also been hit hard by injuries.
White Sox left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who has had some big postseason moments, could play a key role if his back spasms clear up. But expect Atlanta to mostly dominate. Again, look for either Alcantara or Sanchez to take a star turn and make this series interesting. But Atlanta's bats—Acuna, Freeman and Ozuna—look superior and should tilt the series. Both teams have excellent bullpens. Any ties will be broken by head-to-head records, intradivision records and records in the final 20 division games, in that order. -- Sam Miller. 6 Miami Marlins at No. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights Their depth is enough to overwhelm whomever they play in the division series. Tatis should have more big moments. In a clash of old rivals, the Cubs will need their bats to get it going against some solid Cardinals pitching. A weird season has produced an even weirder postseason, with 16 teams vying for the title, including two (!) Flaherty should net St. Louis a win, though Chicago can counter with Darvish. I love the way they play the game. Tatis will get his chance to shine on the postseason stage, and San Diego should roll past Harper and the Phillies.

The Twinkies could repeat as division champions and finish with the No.

Remember, Miami has never lost a single series in the postseason in franchise history... Max oversees SI's Yankees coverage for Inside the Pinstripes. Arlington's Globe Life Field (NLDS, NLCS, World Series), pending approval from the players union. Make your picks and win up to $5,000! The Dodgers may be the easy pick, but for good reason. The Yankees are the Yankees, full of stars and villains and expensive players. A's: 1. Atlanta, meanwhile, won a third straight NL East title thanks to a potent offense, experienced bullpen and a starting rotation that weathered the loss of Mike Soroka (Achilles surgery) and got ace Max Fried back from an ankle injury in time for the postseason. I’ve liked this team dating back to Spring Training 2.0. Fried's health will be a big X-factor here. Bring it. The age-old rivalry between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox will forever dominate baseball lore. No team has won more games using five or more pitchers than the Dodgers and Rays. The Rays won the season series 8-2 and outscored the Yankees 47-34. We've received your submission. FlipBoard . Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify, © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Yankees: 1. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Robby is a social media personality and host of the brilliantlydumb show. If he starts every fifth day, and does nothing else, I think he's got one or two stunning playoff performances in him this year. Five years ago they were the ideal model for what a winning team should look like, and now they're overshadowed by the up-and-coming White Sox. The deepest pitching staffs in baseball proved their worth.

The Cubs have been consistent all season, and while most will put the Dodgers in the Fall Classic for the NL, I don't trust L.A. in October. But with Starling Marte questionable after suffering a fractured left hand on a hit-by-pitch against Chicago, only veterans Jesus Aguilar and Matt Joyce have any postseason experience. by Robby Berger 3 weeks ago Facebook.

7-No. The next three will go to the second-place teams in order of record. The Dodgers finished the regular season with the best record and run differential (plus-136) in either league.

They're as susceptible to the randomness of a short series as anybody, but they feature a deep and versatile bullpen this year, a major advantage given that there will be no days off within the Division Series and Championship Series. And the highlight of Kirk Gibson limping around the bases and pumping his fist will be replaced by Mookie Betts or A.J. They are the most complete team in baseball and have consistently been great all season. clubs that finished with a losing record. Keep ’em coming. 1998 revenge series, anyone?

But the Marlins in the NLCS? L.A. goes with Julio Urias who is 2-0 this postseason after going … But Mookie Betts is the tide that lifts all boats in Los Angeles. The Twins are my pick out of the American League with their strong pitching and solid lineup. The Marlins are a cool story. Atlanta is also dealing with injuries in its rotation. Three matches inside “Hell in a Cell” highlight this year’s edition of WWE’s annual pay-per-view. Is L.A.'s latest bullpen meltdown the start of an all-time October disappointment? But their chances of making a deep playoff run took a serious hit Saturday with the news that star third baseman Matt Chapman is lost for the season to hip surgery. They'll need at least one if not two strong starts from Greinke, who yielded seven runs, 18 hits and three homers to the A's in 17 regular-season innings. 6 Houston Astros at No. Fried's injury is a major concern, but the club has enough to win a third straight NL East title.
Imagine the chaos of the Marlins winning their third World Series title in their third postseason appearance, and getting there by knocking off the Dodgers. They're also without 2019 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander (Tommy John surgery) and closer Roberto Osuna (elbow injury), both of whom were lost for the year. The A's can counter with a deep lineup, even sans Chapman, and will lean on ex-Astro and, As for the outcome, the Astros have a head of steam after sweeping the Minnesota Twins on the road in their Wild Card Series.