Rock And Roll
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Alright ladies and gentlemen, September is ending and Autumn is upon us. Another long, grueling winter is surely headed our way within a matter of months so we've got one last thing to celebrate before everything turns to garbage. That's right, the MLB Playoffs are here (mash furiously, please). I will be updating this OP as the playoffs unfold and if we could possibly get a mod to help with title changes for the different rounds (Wild Card, Division Series, Championship Series, World Series) that would be lovely. Feel free to post your predictions, your real time reactions as the games go along or just take about how there is nothing more revolting than ketchup on a hotdog. I will update the OP with anyone's bold predictions for games/series for your shot at bragging rights and to be viewed as a God for MLB GAF. Furthermore anyone wants to contribute to this otherwise meager OP with some bitchin' graphics/pretty pictures, send me a message!
Our first order of business, we've got ourselves some extra baseball tomorrow. The NL once again has proven to be the superior, much more entertaining league to watch compared to it's counterpart, the American league, which has been a bore all year and probably only enjoys missionary sex. Yes, we have not one but TWO tie breakers tomorrow to determine the division winner of both the NL Central and the NL West. The first game will begin at 1:05pm EST tomorrow with the Milwaukee Brewers facing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley for the winner of the central division. The second tiebreaker is scheduled to start shortly after (barring extra innings which I think no one would object to) at 4:09pm EST with the Colorado Rockies facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium to figure out who will reign supreme atop the NL West.
"But Rock and Roll, surely these games don't really matter so should I really use one of my sick days to watch meaningless games?" Wrong, my friend. Expect these games to be played HARD by both teams, as the losers are going to have to face off against each other in a winner take all wild card game. You don't want the fate of your season to depend on the outcome of a single game, so all 4 teams will be playing to make sure they don't have to be in that nerve racking, high pressure situation. I'm going to take Milwaukee over the Cubs tomorrow even though there hasn't been a starting pitcher announced for the Brew Crew yet and I think I'm going to have to take the Dodgers over the Rockies. Once tomorrow sorts itself out, we'll be able to dive deeper into Tuesday's NL Wild Card game.
I'll update the thread tomorrow but for now, PLAY BALL
Well that was fun. Brewers edged out the Cubs and the Dodgers beat the Rockies. As such we can now post *gasp* an actual playoff bracket!
American League
WC Game
Oakland A's @ New York Yankees. Winner faces the Red Sox with the series starting in Boston
Cleveland Indians @ Houston Astros
National League
WC Game
Colorado Rockies @ Chicago Cubs. Winner faces the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Here's a brief run down of the teams and their strengths/weaknesses. Keep in mind this is my own analysis from using the good old eyeball test and browsing stats so it is in no way reliable or correct.
Boston Red Sox
Pros: They've got the best offense in the AL leading in batting average, OBP, hits and runs scored, which isn't exactly surprising with two MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and JD Martinez. They've also been pretty good with stolen bases. Combine this with the ability to get on base and you're going to have a lot of runners in scoring position for the offense to drive in. The starting rotation has also been pretty good overall, Chris Sale in particular being his usual dominant self (when healthy).
Cons: The starting rotation has Chris Sale who not only has been dealing with injury, he usually stops being effective in September/October. Along with other staff ace David Price, who not only hasn't been his usual self this year, but is one of the poster boys for choking in the post season. Both Sale and Price have to rewrite the narrative or else the Sox could be in serious trouble, because the bullpen isn't looking too hot this year either (aside from closer Craig Kimbrel). I don't care how good the offense is, bad starting pitching and a leaky bullpen will not win a World Series.
New York Yankees
Pros: Dingers. Lots and lots of dingers. The Yankees set the single season record for homeruns this year with 267 of them. Having studs such as Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar definitely helps with the power but this team has 12 players who hit at least 10 homeruns. That's insanity. The starting rotation + bullpen has shown signs of dominance as well. Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and mid season trade J.A. Happ have all done well, and the bullpen has the ability to get a lot of K's, with Aroldis Chapman leading the way mixed in with Dillan Betances, Chad Green and David Robertson. If a starter should get themselves in a jam, the bullpen has the ability to get the strikeouts in clutch situations. Throw in C.C. Sabathia who turned back the clock last October with a performance that earned him another contract.
