American and National League Division Series Preview By: Hank Indictor
This is where I think the playoffs will start to get interesting here. Are there going to be upsets? Will we see what we expect? Heres what I think will happen!
American League
Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers
The Orioles are looking to build off of their best regular season since the days of Earl Weaver. But what makes this all the more impressive? Look at their two-year turnaround, going from 110 losses to 101 wins! The Orioles have a strong lineup featuring young cornerstones such as Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson and some of the rebuild survivors like Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays. Meanwhile, Dean Kremer and Kyle Bradish lead a strong pitching staff. The bullpen has been a strong point, but how will they be navigating through the postseason with the loss of Felix Bautista? And how will the 6-day layoff affect the team? Their first opponent will be a team that may have limped into the playoffs but had a strong showing against a solid Rays team. Their lineup can pose problems, but the Orioles must pounce immediately since the Rangers had to use their top 2 pitchers for the Rays series. This could be a difficult series for Baltimore because most of this team doesn't have playoff experience, but ultimately, I think the Orioles are a team built to win a series sooner than we thought. I think they will win this one in 4 games.
Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins
The monkey is off their back. The Twins have finally won a playoff series. And now the question is, can they slay the dragon? That dragon, of course, is the one and only Houston Astros team. And while this team has been a gold standard of baseball, they've dealt with a ton of adversity. Even with the return of Justin Verlander, several pitchers have regressed, and Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. are unavailable due to injuries. They went a portion of the season without Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve and STILL found a way to win their division and avoid the Wild Card Series altogether. However, they'd better not take the Twins lightly. They are a power-hitting lineup that is more than capable of hitting a clutch dinger or two if all goes well, and that pitching staff is capable of holding the lineup in check. It will also be interesting to see how Carlos Correa plays in the postseason against his former team! Still, the Astros playoff experience can't be taken too lightly. There is a reason they are the defending World Series Champs, and despite their flaws, I'm taking them to win this series, but it'll go to the 5th game.
National League
Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies
This is the series that I am looking forward to the most. We get a rematch of a series that happened just one year prior. To say that the Braves will have something to prove is a massive understatement. This team ran roughshod over everybody all season long, and now comes the moment of truth. Will their insane lineup take things up a notch come playoff time? Considering the land mine at the top half known as Acuña, Albies, Olson, Ozuna and Riley it's very possible. It's the pitching health that becomes a question mark. But taking both games at home will be vital. Why? Let's just say the games they have to play on the road will be in a zoo! DON'T DISRESPECT THE PHILLIES!!!! Unlike last year, everybody knows what they can do here. After all, this is mostly the same team that took them to the World Series just one year prior. Still, this will be their ultimate test. In my prediction, the Braves will get their revenge; however, it'll take the full five games.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Do I dare do the unthinkable and pick the upset here? This would be very risky because the Dodgers have four players in the lineup with 100+ RBIs. You can probably compare this lineup with the 1995 Cleveland Indians. However, their pitching is the area of concern here, and as we all know, playoff Kershaw is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get. And the Diamondbacks do have guys like Christian Walker, Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Gabriel Moreno who can hit them. Not to mention, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are pitchers capable of pulling off the impossible. Yep, I'm going to do it. I'm drinking the Dodgers Haterade and stirring it with sugar. Diamondbacks in 4!