2016 MLB postseason preview
Playoff baseball is upon us, and with a month left in the season is it time to start laying out what the probable playoff matchups are. Even though the race for the American and National league’s wild card is close, whatever team currently holding the spot will be taken for this preview. Included will be the outcomes of each matchup through the Divisional Series, and the most impactful player of the series. In a months’ time, we will see if the prediction will hold up.
American League
Matchup:
Division Winners: AL East
In one of the closer division races this year, Toronto currently holds a one-game edge over the rival Boston Red Sox. Toronto’s team has been letdown by stars R.A. Dickey and Jose Bautista, but have a stacked lineup nonetheless. It is hard to bet against a team that plays Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Tory Tulowitzki on a daily basis. A big predicament with this team is the inconsistent pitching. In the month of August, the staff went 17-11 with a 3.63 ERA, down from July’s numbers of 24-16 with a 3.37 ERA. After last year’s disappointing loss to the Royals in the ALCS, the pitching staff needs a major pick-me-up when the October festivities start.
Division Winners: AL Central
Whenever a team wins a world championship there are two paths that team can take the next season: the championship slump, or the dynasty. Unfortunately for the Kansas City Royals they took the former. From the start of the year the AL Central division was up for grabs. The Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians have all led the division at one time or another. Luckily for the Indians their run for the division came late in the year. The pitching in August was stellar for the tribe, led by 2014 AL Cy young award winner Corey Kluber. Kluber went 5-0 in the August and has won 6 of his last 7 starts with an unbelievable 2.08 ERA. The lineup is mostly ruled by veterans Carlos Santana, .244 BA with 28 HR, and Mike Napoli, .257 BA with 29 HR. Fransico Lindor and Jason Kipnis round out a solid lineup of streaky hitters that can be dangerous if they heat up in October.
Winner: Toronto Blue Jays 3-2
The big reason Toronto is put over here is they are a ready to win team that has had playoff experience to safely pick them in the first round. Despite this, the Indians have had a hot July and August and are a team that aren’t afraid to get dirty in the field. This is a classic pitcher vs. hitter series that will defiantly go five games and may be the most entertaining of the first round. Impact Player: Josh Donaldson
Matchup:
Division Winner: AL West
If there was a time for the Rangers to win a championship, it would be now. Questionable decisions, like bringing back Josh Hamilton after his drug relapse, and mediocre play, gave cause for talk that the humble Houston Astros to possible take the division this year. Nearing the all-star break, with help from Nomar Mazara, Ian Desmond and Adrian Beltre, the Rangers made a case for themselves. At the trade deadline the Rangers acquired Carlos Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy to bring an all-star caliber offense to the team. A week later, Carlos Gomez was claimed off of waivers and Texas shot to the top of the standings. Anything short of going to game 7 in the ALCS will be disappointing for this team.
Wild Card: AL
The two best wild card teams are the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. Both are in the top 10 in offense and Baltimore has the edge when it comes to starting pitching. Not only are the teams close in record, but also are division rivals that have seen each other close to 20 games this season. The series is tied at 6 a piece with seven games left to play against each other. While the O’s hold constant with players like Adam Jones (.277 batting average, 27 HR, 75 RBI), Mark Trumbo (.255 batting average, 41 HR, 97 RBI), and Chris Tillman (15-5 3.76 ERA), the Red Sox will play based on which team shows up that day. It could be the Red Sox that win 13-0 with David Price pitching all 9 innings, or the Red Sox that lose 8-5 with Price pitching 2 1/3 innings. The race for the AL Wild Card could very well go to the last day of games as the Red Sox are one game back from the leading Blue Jays, and the Orioles only trail by 3 games. In a one-game playoff, the Orioles will beat the Red Sox and move on to the ALDS to take on the Texas Rangers.