Cons: With all that power from the hitters comes a lot of strikeouts. They are third in the AL in strikeouts, trailing the MLB worst Orioles and Chicago White Sox. With the postseason performances of last year still fresh, you wonder if these guys have learned anything. Additionally, pitching has been wildly inconsistent all year from the starting pitching to the bullpen. Severino started the year great but struggled in the second half. Tanaka hasn't been consistent at all (admittedly he's done well in the playoffs). The bullpen has had the same problem, with almost all pitchers being incredibly hot at one point before getting ice cold. Aaron Judge's health is also a question with wrist problems, one has to wonder if he's 100% and can drive the ball with authority. I will make a bold prediction here. Gary Sanchez has been god awful all season (probably one of the worst defensive catchers in the majors) and I predict a few passed balls and at least one that will lead to a run being scored (assuming they have a deep run).
Cleveland Indians
Pros: An excellent starting rotation. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger might be the best in the bigs, with a solid ERA and each striking out at least 200 batters this season. They have also had the luxury of playing in the worst division in baseball so they haven't exactly had to exert a whole lot of energy to get where they are. And hey, look at that! We have a healthy Michael Brantley on the team for the first time in over 2 years! The offense also has a pretty high OBP, lead the AL in stolen bases and don't GIDP very often. These guys are fast and can make things happen on the base path without the dingers, but it certainly doesn't hurt having Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Edwin Encarnacion to go yard. They also have the least amount of Strikeouts in the AL. They will work counts and get runners on base with ease.
Cons: The offense has not looked like themselves at all this season. The batting averages aren't as high as they have been in past year and the offense hasn't really clicked as a unit. The bullpen has also been terrible. The starting rotation is going to have to go deep repeatedly in games because the bullpen can not be trusted to protect a lead at the moment. Josh Donaldson, the former league MVP is also a bit of a wild card. He's come back after being on the DL all season and seems to be looking good but it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy. If so, he's definitely a threat to help pick up the offense.
Houston Astros
Pros: Defending their world series crown. Their starting pitching leads the league in ERA and K's, with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole being scary good all season long. The bullpen has also done a fairly nice job this season. Jose Altuve continues to be really, really good at what he does and 3B Alex Bregman has been having a breakout campaign. The Astros have also struck out the least of all the times in the AL. But the other big offense guys have been injured all season, which brings us to our
Cons: George Springer, Carlos Correa and Altuve have all been bitten by the injury bug this year. Springer and Correa both look like a shell of their former selves posting significantly lower numbers this season. If their offense can't get it going, they're going to have to play small ball which isn't exactly what we think of when we think of the Houston Astros. They aren't exactly terrors on the base paths and have led the AL with GIDP. We shall see if they can get the bats going and hopefully avoid any stints on the DL.
Oakland A's
Pros: In a M Night twist, this is probably the least Oakland A'sesque team we've seen in Billy Beane's tenure. Strikeouts are up, batting averages and OBP are down and they seem to favor hitting the long ball. It has worked really well for them as they were one of the hottest teams in the MLB, seemingly doomed to another season of mediocrity before bashing their way to a wild card berth. Khris Davis led the Majors with 48 dingers in a ballpark that isn't too hitter friendly. Matt Chapman and Stephen Piscotty have also turned in great seasons offensively. Oddly enough I believe this team never having home field advantage throughout the playoffs could be a good thing for their offense, as they might be able to hit a lot more balls out at the smaller parks they'll visit if they can make a deep run into October.
Cons: The pitching does not inspire confidence. Their two best pitchers, Sean Manaea and Daniel Mengden both suffered late season injuries that will keep them out of the playoffs. The starting rotation basically looks like a bunch of 3rd/4th start pitchers. The bullpen looks a bit stronger, there's a good chance the A's could go with the new bullpenning trend to get key outs at the start of the game before handing it over to a starter for 4-5 innings. As previously mentioned, the offense doesn't look Oakland A-ey. They've managed to mash opponents in a lot of games this year but they've also been shut down pretty effectively from time to time. Side note, 3B Chapman and SS Marcus Semien have almost committed more than half of the teams total errors, so there could be trouble brewing on that side of the field.
Atlanta Braves
Pros: The youth movement of this team might be one of the more surprising stories in the MLB this season. For such a young team they have shown tremendous discipline at the plate, nearing the top of the NL in batting average, OBP and led the NL in doubles while appearing near the bottom of the NL for strikeouts and GIDP. They are having great at bats, with the youngsters Ronald Acuna (future rookie of the year), Ozzie Albies and Johan Camargo having fantastic starts to their major league careers with vets Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis and even Kurt Suzuki having some of their best seasons.
