2017 MLB Postseason Projections | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

2017 MLB Postseason Projections

The who and the why when it comes to 2017 playoff baseball

60
2017 MLB Postseason Projections
ballparksofbaseball.com

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.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

1193
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

821
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

131
winter

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1483
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments