By: Kelly Byrnes
ALDS: Chicago White Sox (93-69) vs Houston Astros (95-67)
Call me petty if you want but I will not ever pick the Astros as long as pieces from the 2017 organization are still around. Plus, the White Sox are really good and have postseason experience from last year. White Sox advance.
ALDS: Boston Red Sox (92-70) vs Tampa Bay Rays (100-62)
The Red Sox kind of backed into the postseason and the Rays have been the best team in the AL all year. I’m not sure how the Rays do it every year. They traded Snell, Glasnow just hurt but they still just keep trucking along. No one knows if JD Martinez will be on the NLDS roster and if he isn’t that will be a blow to the Red Sox. Shane McClanahan and Shane will start for the Rays Game 1 and 2. They are both young and both good. I don’t see the Red Sox doing really well against either of them. Rays advance.
NLDS: Atlanta Braves (88-73) vs Milwaukee Brewers (95-67)
At first glance I think the Brewers run away with this series but look a little closer and I think you’ll see that isn’t the case. Yes, the Brewers have a huge advantage in starting pitching with Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta but Charlie Morton and Max Fried are no joke either. Devin Williams breaking his hand while celebrating their NL Central Championship is a huge loss and all-time bonehead move. Braves offense is dangerous and they don’t even have Ronald Acuna Jr. I think this will be a fun series. Brewers advance.
NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers (106-56) vs San Francisco Giants (107-55)
Hard to believe these two storied franchises have never met in the postseason before. As a Dodgers fan I waited all year for the Giants to falter and for my boys in blue to take over the NL West, it never happened. It’s not even that the Dodgers played bad, they won 106 games for goodness sake, it’s just that the Giants won 107 games. I’m a Dodgers fan so you know I’m going to pick the Dodgers to win especially when it is against the Giants. I do think it’s a shame that the games two best teams have to play in the NLDS and not the NLCS. Both offenses are great, Dodgers have the edge in pitching, Giants have the edge in defense. It will be a great series, Dodgers advance.