For those keeping track at home, I got a mere two of the six division winners correct. Three for 10 on playoff teams and only seven of the 30 teams in their correct spots in the standings. Both predicted World Series participants failed to qualify.
So needless to say, you should probably take everything I say this postseason with enormous grain of salt. If you're going to use my predictions to put money down on a team, you might be better-served going with the opposite of everything I say.
If nothing else, we'll see a new champion being crowned this year. I guess it's mildly concerning for MLB that the top seeds in each league are teams from Missouri, but—with a few exceptions—I can't really see many of these teams driving big TV ratings.
I've long held that I despise the single-game Wild Card playoff idea (really loved what Cubs announcer Len Kasper suggested recently with a best-of-three using a doubleheader followed by a Game 3 if necessary), but this year is particularly frustrating because one of the top three teams in terms of regular season records is going to be eliminated by Thursday morning. After one game.
For now, we deal with the system that we have been given and hope for the best. And hopefully that includes some really riveting baseball. Because of the seeming openness of the field, I'm fairly optimistic.
As has now become the custom around here, there won't be any screencaps or standings with other predictions (although you can see some other ones here or here). And my picks, of course, are in descending order of confidence.
Houston Astros over New York Yankees
I've been living in the Houston area for a little over a year now, and Sunday night was the first time I encountered somebody wearing Astros gear. Make no mistake, Texas—much like most of America, apparently—is football first. Of course, local media has now begun pumping the playoff frenzy (probably doesn't help that the Texans are 1-3, but ...). Meanwhile, everything I've read has indicated there has been a similar level of disinterest even in New York. I guess the attitude there is, "Wake me when we're in the Series." Anyway, I'll admit to having some concern about Dallas Keuchel going on short rest, but c'mon. It's one day. And he was successful the last time he did it (albeit in college). Houston really stumbled down the stretch, but Keuchel has not allowed a run to the Yankees in 16 innings this season. Just as the Astros had to settle for a wild card berth after holding on to the division for the first part of the season, the Yankees similarly find themselves here after being usurped by the Blue Jays. The big difference for New York is they're still without Mark Teixeira. Houston should move on.
Chicago Cubs over Pittsburgh Pirates
Just criminal. A 97-win team and a 98-win team see everything hinge on a single game. Part of me is tempted to believe that the Pirates, here in this asinine one-game playoff for the third time in three years, will refuse to let the opportunity slip away. That said, there's still a certain charm to the young Cubs team that is simply too young to know any better. Both pitchers in this one are capable of being completely lights out, but Pittsburgh only managed one run off seven hits during two looks at Jake Arrieta just last month. I suppose that the Pirates bullpen is also stronger than Chicago's should this game come down to that (and it very well might), but I just get the sense that the Cubs will get some very big hits at some very important times in what should be a very close game.
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