Cons: The pitching looks decent at best. Don't get me wrong, Mike Foltynewicz has been spectacular (minus that brief hiccup earlier in the year where he was tipping his pitches) and Anibal Sanchez has managed to put together a great season after it looked like he might be finished. But other than that, it's looking a bit sparse. The bullpen isn't exactly the most intimidating in baseball either. Throughout the year, we've seen the Braves offense put up some big numbers but the pitching hasn't been clutch. Also with so many rookies in the fold, you have to wonder if the first take at October baseball might be nerve-wracking experience that forces some mental errors.
Chicago Cubs (rip)
No pro's or cons on this one because they've already been eliminated. I don't want to be making calls after they've been eliminated but I will say looking at the offense all year they obviously struggled numbers wise and the injuries to some of their pitchers were some of my concerns. To be honest, I think this team is a bit too loosey goosey after winning it all and just haven't seemed the same ever since. Bullpen needs to stop trying to create viral videos with their stupid ass dances. I don't care about bat flips or pitcher stare downs but y'all doing nothing out there in the bullpen and definitely did not hit that homerun so sit down, shut the hell up and quit trying to be a meme.
Colorado Rockies
Pros: Colorado having a great offense is something we're used to hearing about every year but this year, they actually have some shut down pitching, which is incredible giving they are playing at Coors Field. For the uninitiated, that's one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in the league thanks to the altitude. But for the first time, they've got some seriously good starting pitching and a bullpen that has come together nicely after an *ahem* rocky start. If DeGrom didn't have an insane season I would say Kyle Freeland deserved the Cy Young. He has a 2.85 ERA with a 0.8 HR9 to match. That's unbelievable for someone playing at Coors. German Marquez looks filthy with a wipeout slider that is baffling offenses and the bullpen consisting of Adam Ottavino, Scott Oberg and Wade Davis, who admittedly has not been his best this season but has still been a great proven closer in the playoffs. I'm not going to go over the offense much because this will be getting way too long but in addition to mashing, they've got great defense with some gold glovers
Cons: I don't have much here to be honest. I think Colorado can make it to the World Series. I'll go the boring route and say the lack of post season experience for most of the roster might be a problem due to nerves. But overall, as a Giants fan who has watched the Rockies play a lot this year, they look pretty rock solid. I'm sorry for the rock puns, I will stop.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pros: Once again, the Dodgers have a combination of both one of the best offenses and the best pitching in the NL. They lead the NL in homers, runs scored and walks with one of the higher OBP in the league (which makes sense). Max Muncy joins the list of Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor and Justin Turner as players seemingly to spend their careers as bench players that the Dodgers have turned into some of the best hitters in the league. Vet Matt Kemp has had a bounce back season that no one could have anticipated and mid season pick up Manny Machado has been great, no doubt helping his case to make a cool $300 million in free agency this offseason. The pitching looks great top to bottom, leading the league in ERA, Strikeouts and the fewest walks given up. Kershaw, Buehler, Stripling, Maeda, Hill are all solid starters that can get deep into games.
Cons: Clayton Kershaw in October. What else needs to be said. Consistently the best pitcher in baseball for the past 7 years while also being the worst in the playoffs. I think it's safe to say he's got a serious case of butterflies he can't overcome. The question is if the offense can bail him out of his meltdowns. Let's not forget he's also been injured for most of the season. The bullpen also has a few question marks, as one of the most dominant closers Kenley Jansen has been dealing with some health problems (irregular heartbeat, which doesn't sound good for October and high leverage situations, but I am not a doctor and am definitely an uneducated buffoon in such matters). The Dodgers always seem to be a team that are predicted to win the world series but have yet to do so. They got within a game last year so maybe they can do it again, but this obviously biased (and salty) Giants fan thinks it isn't going to happen. Oh and before I forget, Puig is trash.
Milwuakee Brewers
Pros: Having MVP candidate Christian Yelich on your team sure does help, he's also been red hot all September and shows no signs of slowing down. They've also got a ton of pop with Jesus Aguilar, Travis Shaw and a resurgent Ryan Braun posting good HR numbers. You've also got Lorenzo Cain and picked up Mike Moustakas in a trade, from that Royals team that trolled the playoffs for 2 seasons in a row. They also led the league in stolen bases so they have a lot of speed and can get into scoring position when needed in close games. The bullpen with the otherworldly Josh Hader and Jeremy Jeffress have been locking down games all year in clutch situations. Corey Knebel has been inconsistent all season so hopefully the good Corey shows up for the playoffs.
Cons: The starting rotation isn't anything special. Milwuakee could try to make up for this by just getting 5-6 innings from each starter before going to the bullpen but overall their ERA and Strikeout numbers aren't eye popping. In addition the offense lacks depth and strikeouts a lot. That being said, they found a way to win the NL central, definitely the most competitive division in the NL so they must be doing something right that the numbers aren't reflecting. Could it be those mythical clutch stats?
"Cool stuff Rock and Roll now can you use your telepathy to predict the playoffs for me so I can bet all of my children's college funds and become filthy rich?"
Slow down there turbo, I shall do my best. But be warned my telepathy is telepathetic (please mash furiously for comedic effect).
Let's start with my overall prediction. It will undoubtedly be wrong but I will leave it up so everyone can get a cheap chuckle or two at my expense.
A's over Yanks. Sox over A's. Astros over Indians. Astros over Red Sox.
Cubs over Rockies. Brewers over Cubs. Braves over Dodgers. Brewers over Braves.
Astros over Brewers for the back to back World Series championships.
I hate predicting wild card games. It's a coin toss each time. I'm giving it to the A's because while NY has scary offense, I think they can be shut down pretty easily. If you get Judge Stanton and Sanchez in freeswing mode you can neuter that offense. Although betting on the A's to do anything noteworthy in post season play is always dumb. As for the NL Wild Card, I'm going to be boring and say that the later game + travel (losing a few hours sleep too) means a slightly more rested Cubs team playing at home. Got to give it to the Cubs with Lester on the mound. I think Colorado is going to be in full on homerun derby swing mode tomorrow so if Lester pitches carefully he can get them out.
For the rest of the playoffs, I don't know. NL looks pretty damn weak this year and it could be anyone's game. I think the young Braves can have some of that youthful swagger to power past the choke prone Dodgers. I really like Milwaukee's offense and with former KC Royals great Moose & Cain you know they probably still have some of that ice water we're going to wreck your evening with bloop hits in their blood. Josh Hader has been lights out in relief all year so as long as he doesn't tire out he's a great way to eat up an inning or two in close games. The American league I feel like will go either to the Astros or the Indians. I don't have much faith in Boston pitching (Price and Sale have never looked stellar at this time of year) and the bullpen is meh besides Kimbrel. Dombrowski couldn't build a decent pen in Detroit and it got them nowhere so that's my logic. But if they face either the Yankees or Oakland they should get by them no problem. Most would assume the Astros will just crush the Indians but really I think the Indians have been a bit deceiving. They ran away with their division all year and had nothing to worry about, I think they are an extremely well rested, healthy team right now that could emerge as a legitimate threat to win the whole thing. The rotation and bullpen has been pretty good all year while the offense has been a bit suspect. I guess if the offense shows up they could be scary, we'll have to wait and see. So yeah, I think whoever wins that matchup goes on to the World Series. From there it's just a matter of what team looks better, the AL or NL and I got to go with the AL.
And there is my rant. Enjoy the playoffs everyone!
Well that was fun. Brewers edged out the Cubs and the Dodgers beat the Rockies. As such we can now post *gasp* an actual playoff bracket!
American League
WC Game
Oakland A's @ New York Yankees. Winner faces the Red Sox with the series starting in Boston
Cleveland Indians @ Houston Astros
National League
WC Game
Colorado Rockies @ Chicago Cubs. Winner faces the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Here's a brief run down of the teams and their strengths/weaknesses. Keep in mind this is my own analysis from using the good old eyeball test and browsing stats so it is in no way reliable or correct.
Boston Red Sox
Pros: They've got the best offense in the AL leading in batting average, OBP, hits and runs scored, which isn't exactly surprising with two MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and JD Martinez. They've also been pretty good with stolen bases. Combine this with the ability to get on base and you're going to have a lot of runners in scoring position for the offense to drive in. The starting rotation has also been pretty good overall, Chris Sale in particular being his usual dominant self (when healthy).
