There are a lot of words I could use to describe these MLB playoffs. Exciting, absolutely. Shocking, definitely. But if I only could use one word? Rewarding. For starters, I correctly called each of the four division series winners. It’s always nice to be right…right? Plus, I’m happy for whichever fan base ends up winning it all. We know it’s been over a century for the Cubs and more than fifty years for the Indians, but fans of the Blue Jays and Dodgers have spent the last twenty years wondering what would it be like to play in another Fall Classic. It will be refreshing to see one of these fan bases have a long-awaited celebration.
Now, my picks.
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ALCS: Toronto vs Cleveland
The Case for the Blue Jays
I mean, we all saw their lineup destroy Texas’ pitching in the ALDS, right?…Ten home runs in a division series sweep is a record…The Indians have better pitching than the Rangers, but are the Blue Jays overmatched against any starting staff?…Toronto also whacked Corey Kluber earlier this year in a 17-1 rout…Is home-field advantage a factor, too?…Toronto has all of Canada behind them, making the Rogers Centre a very tough place to play.
The Case for the Indians
They just dethroned the best team (on paper) in the AL last round…They’re stronger in many facets than Toronto, especially if Danny Salazar can be effective coming off injury…You might not think Cleveland has the better offense than the mighty Blue Jays, but the Indians finished the regular season with a higher batting average and roughly the same OBP and slugging percentage…they also run the bases better than any team in the AL…and is there a manager that knows how to use his elite bullpen better than Terry Francona?
Prediction
Toronto’s bats got hot in their three-game sweep of Texas. Might they stay hot? Perhaps. But I think the Indians bullpen has a decisive edge in the later innings. I’ll take Cleveland because they possess a deeper pitching staff, a shut-down bullpen, and a terrific defense.
Indians in Six
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NLCS: Los Angeles vs Chicago
The Case for the Dodgers
The same things I said about Los Angeles before the playoffs began still ring true…Very solid in nearly every facet…Their lineup has few weaknesses, if any…They can score runs off any ace that stands in their way, as evidenced by how they were able to defeat Max Scherzer twice in the NLDS…It also helps that they have that Clayton Kershaw guy…He’s pretty good….
The Case for the Cubs
Sure, they were lucky to not have to play a Game 5 back at Wrigley…But hey, you have to be good to be lucky…Or, do you have to be lucky to be good?…Anyway, now that each series will be a best-of-seven, that gives more of an edge to the better team…the Cubs have been the best team in baseball to this point…There’s no debating that…They also have the strongest four-man rotation of any of the teams left standing and they have been getting key contributions from nearly everyone in their lineup…Plus, it’s not like this team has pressure to win or anything…
Prediction
I’ve heard some pundits say that the Dodgers are at a disadvantage because they had to expend Kershaw in Games 4 & 5 against Washington. Wrong. That will work in their favor against Chicago, as the game’s best pitcher will now pitch in Game 3 and, potentially, Game 7. Yes, I’m already looking ahead to a Game 7. This series will be hotly-contested because neither side has any sizable flaw. But when the chips are down, the team with the stronger pitching will win. Give me the combination of Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen over any of Chicago’s starters and Aroldis Chapman.
Dodgers in Seven
