The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping and Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, but for baseball fans, the beginning of October represents something else: the start of the 2015 MLB postseason.
With the perfect combination of unfamiliar faces and perennial powerhouses, this year’s chase for a World Series championship offers an abundance of excitement. Can the Chicago Cubs end their 107-year title drought? Will the Kansas City Royals return to the World Series for a second straight year?
That’s the beauty of October baseball: there’s no telling what will happen. Without further ado, here are the Black & White’s MLB playoff predictions:
Josh Millin:
World Series Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays over New York Mets
Picking the Mets was inevitable, but my bias aside, they have a legitimate chance of reaching the World Series. Young aces Jacob DeGrom and Matt Harvey have pitched lights-out this season, and veteran Bartolo Colon has continued to impress on the mound. Despite Harvey potentially facing a shortened postseason due to an innings limit, the Mets’ pitching staff (3.45 ERA) has the ability to stack up against Cy Young candidates, including the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. At the plate, the Amazins are capable of lighting up the scoreboard, evidenced by multiple three-game stretches of 30-plus runs since August 10. The MVP-caliber play of newly-acquired Yoenis Cespedes, who has racked up 45 RBI with the team, along with the power of Lucas Duda, David Wright and Curtis Granderson will propel the Mets to a National League title.
The Toronto Blue Jays are practically unstoppable in the American League, ranking first in runs, RBI and home runs and placing highly in almost every other batting metric. Led by Josh Donaldson (41 HR, 123 RBI), José Bautista (40, 114) and Edwin Encarnacion (38, 111), the Jays’ sheer offensive dominance poses a threat to any team they face. On the mound, mid-season addition David Price has carried the team with an AL-leading 2.45 ERA, and a fully-healthy Marcus Stroman, who is undefeated since his return, will bolster the rotation even further in Toronto’s quest for a title.
Facing the Blue Jays is equivalent to facing the Monstars from Space Jam. Unless you’re Bugs Bunny or Michael Jordan, you gladly accept a consolation prize and call it a series. Pacing the league with 5.5 runs per game, Donaldson and the wrecking crew that is the Toronto Blue Jays will overwhelm the Mets’ inexperienced aces and capture their first World Series win since 1993.
Player to watch: Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
If the Cardinals want to make another run at the World Series, outfielder Matt Holliday must perform at a significantly higher level than where he is now. After slashing .301 with 24 RBI through the first 59 games of the season, Holliday missed almost 70 of the following 82 games due to injuries. Since his most recent return on September 17, Holliday has hit just .181 and batted in four runs over ten games.
In the two most recent postseasons when the Cardinals reached the World Series (2011, 2013), Holliday batted .266 with 5 home runs and 15 RBI. As good as St. Louis has been this season, Holliday must channel his prior postseason form in order to help the Cardinals contend for yet another World Series.
Michael Gorman:
World Series Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers over Toronto Blue Jays
Although they only won one game in the playoffs last year, the Dodgers are still World Series contenders. Led by aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, who have made a habit of terrorizing offenses all season long, the Dodgers will pummel the Blue Jays in five games, freezing up an offense that has been white hot this season.
After a 92-win season, including five wins in their last week, the Blue Crew is well equipped for a deep run in October. Although the offense, led by Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig, might leave something to be desired, the pitching is what matters for this team. As a team, the Dodgers have thrown the third most strikeouts, and boast both the fifth-best ERA and the second-least amount of runs allowed. Pitching has always been the most important thing in October, and the Dodgers have exactly that. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke have proved time and time again they are the best 1-2 punch in baseball. Both have an ERA of 2.00 or less in the last 30 days, and will continue their superiority in the playoffs.
The Blue Jays will be trying to make Drake proud this offseason, and will come so close. David Price has been excellent since his move from Motown, with 18 wins (five in a row) and a 2.45 ERA. The rest of the rotation is the only weak spot for the Jays. R.A. Dickey has not looked the same since his Cy Young win in 2012, but goes into the playoffs with a strong start— five scoreless innings against the Orioles. As for their offense, the Blue Birds have been unstoppable. Josh Donaldson led the league in runs, was second in RBI and fifth in home runs, and hard-hitting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s return will provide a boost the Jays don’t even need. As long as the Blue Jays stay healthy, they’ll outscore their opponents all the way to the World Series.
Player to Watch: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates, who are hosting Wednesday night’s Wild Card game, will be relying heavily on Andrew McCutchen on offense in the playoffs. McCutchen, who led the Pirates in virtually every offensive stat this season, will have a tough matchup in the very first game of the playoffs, going up against Jake Arrieta, who has a 0.74 ERA in the second half of the season.
McCutchen has been the brightest star on the Pirates ever since they were basement dwellers in 2010. Now, coming off one of his (and his team’s) best seasons, it will be interesting to see if he can shine once again for the Buccos.