Cons: The starting rotation has Chris Sale who not only has been dealing with injury, he usually stops being effective in September/October. Along with other staff ace David Price, who not only hasn't been his usual self this year, but is one of the poster boys for choking in the post season. Both Sale and Price have to rewrite the narrative or else the Sox could be in serious trouble, because the bullpen isn't looking too hot this year either (aside from closer Craig Kimbrel). I don't care how good the offense is, bad starting pitching and a leaky bullpen will not win a World Series.
New York Yankees
Pros: Dingers. Lots and lots of dingers. The Yankees set the single season record for homeruns this year with 267 of them. Having studs such as Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar definitely helps with the power but this team has 12 players who hit at least 10 homeruns. That's insanity. The starting rotation + bullpen has shown signs of dominance as well. Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and mid season trade J.A. Happ have all done well, and the bullpen has the ability to get a lot of K's, with Aroldis Chapman leading the way mixed in with Dillan Betances, Chad Green and David Robertson. If a starter should get themselves in a jam, the bullpen has the ability to get the strikeouts in clutch situations. Throw in C.C. Sabathia who turned back the clock last October with a performance that earned him another contract.
Cons: With all that power from the hitters comes a lot of strikeouts. They are third in the AL in strikeouts, trailing the MLB worst Orioles and Chicago White Sox. With the postseason performances of last year still fresh, you wonder if these guys have learned anything. Additionally, pitching has been wildly inconsistent all year from the starting pitching to the bullpen. Severino started the year great but struggled in the second half. Tanaka hasn't been consistent at all (admittedly he's done well in the playoffs). The bullpen has had the same problem, with almost all pitchers being incredibly hot at one point before getting ice cold. Aaron Judge's health is also a question with wrist problems, one has to wonder if he's 100% and can drive the ball with authority. I will make a bold prediction here. Gary Sanchez has been god awful all season (probably one of the worst defensive catchers in the majors) and I predict a few passed balls and at least one that will lead to a run being scored (assuming they have a deep run).
Cleveland Indians
Pros: An excellent starting rotation. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger might be the best in the bigs, with a solid ERA and each striking out at least 200 batters this season. They have also had the luxury of playing in the worst division in baseball so they haven't exactly had to exert a whole lot of energy to get where they are. And hey, look at that! We have a healthy Michael Brantley on the team for the first time in over 2 years! The offense also has a pretty high OBP, lead the AL in stolen bases and don't GIDP very often. These guys are fast and can make things happen on the base path without the dingers, but it certainly doesn't hurt having Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Edwin Encarnacion to go yard. They also have the least amount of Strikeouts in the AL. They will work counts and get runners on base with ease.
Cons: The offense has not looked like themselves at all this season. The batting averages aren't as high as they have been in past year and the offense hasn't really clicked as a unit. The bullpen has also been terrible. The starting rotation is going to have to go deep repeatedly in games because the bullpen can not be trusted to protect a lead at the moment. Josh Donaldson, the former league MVP is also a bit of a wild card. He's come back after being on the DL all season and seems to be looking good but it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy. If so, he's definitely a threat to help pick up the offense.
Houston Astros
Pros: Defending their world series crown. Their starting pitching leads the league in ERA and K's, with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole being scary good all season long. The bullpen has also done a fairly nice job this season. Jose Altuve continues to be really, really good at what he does and 3B Alex Bregman has been having a breakout campaign. The Astros have also struck out the least of all the times in the AL. But the other big offense guys have been injured all season, which brings us to our
Cons: George Springer, Carlos Correa and Altuve have all been bitten by the injury bug this year. Springer and Correa both look like a shell of their former selves posting significantly lower numbers this season. If their offense can't get it going, they're going to have to play small ball which isn't exactly what we think of when we think of the Houston Astros. They aren't exactly terrors on the base paths and have led the AL with GIDP. We shall see if they can get the bats going and hopefully avoid any stints on the DL.
Oakland A's
Pros: In a M Night twist, this is probably the least Oakland A'sesque team we've seen in Billy Beane's tenure. Strikeouts are up, batting averages and OBP are down and they seem to favor hitting the long ball. It has worked really well for them as they were one of the hottest teams in the MLB, seemingly doomed to another season of mediocrity before bashing their way to a wild card berth. Khris Davis led the Majors with 48 dingers in a ballpark that isn't too hitter friendly. Matt Chapman and Stephen Piscotty have also turned in great seasons offensively. Oddly enough I believe this team never having home field advantage throughout the playoffs could be a good thing for their offense, as they might be able to hit a lot more balls out at the smaller parks they'll visit if they can make a deep run into October.
