By: Mike Carter
And just like that, it’s over.
The 60 game sprint of a baseball season in 2020 is over. We saw some crazy things, didn’t we, friends?
With that, it’s time to take a look at our playoff pairings, which were not decided until the end of the day on Sunday.
You may have heard by now that the playoffs have been expanded this year. Eight teams per league made it into the field. There were three division winners, three second place finishers, and two Wild Cards.
Teams are seeded one through eight, with the division winners taking the top three seeds in each league. The second place teams seed four through six, and the Wild Cards are seven and eight.
Another change due to the Covid Season (as I am now calling it) is that the Division Series, Championship Series and World Series will all be played at neutral sites. The ALDS will be held in San Diego’s Petco Park and Dodger Stadium; the NLDS will be held at Globe Life in Arlington, Texas and Minute Maid Park in Houston. The ALCS will be held at Petco Park in San Diego; the NLCS will be at Globe Life in Arlington, Texas. The thus there is no home field advantage, and even if teams had it, there are no fans in the stands. The World Series will be played in the new Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Of course the year my beloved White Sox make the playoffs, and I cannot go.
So let’s break down the series and see who wins the sport’s ultimate prize.
The American League, First Round
#1 Tampa Bay vs. #8 Toronto: I like Tampa Bay to win this series and make a deep October run. They have four good starting pitchers in Blake Snell, Charlie Morton, Tyler Glasnow and Josh Fleming. The Rays used twelve different pitchers to earn saves this year. The question is how much will they hit? Their lineup doesn’t instill fear like other playoff teams but they work patient at bats and bleed the opponent to death. Toronto is up-and-coming, but would seem to lack the pitching depth required for the playoffs. Tampa wins this round.
#2 Oakland vs. #7 Chicago: I know I am a homer, but I like the White Sox to win this series. It looks as if Oakland will start lefties in at least two of the games; the White Sox are 14-0 against left-handed starters this year. Oakland is a really good team with a balanced lineup that could give Chicago’s limited pitching staff fits. I am trusting the White Sox to slug their way to a series win here.
#3 Minnesota vs. #6 Houston: Minnesota is a balanced team with experience and I think they beat Houston, who limped into the playoffs riding a crest of injuries. No trash cans this year. Minnesota takes this one.
#4 Cleveland vs. # 5 New York: Cleveland has deep starting pitching but struggled offensively all year. I think that continues against Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka (one of the best postseason pitchers of all time). I think the Yankees are going to be tough to beat this year, especially with that lineup that hits like a softball team. The Yankees win this one.
First round winners: Tampa Bay, Chicago, Minnesota and New York.
The National League, First Round
# Los Angeles vs. #8 Milwaukee: The Dodgers are unbelievable; 43-17 this year, a 72% winning percentage. Their depth is unfathomable. Milwaukee made it to the playoffs on the last day, and unless they get hot (cue Christian Yelich), it will be a quick exit for the Brew Crew. However if they are able to get into their bullpen, they have a chance. I think the Dodgers win this round.
#2 Atlanta vs. # 7 Cincinnati: If I were in the National League, I would not want to play the Cincinnati Reds. Their big three of Trevor Bauer, Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray could wreak havoc on the playoffs. They can also slug with Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez. They were 7-3 in their last ten games. I know my friends who are Braves fans won’t like this pick, but I am picking the Reds to win this series.
#3 Chicago vs. # 6 Miami: The Cubs struggled in the middle of the season after a hot start, and scuffled the last week to score runs. However they have Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks, even with a spotty bullpen. The Cubs should have enough to get by the upstart Marlins this round.
#4 San Diego vs. #5 St. Louis: The Padres ran on tough times in the last week with injuries to starting pitchers Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet. As of this writing, it sounds as if Lamet could start Game One on Wednesday; he left Friday’s start with tightness in his right biceps. I think the Padres can outlast the Cardinals and move on.
First round winners: Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Chicago and San Diego
The American League, Division Series
#1 Tampa Bay vs. #5 New York: The Yankees will be a popular pick and I get that. I think Tampa is the best team in the American League. Throw out the regular seasons records between these two divisional rivals. Just going with my gut here, but I like Tampa to win this series as well.
#3 Minnesota vs. #7 Chicago: These are two evenly matched teams and it could go either way. Minnesota’s experience versus Chicago’s youth movement that looks to be a year ahead of schedule. They played some great games during the season, but I believe Minnesota beats my guys here. The Sox need more pitching.
Winners: Tampa Bay, Minnesota
The National League, Division Series
#1 Los Angeles vs. #4 San Diego: The Dodgers are loaded and ready for battle. Clayton Kershaw looks to be back, and they also have Walker Buehler, Dustin May and Julio Urias…San Diego just can’t keep up with that. They are upstarts, but their run ends here.
#3 Chicago vs. # 7 Cincinnati: The Reds are a very dangerous team; don’t be fooled by their 30-29 record. They have the starting pitching and multiple bullpen options (Amir Garrett, Archie Bradley, Raisel Iglesias) that could make a short series a nightmare for opponents. I think the Reds silence the Cubs’ bats.
Winners: Los Angeles, Cincinnati
The ALCS: It may seem far-fetched to see Minnesota here. It doesn’t matter because Tampa Bay takes them down here.
The NLCS: The Dodgers just have too much firepower on top of their great pitching: Mookie Betts, Clay Bellinger, Corey Seager, and Justin Turner, they just keep churning out bats.
World Series:
#1 Tampa Bay versus #1 Los Angeles: Yes I have both number one seeds making it to the big dance. I think as usual, it will come down to who pitches best in the big moments. I know the easy pick here is the Dodgers. And many will pick them, and rightfully so. However, Tampa Bay is still stinging from a Game Five loss to Houston last year, and came into 2020 with a sense of purpose. The Rays have lost their last five playoff series. Yet this team is built for this kind of odd season: they maximize every position on the roster, have enviable pitching depth, and will be household names at the end of the World Series if they win this year. They catch the ball, they pitch better than most, and have a dozen ways they can beat you.
Pick: Tampa Bay.
It’s easy to see the Dodgers winning too, although as Kelly will tell you, they can be exposed in a short series, especially if their catalysts don’t hit well.
Put on your seatbelt. I probably have both picks wrong but I did pick Washington last year and that worked out pretty well.
Who are your picks? Leave them here so we can talk about them!