By: Mike Carter
After a whopper of a 162-game schedule, we find ourselves on the eve of playoff baseball.
With the end of the season, it’s time to look forward and determine who is going to win the World Series.
I’ll save you the suspense and get this out of the way: you may know I am a diehard White Sox fan, and I am not picking the White Sox. Which means they actually will win, right?
Anyone who tells you that they have a formula to determine who is going to win the Series is wrong. It’s a crapshoot. Watch enough baseball and you recognize that anyone can get hot for two weeks and run the table. There are any number of factors you can look at: health, who has the best pitching, who plays the best defense, who seems to have the timeliest hitting, who has the intangibles, like experience and moxie.
Mostly, it is just background noise to filter out. Let’s dive in and watch me be wrong again.
Come to think of it, last year I had the right combatants, but the wrong winner. I would rather be lucky than good.
Here we go:
American League
Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox. The Red Sox limped their way in and may not have enough pitching to survive today and have to beat Gerrit Cole. Good luck.
ALDS: Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros. Last year I picked the Sox to beat the Oakland Athletics, and that did not work out. I think the Sox have the pitching depth to hang around this time. Much depends on the health of Carlos Rodon, and if this manufactured bullpen can withstand the pressure of the late innings. The Astros are good at everything: pitching, hitting and defense. This one could go five games.
ALDS: Tampa Bay Rays over the New York Yankees: For my money the Rays are the best team in baseball. We all know that does not mean you are going to win the whole enchilada. However, I think in this series that depth and their skills in pitching, defense and timely hitting will wear down the Yankees. Gary Sanchez will be having nightmares…
ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays over the Chicago White Sox: The Rays have the experience of going deep in the playoffs last year, and they will capitalize on a young White Sox team prone to mistakes and long stretches without hits.
AL Champion: Tampa Bay Rays
National League
Wild Card: Los Angeles Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals: This could be an interesting game. I haven’t mentioned yet that I loathe the one game Wild Card. I have long championed a best of three style. That being said, I don’t know how you do it; you don’t want the playoffs dragging too long or the division champs waiting too long to play either. The Dodgers, battling injuries to slugger Max Muncy and erstwhile ace Clayton Kershaw, have to beat the resurgent Adam Wainwright and the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals. I think they will.
NLDS: Milwaukee Brewers over the Atlanta Braves: I think this is where you see the Brewers’ three-headed monster of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta wreak havoc. The one thing that holds back the Brewers. That could be the case here. The Braves are an excellent team but are missing their best player. I lean Milwaukee here.
NLDS: San Francisco Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers: This could be an epic series, one for the ages. I think the Dodgers’ depth will be tested by the Giants’ experience. San Francisco will be missing Brandon Belt; do they have enough to overcome Max Scherzer, Julio Urias and their amazing teammates Mookie Betts and Trea Turner? I think they do. I hope it gets to this series. Would be so amazing to watch without a horse in the race.
NLCS: Milwaukee Brewers over the San Francisco Giants: This is a big reach and I get that. Pitching and defense win in the big games. I will take the Brewers here. The Giants have to be mentally tired from the long season going down to the wire in the NL West.
World Series: The Rays over the Brewers.
Last year I picked the Rays over the Dodgers. This year I pick the Rays over the Brewers. I feel like the Rays are the best and most balanced team in the tournament. They seemingly can pitch anyone and win. It doesn’t matter who closes. They have good hitters in Randy Arozarena and Austin Meadows, veteran hitters like Nelson Cruz, Joey Wendle and Yandy Diaz, and a developing superstar in Brandon Lowe. Every guy in their lineup will give them a quality at bat. If the White Sox can’t win (and they could, honestly), I will be rooting for the Rays.
Who are you picking? It’s wide open this year. I hope to see some great baseball to end the season.