Cons: The pitching does not inspire confidence. Their two best pitchers, Sean Manaea and Daniel Mengden both suffered late season injuries that will keep them out of the playoffs. The starting rotation basically looks like a bunch of 3rd/4th start pitchers. The bullpen looks a bit stronger, there's a good chance the A's could go with the new bullpenning trend to get key outs at the start of the game before handing it over to a starter for 4-5 innings. As previously mentioned, the offense doesn't look Oakland A-ey. They've managed to mash opponents in a lot of games this year but they've also been shut down pretty effectively from time to time. Side note, 3B Chapman and SS Marcus Semien have almost committed more than half of the teams total errors, so there could be trouble brewing on that side of the field.
Atlanta Braves
Pros: The youth movement of this team might be one of the more surprising stories in the MLB this season. For such a young team they have shown tremendous discipline at the plate, nearing the top of the NL in batting average, OBP and led the NL in doubles while appearing near the bottom of the NL for strikeouts and GIDP. They are having great at bats, with the youngsters Ronald Acuna (future rookie of the year), Ozzie Albies and Johan Camargo having fantastic starts to their major league careers with vets Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis and even Kurt Suzuki having some of their best seasons.
Cons: The pitching looks decent at best. Don't get me wrong, Mike Foltynewicz has been spectacular (minus that brief hiccup earlier in the year where he was tipping his pitches) and Anibal Sanchez has managed to put together a great season after it looked like he might be finished. But other than that, it's looking a bit sparse. The bullpen isn't exactly the most intimidating in baseball either. Throughout the year, we've seen the Braves offense put up some big numbers but the pitching hasn't been clutch. Also with so many rookies in the fold, you have to wonder if the first take at October baseball might be nerve-wracking experience that forces some mental errors.
Chicago Cubs (rip)
No pro's or cons on this one because they've already been eliminated. I don't want to be making calls after they've been eliminated but I will say looking at the offense all year they obviously struggled numbers wise and the injuries to some of their pitchers were some of my concerns. To be honest, I think this team is a bit too loosey goosey after winning it all and just haven't seemed the same ever since. Bullpen needs to stop trying to create viral videos with their stupid ass dances. I don't care about bat flips or pitcher stare downs but y'all doing nothing out there in the bullpen and definitely did not hit that homerun so sit down, shut the hell up and quit trying to be a meme.
Colorado Rockies
Pros: Colorado having a great offense is something we're used to hearing about every year but this year, they actually have some shut down pitching, which is incredible giving they are playing at Coors Field. For the uninitiated, that's one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in the league thanks to the altitude. But for the first time, they've got some seriously good starting pitching and a bullpen that has come together nicely after an *ahem* rocky start. If DeGrom didn't have an insane season I would say Kyle Freeland deserved the Cy Young. He has a 2.85 ERA with a 0.8 HR9 to match. That's unbelievable for someone playing at Coors. German Marquez looks filthy with a wipeout slider that is baffling offenses and the bullpen consisting of Adam Ottavino, Scott Oberg and Wade Davis, who admittedly has not been his best this season but has still been a great proven closer in the playoffs. I'm not going to go over the offense much because this will be getting way too long but in addition to mashing, they've got great defense with some gold glovers
Cons: I don't have much here to be honest. I think Colorado can make it to the World Series. I'll go the boring route and say the lack of post season experience for most of the roster might be a problem due to nerves. But overall, as a Giants fan who has watched the Rockies play a lot this year, they look pretty rock solid. I'm sorry for the rock puns, I will stop.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pros: Once again, the Dodgers have a combination of both one of the best offenses and the best pitching in the NL. They lead the NL in homers, runs scored and walks with one of the higher OBP in the league (which makes sense). Max Muncy joins the list of Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor and Justin Turner as players seemingly to spend their careers as bench players that the Dodgers have turned into some of the best hitters in the league. Vet Matt Kemp has had a bounce back season that no one could have anticipated and mid season pick up Manny Machado has been great, no doubt helping his case to make a cool $300 million in free agency this offseason. The pitching looks great top to bottom, leading the league in ERA, Strikeouts and the fewest walks given up. Kershaw, Buehler, Stripling, Maeda, Hill are all solid starters that can get deep into games.
