I know what you're thinking: Hannah. The 2017 baseball season hasn't even started yet. How are you already making postseason projections?
Well, since I did the same thing last year, I figured that I should continue the trend, so here we are folks!
It's worth noting that I did correctly choose the World Series champ last year (but nearly everyone else did too) and that I was also correct about the AL East victor, an AL Wild Card slot, but got nothing else right. This year, I'm hoping for my projections to be a bit more accurate. Without further ado, here are my 2017 MLB postseason predictions.
AL East Winner: Boston Red Sox
This is the obvious choice, folks. The Sox have a three-headed monster at the top of their rotation with David Price, Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello. They've got one of the best young outfields in the game, Hanley Ramirez gearing up for another great season, and a solid bullpen.
AL Central Winner: Cleveland Indians
This is another no-brainer. The Indians have astounding pitching, both starting and in the bullpen. They've got five great starters, and Andrew Miller ready to swoop in with that devastating slider to finish off games. They also picked up Edwin Encarnacion in the offseason to bolster their offense.
AL West Winner: Texas Rangers
This division was a bit tougher. But with the Angels and the Athletics going nowhere, and the Mariners being the Mariners (shout-out to Steven, had to get that casual Mariners drag in there somewhere!) it's really a two-horse race. I'm gonna give the division to the Rangers over the Astros, just because of how much the Rangers dominated the Astros in head-to-head matchups last season. I also like the arms that the Rangers have with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish.
AL Wild Cards: Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros
I think it's unlikely that Chris Davis is going to have another below-average season, so the Orioles will be right back in the mix this season, especially with that stellar bullpen they've got. I also think it's unlikely that the Astros as a whole will falter so tremendously, so we'll be seeing them in the postseason.
Biggest Losers This Season: Toronto Blue Jays
I don't think anyone knows how happy it makes me when the Blue Jays lose. They lost out big when EE went to the Indians, and while they've got a solid starting rotation, they simply didn't make enough moves this season to compete with the Red Sox. Too many big egos up there to really compete for a title this season.
Looking Ahead to 2018: New York Yankees
As much as it pains me to admit it, the Yankees have some really, really good young talent. I'm going to give the Baby Bombers another year to fully mature and for the Yankees to bolster their rotation before they're playoff-ready, but they'll still play solid ball in 2017.
AL Playoff Picture:
AL Wild Card Winner: Houston Astros
ALDS #1: Red Sox defeat Astros in 4 games
ALDS #2: Indians defeat Rangers in 4 games
ALCS: Red Sox defeat Indians in 7 games
NL East Winner: New York Mets
You know, I really like the Mets. They've got good, young talent and one of the best rotations in baseball. They kind of faltered last year and had a lot of injuries, but if they're healthy this year, they've got as good a shot as any team.
NL Central Winner: Chicago Cubs
The obvious choice. They were hands down the best team in baseball last year, and this year they've got a bit more competition with the Red Sox and the Indians both getting better. They'll still win this division handily, and make another appearance in the World Series.
NL West Winner: San Francisco Giants
I took the Giants to win the division last season, and even though they let me down, I'm picking them again by a hair over the Dodgers. This is honestly one of the closest divisions in baseball, as both the Diamondbacks and the Rockies are getting better. Even though it's an odd year, I like the Giants' rotation better than the Dodgers', and their defense is more solid as well.
NL Wild Cards: Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals
The Dodgers are a good, solid team year in and year out, and while the Nationals always manage to choke in the early stages of the playoffs, they still make it there. With the Nats only having Bryce Harper on their team for one more year (I'm less than pleased with all these articles circling about how he's going to the Yankees tbh) they're gonna do everything they can to make this season worth playing.
Biggest Losers This Season: San Diego Padres
Why are the Padres the biggest losers? I mean, they're always pretty bad but I think it's gonna be even worse for them this season because they had a fictional TV show made about them (Pitch, which needs to be renewed ASAP @Fox) and the TV show team was better than them. I mean, that's gotta sting.
Looking Ahead to 2018: Colorado Rockies
I mentioned this briefly earlier, but the Colorado Rockies have been making a lot of good, positive changes to their team. Once again, I don't think they're quite ready to compete, but this season will definitely be telling if they're ready to do so in 2017.
NL Playoff Picture:
NL Wild Card Winner: Dodgers
NLDS #1: Cubs defeat Giants in 4 games
NLDS #2: Mets defeat Dodgers in 5 games
NLCS: Cubs defeat Mets in 5 games
World Series:
Boston Red Sox defeat Chicago Cubs in 7 games, Boston rejoices, Hannah loses her mind over what has to be the best World Series ever played.
