It’s that time of year again. The leaves are turning colors; air is cooling; and the Major League Baseball (MLB) season is coming to a close – the regular season, that is.
In the final month of the season, there are plenty of pennant races to determine the teams that will be participating in the postseason and all the way to the World Series. So, here are my 2016 MLB playoff predictions.
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A.L. West – Texas Rangers.
The Texas Rangers have enjoyed plenty of success in 2016, spending most of the season leading their division, and currently hold an 8 ½-game lead on the Houston Astros in their division. Led by veteran infielder Adrian Beltre, the Rangers look to avenge their dramatic exit from last year’s postseason, when they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in game five of the American League Division Series (ALDS), and that game came with plenty of fireworks. Texas will look to veteran lefty Cole Hamels to pace their pitching rotation through the playoffs.
A.L. Central – Cleveland Indians.
After a long drought without a professional sports championship, the city of Cleveland celebrated the Cavaliers’ NBA title in June, and may receive another one this November with the Indians. With ace pitcher Corey Kluber at the front of their rotation, the Indians boast a strong pitching staff that will behoove them in the tumultuous postseason. Their offense isn’t far behind, as their Aug. 1 trade deadline acquisition of Jonathon Lucroy helped them take off at the plate, as Lucroy, Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and other will look to carry their offense through the playoffs.
A.L. East – Toronto Blue Jays.
The A.L. East is one of the game’s tightest divisions, as the Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles are all within a game of each other. However, each of these teams has a set of flaws, but the Blue Jays seem to have the least amount of them. Toronto’s surprisingly exceptional pitching rotation is led by Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ – both are arms that can get Toronto deep into October and beyond. And, it’s not easy to find a lineup with as much fire-power as the Blue Jays, as reigning MVP Josh Donaldson is putting up another MVP-caliber season, along with big seasons by Edwin Encarnacion and Kevin Pillar. Toronto could be a dangerous team in the postseason, and they are playing with a chip on their shoulder after losing an intense ALCS last fall against the Royals.
A.L. Wild Card – Boston Red Sox.
In Red Sox legend David Ortiz’s final season, the designated hitter has carried Boston through an eventful season. The Red Sox’ rotation probably isn’t strong enough to win them the division, but they are on pace to host the one-game play-in Wild Card game, and given their track record, the Red Sox are a dangerous team when they get it. Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia have turned in outstanding seasons, and look to keep Boston in the mix.
N.L. West – Los Angeles Dodger.
A perennial playoff team, the Dodgers overtook the San Francisco Giants after the All-Star break, and have been rolling since. Rookie shortstop Corey Seager has turned in an MVP caliber season, and the rotation has held things together since superstar Clayton Kershaw landed on the D.L. in June. The scary thing? Kershaw is returning this week.
N.L. Central – Chicago Cubs.
This shouldn’t even be a question to most baseball fans, as the Cubs are having their best season in decades. Picked as the favorite to win the World Series well before the season started, the Cubs will be looking to win their first fall classic since 1908, and sluggers such as Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant look to get them there, along with aces Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. The one thing about the Cubs: people will be looking for them to fail.
N.L. East: Washington Nationals.
The Nationals enjoyed great success so far in 2016 under new manager Dusty Baker, and have defied everyone’s prediction of the New York Mets winning the east. A solid all-around team, Washington boasts a potent offense with MVP candidate and postseason legend, Daniel Murphy, along with rookie sensation Trea Turner and others. Their pitching isn’t far behind, as Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark lead a strong rotation.
N.L. Wild Card – New York Mets.
The 2015 National League Champions have had a down year – until now. The Mets struggled with large injuries and disappointment, including losing captain David Wright and ace Matt Harvey for the season early in the summer. The re-acquisition of Jose Reyes, potent Yoenis Cespedes and little-known rookie pitchers such as Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman have turned the Mets’ season completely around, as New York looks to return to the Fall Classic in ’16.
It’s certainly an exciting time to be a baseball fan, but the real excitement starts on Oct. 4, when the postseason begins. Until then, it’s nail-biting pennant-race time!
