Of all the tragedy that 2020 has been to baseball (I have not felt so disconnected from the game since I started following in 2000) the one thing that I am excited for is the new playoff bracket system. Expanded playoffs should be interesting. And I am more than thrilled that the wild-card round is a best-of-three series finally. So while I didn't even venture to make predictions at the start of this shortened season I will throw my bracket out there.
Disclaimer: I realize that the AL already has played a game, but I will try to not let that alter my predictions that preceded them.
Wild-Card Round:
NL:
Dodgers over Brewers: If the Brewers win, not only would this easily be the biggest upset of the postseason but also would probably cause a lot of fans and writers to decry the entire new postseason system, since the sub-.500 team with terrible offense beat the team that was on pace for 116 wins. That said, anything can happen in short series and people should not underestimate that no team is hungrier for an upset than the Brewers who lost a heartbreaker wild-card game due to a fielding mishap last year and the year before lost a grueling 7-game Championship Series against none other than the Dodgers. That said, there seems little magic in this Brewer team and the Dodgers are the best in the league. I'd love the upset, but I'm betting Dodgers.
San Diego over St. Louis: The Pads are for real this team, and assuming the Brewers get eliminated they will be the NL team I'd like to root for this year. St. Louis is a team I have always warned not to dismiss because they sneak up on you, but I'm going with the better overall team.
Miami over Chicago: Here's my first upset prediction. The Cubs have Darvish and Hendricks, but we all know that Darvish has had some postseason blow-ups before and the Cubs offense has been abysmal. Add to that the fact that the Marlins have never lost a playoff series and I will give them the upper hand in a tough series.
Atlanta over Cincinnati: The offense of Atlanta against the pitching of the Reds. Usually in the playoffs you bet on the pitching, but I'm gonna go the other way because this Atlanta offense is so good. They'd be in a better place with Hamels and Soroka, but I'm not buying the predictions that say those are losses too great to make up.
AL:
Blue Jays over Rays: Let's start the AL off with an upset. The Rays are certainly a tough team with a tough rotation. But this is the best time for the Jays to play them, in a best of three. Having Ryu gives them a legit shot at one upper hand pitching matchup and their offense is young and could be electric through the postseason. All it takes is a spark. The Rays are hot, and they are the best in the league but I'm waving my Maple leaf for this one.
Yankees over Indians: The Yankees have a formidable top of the rotation to go with a strong line-up and the expectation to succeed. That culture of winning will help them trounce a deeper Indians rotation. This one will come down to line-ups and bullpen and I'd bet on the Yanks for that one.
Houston over Minnesota: So far I have chosen the lesser ranked seed each time and I'm choosing it again. It seems strange given how strong the Twins are, but a 16 game post-season losing streak is hard to swallow. While everyone is wondering if the 'Stros can do it without cheating, they have been here before quite a bit lately and Dusty Baker is one of the best managers in the game today and desperate for that elusive World Series victory. The Twins are built like a deep postseason team and I'd love to see it, but I don't think I will.
Chicago over Oakland: And with that I predict the lower seed in every match-up. The White Sox are 14-0 against left handers in the regular season and faced stiffer competition than the A's. This series is a bit of a coin flip for me, but I'll give the edge to the Sox.
Division Series Round:
NL:
Dodgers over Padres: I want it to be the other way, and I think the Pads have a real chance in this series, but I'm taking the Dodgers, particularly in regards to their superior pitching. But I don't think it will be easy, and I'll be cheering for the Friars all the way. Expect this series to go to game 5.
Braves over Marlins: Now I expect the Marlins to suffer their first ever postseason series loss. The Braves are just too good of an offense. And in a weird 2020 season I'm betting on offense over pitching.
AL:
Yankees over Blue Jays: Well...I'm also betting on pitching. The Yankees are the better team. If the Jays do advance though it will take a strong game 1 pitching performance to shut down the Jays' momentum and energy. Luckily you have Gerrit Cole for that.
Houston over Chicago: I did mention that the Astros have run this circuit before, and they have made it clear that they are a tough playoff team - even without the cheating. Pitching will be a real question. But this team wants to prove they are talented without the back-room sign stealing cameras and banging trash cans. I think they want it more.
Championship Series:
NL:
Braves over Dodgers: I don't want the Dodgers to win it again. So maybe this is wishful thinking, but I believe the Braves' offense is the one thing that can outhit the Dodgers, even with their strong staff. That said, I could easily see the Dodgers running over this team too. But if there is someone in the NL who can pull the rug out from under this monster team its the Braves and this is when they meet. Let's defy the experts and predict a different NL pennant winner.
AL:
Yankees over 'Stros: They are the complete package, and they're just as hungry to beat the 'stros after two straight years of the opposite.
World Series:
YANKEES over Braves: a rematch over twenty years in the making. I don't however think it's going to go differently this time. Perhaps now is the time to say it: if they had Hammels and Soroka, perhaps things would be different.
NL Darkhorse: Cincinnati. While the Dodgers have the talent to be named as a back-up for the NL Champion, calling them a "dark horse" seems silly. The Reds on the other hand is a team no one is expecting to go deep but has the rotation to do just that.
AL Darkhorse: Blue Jays. I picked them over the Rays for a reason. As I said this is the season I'm gonna bet on offense. If they can knock out the Rays and the Yanks all other teams should be on notice.
