Low and behold they are finally here! The 2016 MLB playoffs began on Tuesday, October 4th, in a Wild Card Matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays. These two teams battled it out until the eleventh inning to see who would face the number one team in the American League, the Texas Rangers. Edwin Encarnación launched the game winning home run over Ubaldo Jimenez to win the A.L. Wild-Card crown, only to face the dominant Rangers. This matchup will be an epic rematch between these two teams because the last time they met, Rougned Odor infamously sucker punched Jose Bautista after Bautista intentionally slid into Odor. The other game that has occurred up to this point was the NY Mets and San Francisco Giants National League Wild-Card game on Wednesday, October 5th. This game also was a long and evenly matched game as it went into the ninth inning in which Conor Gillaspie launched a three-run home run off of Jeurys Familia, the Mets closer. With these two games in the past, the playoffs are set and the fans are in for a show. Here is a break down of each series with my predictions. By the way, I did pick the Red Sox to win in 2013, so hold the skepticism:
1. Toronto Blue Jays v. Texas Rangers:
This series seems a bit easy to predict in my opinion. Although the Blue Jays could easily pull an upset with their star studded lineup, the Rangers seem like the better choice in this series. They had a better record over an equally tough season. The Rangers also have Carlos Beltran, Yu Darvish, Matt Bush, and Cole Hamels. The Blue Jays' pitching is not as solid as the Rangers and this could make a big difference in the series. The Rangers also have more playoff experience among their team in comparison to the Blue Jays.
2. Boston Red Sox v. Cleveland Indians:
The Red Sox are going to win this series without a doubt. Although the Indians are a higher seed than the Red Sox, the fact that it is David Ortiz's last season and the Red Sox lost most of their games over the last week and a half of the season making them even more likely to annihilate the Indians. Keep in mind that the Red Sox also won 11 in a row in the last three weeks of the season before ending on this low note. After this series, it will get tough as the Red Sox will most likely face the Rangers who have each won three head to head games against each other this year.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers v. Washington Nationals:
Now this is definitely the toughest series to call. I think that the Dodgers are going to win this one in five games. Its hard to choose, but you then realize that the Dodgers have Kershaw, Puig, Seager, and Gonzalez. But don't the Nationals have Scherzer, Harper, Strasburg, and Werth? This series is a tough call just because the lineups are pretty evenly matched and the teams are both National League powerhouses. The Dodgers have won 5 out of 6 against the Nationals this year, which is why I think they will prevail and move onto the National League Championship Series.
4. San Francisco Giants v. Chicago Cubs:
It's hard to say that the Cubs are going to lose this series. They are just such a dominant team with Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta on the mound while Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant constantly crush home runs. So without a doubt, this is the easiest series to call, but then again, it is 2016, which means that it is that time again for the Giants to win a World Series as they won in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Will their streak continue?
In the World Series, I think it will be the Cubs for the National League and either the Rangers or the Red Sox for the American League. Regardless, this season is one for the record books with all of the no-hitters and grand slams. Make sure to tune into the playoffs because it sure will be an interesting month of October for baseball fans.