Winner: Texas Rangers 3-1
As mentioned before this is a win now team. With the acquisitions from the trade deadline, the Rangers leave other teams with little room for error. Considering that the Orioles would have played their wild card matchup just a day before game 1 of the ALDS, and versing two offensive powerhouse teams, it would be hard to see the O’s turn this series around. Impact player: Jonathan Lucroy.
National League
Matchup:
Divisional Winner: NL East
Much like the Royals, the Mets also have struggled in defending their league title. Finally, the Washington Nationals are strong enough to make a run I the playoffs. This will be the fourth time in franchise history, including their time in Montreal, that they will even make the playoffs. Since becoming the Nationals, they have made the playoffs twice, but never made it past the NLDS. With weapons in the rotation, Gio Gonzalez and Max Scherzer, and the field, Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy, the Nats pose a considerable threat in the postseason. Murphy alone is dangerous in the playoffs. As a member of the Mets last year, Murphy hit a homerun in 6 consecutive playoff games. Murphy is batting .340 this year, and has 98 runs batted in. He is second in the National League in both categories. Needless to say the Nationals are ready for the playoffs.
Divisional Winner: NL West
The Los Angeles Dodgers have turned around every bad happening this year. The Dodgers have had to deal with ineffectiveness of Yasiel Puig and injuries to Clayton Kershaw, Trayce Thomson, Brett Anderson. Despite this, they are still leading in the west. With help from rookie Corey Seager and journeyman Justin Turner, the Dodgers have kept up with the rest of the league. Seager is batting .314 with 23 homeruns, while Turner is batting .270 with 24 homeruns. Turner showed up last year in the playoffs, having 10 hits in 19 at bats through 5 games.
Winner: Washington Nationals 3-2
With the other teams in the division riddled with injuries or in the middle of rebuilding, the Washington Nationals need to take advantage of running away with the NL East race. The Marlins and Braves are on the rise, and the Mets will be healthy next year. The Nationals need to take advantage of the opportunity in front of them. Plus, Daniel Murphy is in a better lineup then he was the year before. If he even does half of what he did last year, the Nationals are a shoo-in for the NLDS. Impact player: Daniel Murphy.
Divisional Winner: NL Central
They haven’t won a World Series since 1908. The longest streak without a championship among active teams. The Cubs are the favorite and have the right to be. Kris Bryant has a .306 BA with 36 homeruns and 91 RBIs. Anthony Rizzo is batting .292 with 26 homeruns and 93 RBIs. Ben Zobrist is batting .275 with 14 homeruns and 66 RBIs. Their pitching led by Jake Arrietta, 16-6 with 2.84 ERA, and Jon Lester, 15-4 with a 2.61 ERA. Their total pitching staff has an ERA of 3.11, the lowest in the league. Anything less of a World Series victory, and manager Joe Maddon’s job will be in jeopardy.
Wild Card: NL 3-0
The two best teams in the NL Wild Card are the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. Both teams have their flaws. The Cardinals are a mirror of their former selves as their fielding has dropped from 11th in the league to the 27th. The offense of the Cardinals in led by Yadier Molina with a .289 BA and Stephen Piscotty with a .277 BA and 20 homeruns. The Giants have Madison Bumgarner, arguably one of the best postseason pitchers, with a 7-3 win/loss, a 2.14 ERA and a .88 WHIP in 14 postseason games. Bumgarner is backed by offensive studs like Buster Posey, .289 BA, and Hunter Pence, who played a huge roll in the 2014 campaign that brought a World Series to the bay. Pence batted .333 with 22 hits in 17 games. The Giants will beat the Cardinals and go on to face the Cubs.
Winner: Chicago Cubs
For the Giants to beat the Cubs would be an upset of epic proportions. No matter how well the Giants Rotation of Bumgarner, Cueto, Samardzija, Moore and Cain does, it will be too tough to quiet a stellar Cubs offense. The Cubs will have to look at their stars to get the offense going on tough nights. Impact Player: Kris Bryant.
Here is a video of the highlights from last year’s playoffs.
