2014 Wild Card Playoff Predictions: Just What I Expected (kind of ...)

Looking back on my predictions for this year way back when we were still months from having a baby, I did pretty well in the National League (nailed all five finishes in the NL East, got three in the West, and only two in the Central), correctly predicting all five of this year's playoff teams—including the Wild Card matchup we'll be getting on Wednesday night.

The American League? Well, that was nothing worth bragging about. While I did have three (CORRECTION: two) of the five playoff teams there right, I only got the three bottom finishers in the Central correct and everybody else wrong.

I'll just flat-out state that I'm not terribly optimistic about how I'll fare in postseason picks, as I could really see just about any of the 10 teams (mild exaggeration, but half-serious) in the playoffs winning it all.

There won't be any posting other people's picks for this (or anything, really). Sorry, but I'm an old man now with limited time, so I'm fortunate to have a few minutes to even post this:

Pittsburgh Pirates over San Francisco Giants

Might as well stick with what I originally had, no? If the Pirates weren't at home, I might be tempted to go the other way. But because we're sure to get another raucous PNC crowd in October, it seems likely that Pittsburgh ultimately triumphs again. I'm counting on Russell Martin to contribute for this one-game playoff, but if his hamstring is a more serious issue, I've got to think that's a bigger problem for the Pirates' long-term playoff hopes. Still, I'm not sold on the Giants offense, and I expect Pittsburgh to move on.

Oakland Athletics over Kansas City Royals

This is a really tough call. And these were teams I had meeting in the postseason this year ... albeit in the ALCS, not the Wild Card. One might still have a shot of getting there, but I'm not terribly optimistic about either one. Oakland has struggled at the plate ever since the team shipped off Yoenis Cespedes. Kansas City's a lovely little underdog tale for a long-suffering city, and the bullpen has been lights out all year long. Still, I sense that one road team has to prevail in this round, and I just have the feeling that we get a dominant performance from Jon Lester in a game where the A's win something along the lines of 1-0 or 2-1. Heartbreak for K.C., but it'll be a wild scene for a few innings. Hey, at least the drought is over.