Ezra Pine:
World Series Prediction: Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals
Despite being a diehard Chicago Cubs fan, I had to do it. Every year, those St. Louis redbirds seem to find a way to dominate the postseason. The Cardinals have made the NLCS the past four years, reaching the World Series two of those years. Despite the team’s injury plagued season, three-time All-Star pitcher Adam Wainwright has returned to the bullpen, recovering from a torn Achilles earlier this year. Seven-time Gold Glove winner Yadier Molina expects to be healthy for the postseason, and rookie outfielder Steve Piscotty, hitting above .300, is day-to-day recovering from a concussion. The pitching staff has the lowest ERA in all of baseball with a 2.94, and they have shut down closer Trevor Rosenthal and dominant lefty setup man Kevin Siegrist, who both claim an ERA below 2.20. The Cards simply have their own clutch way about them that no other NL team has shown.
The Royals shocked the baseball nation last October, squeezing into the playoffs and making it all the way to the World Series. With many analysts marking their 2014 postseason as a fluke, the royal blue faithful comes eager to prove them wrong. First baseman Eric Hosmer and CF Lorenzo Cain bolster the heart of the lineup for the young squad, both batting above .295. The Royals went out at the trade deadline and acquired ace pitcher Johnny Cueto, who despite struggling, finished the season with four consecutive quality starts. 24-year-old Yordano Ventura has been heating up as of late, also coming off a streak of four solid starts. And of course the three-headed monster bullpen, which features Wade Davis, Ryan Madson and fireballer Kelvin Herrera, all with a sub-3.00 ERA. The Royals now come into the postseason with experience and even more weapons than last year.
The Cards will run out of key hits come time, as they will not have the talent to keep up with the young gunnin’ Royals. Kansas City’s bullpen and defense will guide them all the way, and they’ll be able to muster across enough runs to win. For Ned Yost and his team, they’ll party like it’s 1985, where the Royals defeated the Cardinals in the famous “I-70 Showdown Series.”
Player to watch: Prince Fielder
After missing out on the 2014 season undergoing neck surgery, the Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder rediscovered his fountain of youth. The 275-pound lefty slugger is batting .305 with 23 bombs, almost matching some of his 2012 career totals with the Detroit Tigers.
He has hit a subpar .194 in his four postseason appearances, but the rejuvenated Fielder has hit well above his lifetime average this year, .287. He’s also surrounded in the middle of the lineup by Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Hamilton, who are all capable of providing support. Look for Prince to feast on postseason pitching, carrying his breakout campaign into the playoffs.
Luke Graves:
World Series prediction: Toronto Blue Jays over St. Louis Cardinals
For the first time since 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays have secured a spot in the postseason, and for one reason—raw power.
The Jays boast possibly the best offense in all of baseball, leading the MLB in runs scored, RBIs, home runs, and slugging percentage, and are tied for second in batting average through all of baseball.
Toronto’s offense has proven unstoppable in the AL East. With players like Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and recent addition Troy Tulowitzki, the Jays are prepared for any opposition that takes the mound.
Toronto’s bullpen has been questionable all year, with a 3.80 team ERA, but with the recent addition of former Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price, the team’s bullpen is now of the caliber necessary for postseason play.
The St. Louis Cardinals continue to be one of the most consistent teams in baseball, making the playoffs for the fifth straight year. For the Last four years, the Cardinals have made it at least to the NLCS, and won the World Series in 2011.
This year the Cardinals feature one of the best rotations in baseball, and a team ERA of just 2.94, the lowest in the MLB. With now-healthy Adam Wainwright back on the mound, the Cardinals go into the playoffs with the best pitching staff in baseball.
But the Cardinals’ offense has been plagued by injuries all season. All-star catcher Yadier Molina is expected to return from the DL in time to start the postseason. But questions still remain about Molina’s performance, which has not been the same since a hand injury he abstained in 2014.
Outfielder Matt Holliday also recently returned from the DL. Holliday missed the majority of the season due to a right quad injury, and has batted only .181 since his return.
Without the aid of their offense, the Cardinals’ pitchers can only do so much to hold back Toronto’s powerful lineup.
Player to watch: Jake Arrieta
The Cubs finally grabbed a wildcard spot this season, putting them in contention to end their 107-year world series drought. If they want to make it far in the playoffs, starting pitcher Jake Arrieta may be their best chance.
The Cubs’ ace comes into the playoffs with the second-lowest ERA in baseball at 1.77. Arrieta has dominated this season for the Cubs, with a record of 22–6. The Cubs have gone on to win in his last 13 straight starts.
On August 30, Arrieta capped off his season with a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers,making one of only six pitchers to throw a no-hitter this year. In the second half of the season, Arrieta has been dominant. His 0.75 ERA in the second half of the season is the lowest in MLB history.