Cons: Clayton Kershaw in October. What else needs to be said. Consistently the best pitcher in baseball for the past 7 years while also being the worst in the playoffs. I think it's safe to say he's got a serious case of butterflies he can't overcome. The question is if the offense can bail him out of his meltdowns. Let's not forget he's also been injured for most of the season. The bullpen also has a few question marks, as one of the most dominant closers Kenley Jansen has been dealing with some health problems (irregular heartbeat, which doesn't sound good for October and high leverage situations, but I am not a doctor and am definitely an uneducated buffoon in such matters). The Dodgers always seem to be a team that are predicted to win the world series but have yet to do so. They got within a game last year so maybe they can do it again, but this obviously biased (and salty) Giants fan thinks it isn't going to happen. Oh and before I forget, Puig is trash.
Milwuakee Brewers
Pros: Having MVP candidate Christian Yelich on your team sure does help, he's also been red hot all September and shows no signs of slowing down. They've also got a ton of pop with Jesus Aguilar, Travis Shaw and a resurgent Ryan Braun posting good HR numbers. You've also got Lorenzo Cain and picked up Mike Moustakas in a trade, from that Royals team that trolled the playoffs for 2 seasons in a row. They also led the league in stolen bases so they have a lot of speed and can get into scoring position when needed in close games. The bullpen with the otherworldly Josh Hader and Jeremy Jeffress have been locking down games all year in clutch situations. Corey Knebel has been inconsistent all season so hopefully the good Corey shows up for the playoffs.
Cons: The starting rotation isn't anything special. Milwuakee could try to make up for this by just getting 5-6 innings from each starter before going to the bullpen but overall their ERA and Strikeout numbers aren't eye popping. In addition the offense lacks depth and strikeouts a lot. That being said, they found a way to win the NL central, definitely the most competitive division in the NL so they must be doing something right that the numbers aren't reflecting. Could it be those mythical clutch stats?
"Cool stuff Rock and Roll now can you use your telepathy to predict the playoffs for me so I can bet all of my children's college funds and become filthy rich?"
Slow down there turbo, I shall do my best. But be warned my telepathy is telepathetic (please mash furiously for comedic effect).
Let's start with my overall prediction. It will undoubtedly be wrong but I will leave it up so everyone can get a cheap chuckle or two at my expense.
A's over Yanks. Sox over A's. Astros over Indians. Astros over Red Sox.
Cubs over Rockies. Brewers over Cubs. Braves over Dodgers. Brewers over Braves.
Astros over Brewers for the back to back World Series championships.
I hate predicting wild card games. It's a coin toss each time. I'm giving it to the A's because while NY has scary offense, I think they can be shut down pretty easily. If you get Judge Stanton and Sanchez in freeswing mode you can neuter that offense. Although betting on the A's to do anything noteworthy in post season play is always dumb. As for the NL Wild Card, I'm going to be boring and say that the later game + travel (losing a few hours sleep too) means a slightly more rested Cubs team playing at home. Got to give it to the Cubs with Lester on the mound. I think Colorado is going to be in full on homerun derby swing mode tomorrow so if Lester pitches carefully he can get them out.
For the rest of the playoffs, I don't know. NL looks pretty damn weak this year and it could be anyone's game. I think the young Braves can have some of that youthful swagger to power past the choke prone Dodgers. I really like Milwaukee's offense and with former KC Royals great Moose & Cain you know they probably still have some of that ice water we're going to wreck your evening with bloop hits in their blood. Josh Hader has been lights out in relief all year so as long as he doesn't tire out he's a great way to eat up an inning or two in close games. The American league I feel like will go either to the Astros or the Indians. I don't have much faith in Boston pitching (Price and Sale have never looked stellar at this time of year) and the bullpen is meh besides Kimbrel. Dombrowski couldn't build a decent pen in Detroit and it got them nowhere so that's my logic. But if they face either the Yankees or Oakland they should get by them no problem. Most would assume the Astros will just crush the Indians but really I think the Indians have been a bit deceiving. They ran away with their division all year and had nothing to worry about, I think they are an extremely well rested, healthy team right now that could emerge as a legitimate threat to win the whole thing. The rotation and bullpen has been pretty good all year while the offense has been a bit suspect. I guess if the offense shows up they could be scary, we'll have to wait and see. So yeah, I think whoever wins that matchup goes on to the World Series. From there it's just a matter of what team looks better, the AL or NL and I got to go with the AL.
And there is my rant. Enjoy the playoffs everyone!
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