MLB Playoff Preview

Most of the season, I was saying I thought it would be a Braves-Rangers World Series.  They just looked like the two best teams.  Spoiler alert: That's still my World Series pick as the playoffs begin.  Yes, I know that Texas is the 5-seed in the AL.  I don't care.  Look at the Phillies last year.  They made the World Series as a 6-seed.  So, yeah, I'm sticking with Texas-Atlanta.

Last year was the first with the new format, and both National League teams that had byes lost in the Division Series to a division rival.  As a result, the Braves have decided to have open workouts that they're treating like simulated games throughout the week so that they aren't just sitting around.  One season is nowhere near enough of a sample size, but if it happens again this year, it really will be enough to make you wonder if getting that first-round bye is really an advantage when it means you're sitting around for a week while your opponent is playing.

Because the lockout delayed the end of the season and the start of the playoffs last season, they had to shoehorn the extra wild card games into the existing postseason schedule, which made it very condensed.  This year, they were able to properly build the Wild Card Series into the schedule, and the result is the World Series starting on a Friday (which means that, unless there's a rainout, they avoid going up against Sunday Night Football).  So, it'll be a little more "normal," but that week off is still there (and will be there moving forward), so I'd like to see what kind of an affect it has.

For Atlanta, I don't think it's gonna matter.  I get real '98 Yankees vibes from the Braves, and they could very well see Ronald Acuna, Jr. and Matt Olson go 1-2 in NL MVP voting.  Although, I said the same thing about the Dodgers last year, which shows you how much I know.

So, I've already teased a Braves-Rangers World Series.  But how will we get there?  Here's how I see everything playing out.  October baseball!  There's nothing like it.

Twins-Blue Jays: At least they aren't playing the Yankees.  The Twins have lost 18 consecutive playoff games, with the Yankees responsible for 13 of those defeats.  While it's possible they'll get their first playoff win since 2004, it doesn't seem likely.  Toronto is the better team and didn't have to use Kevin Gausman on Sunday, meaning he's available for Game 1.  Then it's Jose Berrios.  The Chris Bassitt.  Advantage Blue Jays.

Rays-Rangers: I kinda spoiled this one, didn't I?  By losing that last game in Seattle, the Rangers not only cost themselves Division Series home field and a bye, it made their path significantly more difficult since they'll now have to go through both AL East teams.  This was a matchup that looked like it could be the ALCS for most of the season.  Instead, one won't even be in the Division Series.  That team will be Tampa Bay.  The Rangers recovered from their rough patch just in time and played some good baseball in September.  Which should serve them well in October.

Brewers-Diamondbacks: Milwaukee is a sneaky good team.  You overlook them until suddenly they're winning the NL Central.  And they certainly have the pitching to be competitive in October.  This is a very interesting series, though.  Because the Diamondbacks weren't able to line up their pitching, which means they can't use Merrill Kelly until Game 3.  Which gives them a huge advantage should they split the first two games.  It's imperative for the Brewers to sweep this series.

Phillies-Marlins: Congratulations to the Marlins on making the playoffs in a full season for the first time in 20 years.  And thankfully they didn't have to fly to New York just to play the final 20 minutes of a game against the Mets.  Unfortunately, they headed to Philadelphia instead, where the defending National League champions have their two aces ready to go in Games 1 & 2 of the Wild Card Series.  And they don't have Sandy Alcantara to counter.

Orioles-Rangers: Baltimore lost 100 games two years ago.  This season, they won 101 and earned the No. 1 seed in the American League.  They've got so much young talent that they're gonna be good for a while, too.  It's their first go-round on the postseason stage, though.  I don't think their hitters will be overwhelmed, but I'm not sure they have the pitching depth.  And now they don't have their closer.  That's why, even though they're the No. 1 seed, I can't take Baltimore.

Astros-Blue Jays: The Astros have been to six consecutive ALCS and won four pennants since 2017.  And, as they showed last week, getting it done on the road to clinch the division and the bye (when Texas led the AL West virtually the entire season), it would be unwise to count them out.  This is the time of year when they thrive.  An Astros-Blue Jays series has the potential to be a lot of fun.  Ultimately, though, I think that Houston ALCS streak reaches seven.

Braves-Phillies: If there's one team that has a realistic shot at knocking off the Braves, it's probably the Phillies.  They beat them in the Division Series last year and the pitching matchup is even with Wheeler and Nola opposite Strider and Elder.  The Braves also have Charlie Morton and Max Fried, though.  That's the difference.  Not to mention the fact that their offense did some historic things this season.  (Am I partial to the Braves because I went to a game there this season and that stadium is absolutely beautiful?  Maybe.  But, even if I hadn't, this Braves team is damn good!)

Dodgers-Brewers: This was supposed to be a down year for the Dodgers.  It was gonna be the Padres who'd rule the NL West.  We should've known better.  The Dodgers did their thing, again, won 100 games, again, and won the NL West, again.  This isn't even their best team, either.  But they're the Dodgers and it's October.  It's like the Astros in October.  And you know they'll be out to prove that last year was an anomaly.  The Brewers won't have enough firepower to hang with them.

Astros-Rangers: They finished tied atop the AL West, with Houston winning the season series and thus holding the tiebreaker (that's why they went with 13 division games in the new schedule, BTW).  Should it go seven, that home field advantage definitely could come into play.  These two are so evenly matched, though.  And, really, I'm just picturing that Verlander vs. Scherzer matchup--the two guys who started the season as the co-aces of the Mets pitching against each other for the AL pennant.

Braves-Dodgers: In 2020, they played an epic NLCS where the Braves went up 3-1 only for the Dodgers to win three straight en route to a World Series title.  Atlanta, of course, went on to win the World Series the next year.  They aren't just the top two teams in the National League.  They're the two best teams in baseball.  And this could be another epic NLCS.  Three years ago in that crazy COVID season, the Dodgers were a team of destiny.  This year, it's the Braves who feel like that.

Braves-Rangers: As I earlier, I've had an Atlanta-Texas World Series pretty much since the All*Star break.  The Rangers were already good when they went out and improved their team at the deadline.  That's what the Braves did two years ago.  It resulted in a championship.  This year, they didn't need to.  They've been dominant since April.  There's really no other way I see this postseason ending than with the Braves doing something even their 90s dynasty couldn't.  Winning a second World Series with the same core group.  They could end up with more than two.