For the third straight season I made preseason predictions as to how I felt each division would play out, and for the third straight season I was extremely far off. For one reason or another, I’m not very good at making division predictions before a given season begins. However, with that said, last year when I did playoff predictions for the very first time I correctly predicted the World Series matchup of the Cardinals taking on the Red Sox. Unfortunately, I picked the Cardinals to come out victorious, which ultimately didn’t happen, but I was still thrilled that I successfully picked the final two teams.
This year, though, I hope to take it one step further and get the World Series winner correct as well. While I’ll likely be off, either by a little or a lot, it’s always fun to make predictions. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and have a perfect prediction of how the postseason will play out. You never can tell what may happen in October.
WILD CARD GAMES (AL September 30th & NL October 1st)
American League: Royals Vs. Athletics
Winner: Royals
Both the Royals and Athletics have had their share of ups and downs throughout the 2014 season. Neither one has a group of players that makes them definitively better than the other, and that makes it hard to predict the winner of the one game, win or go home matchup. Even so, I’m picking the Royals to pull out the win over the visiting A’s. While their offense has struggled at times, their bullpen is one of the best in baseball. If the Royals can go into the late innings with a lead, it’s as close to a sure thing as you can get.
National League: Pirates Vs. Giants
Winner: Giants
The Pirates made it to the postseason in 2013 for the fist time since 1992, winning the Wild Card game against the Reds and moving on to the division series only to be beaten out by the Cardinals. This time around, however, I don’t even have them making it that far. The Giants are looking to come into town and pick up the win that will ensure a five game series against the Nationals, and I feel that their pitching, as well as their overall offense, outranks the Pirates’ team in a one game situation.
AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES (Begins October 2nd)
Angels Vs. Royals
Winner: Angels
Although I have the Royals winning the Wild Card game against the Athletics, I don’t see their first playoff run since 1985 lasting past the division series. Going up against a really good offensive Angels team, the Royals will certainly be in for a challenge if they want to prove me wrong. The only question mark for the Angels that would give the Royals a true chance is their starting pitching. With no true ace that you can count on, you never know how the Angels will fare. But I think they will hit just enough to win the series.
Orioles Vs. Tigers
Winner: Tigers
This is going to be a very good series matchup, and I can’t really say for sure who will win. But I’m going with my gut that the Tigers will find a way to get the job done, despite their flaws. While the Orioles have one of the best hitting clubs in baseball, with major threats up and down the lineup, their pitching isn’t nearly as deep as the Tigers. If they want to make things hard on the Tigers, they’ll have to post some great pitching performances. But although that could happen, I see the Tigers moving on to the championship series.
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES (Begins October 3rd)
Nationals Vs. Giants
Winner: Nationals
The Nationals taking on the Giants would be a good series, but I don’t think it will be too difficult for the Nationals to move on. Taking nothing away from the Giants, who are certainly a good team of players, I don’t feel they stack up against the Nationals very well at all. The Nationals have very few holes from top to bottom in both their offense and pitching. With five good starters that can go out and win big games when you need them to, it would take nothing short of a disaster for the Nats to get beaten out by the Giants.
Dodgers Vs. Cardinals
Winner: Dodgers
Pairing two of the best teams in the National League against one another, this is by far the best guaranteed-to-happen matchup of the postseason, in my mind. While the other games are sure to be exciting, this series could easily come down to a game five, with either team taking the division series title. With the Cardinals and Dodgers both having amazing teams, it’s basically a coin flip for which one will move on. But I have to give a slight edge to the Dodgers — however slight an edge it may be.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Begins October 10th)
Angels Vs. Tigers
Winner: Angels
As good as the Tigers pitching staff can be, and as bad as the Angels staff can be, it was difficult for me to select the Angels as the winners of the series. But I feel the Angels have a good enough team to beat out the Tigers, should they have any sort of issues scoring runs or pitching well, which I envision them having. Though many people are picking the Tigers to make it to the World Series, with some going as bold with their predictions as to giving them the World Series title, I have that spot reserved for the Angels.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Begins October 11th)
Nationals Vs. Dodgers
Winner: Dodgers
Another sure to be great series against two great teams, this is yet again a nearly impossible matchup to predict (as many of them are). If the Nationals end up taking on the Dodgers in the National League Championship series as I’m predicting, the baseball world could be in for some extremely thrilling games. Both teams have good pitching staffs and offenses that can seemingly score at will at times. What it will come down to is which of the teams is hot at the right time. For me, I’m putting my money on the Dodgers.
WORLD SERIES (Begins October 21st)
Angels Vs. Dodgers
Winner: Angels
A World Series matchup between the Angels and Dodgers would be incredible for baseball fans everywhere around the country. Not only are the two ballparks a mere thirty miles apart, but this would also be a Fall Classic matchup of two of the best teams in their given divisions. With both the Dodgers and Angels having good lineups, this could be a back and forth series. But regardless of their pitching being an issue, I feel the Angels will find a way to go the distance, coming out on top over the Dodgers.
Leave a comment with who you have winning the World Series. I’d love to hear your picks.
The Unbiased MLB Fan 
I am a big Cardinals fan, and I can honestly say that this Cardinals team is a shell of our former teams. The rotation after Wainwright and Lynn is shaky, the offense is nonexistent at times, and the bullpen is very inconsistent. We managed to get to the playoffs thanks to our consistency (a winning record in every month), but winning a short series against a good team is going to be very difficult.
I like the Nationals a lot, but they did play in the weakest division in all of baseball. I think that the Pirates will go deep into the playoffs if they can win tomorrow.
The best thing about playoff baseball is that no matter how you played during the season, that all goes away. Each team has to win ‘X’ number of games to take the series to move on. A team that was fantastic during the season can fall into a slump and quickly be eliminated; while a team that barely made the postseason can go on a run and win the whole thing. Therefore, you never know. Every team has an equal chance.
I agree with you, but the thing that concerns me about the Cardinals is their inability to get hot. They haven’t really been on a tear this season (their best winning streak is 6 games), and they’re entering the playoffs having scored only 14 runs over their past 5 games.
Very true. It’ll be fun to watch.