5 bold predictions for the MLB playoffs
With the Giants defeating the Pirates Wednesday night and the Royals' exciting extra-innings victory over the Athletics on Tuesday, the eight-team field is now set for the road to the World Series.
Here's how theScore's MLB editors see the playoffs shaping up with their 5 bold predictions.
No team is better equipped for October glory than the Washington Nationals, who boast the league’s strongest rotation with no glaring weaknesses in their lineup. Both Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth finished among the league’s top-30 in Wins Above Replacement while Bryce Harper compiled an .848 OPS over his final 48 games. The club’s bullpen, meanwhile, led the majors with an 82 FIP- this season and manager Matt Williams can choose between Doug Fister (2.41 ERA, 3.93 FIP) or Tanner Roark (2.85 ERA, 3.47 FIP) if he needs a fourth starter.
The Detroit Tigers boast a starting rotation that features the last three Cy Young Award winners: Max Scherzer, David Price and Justin Verlander. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers can field an equally as dangerous rotation, but the Tigers trio is battle-tested in October. The bullpen is the X-factor, as it was in previous playoff runs, but if Joe Nathan & Co. can find some way to gain some confidence early in their opening round matchup with the Baltimore Orioles, this veteran squad could be poised for its first World Series title since 1984.
There's an extreme sense of parity hanging around the 2014 postseason, though if there's one team that is to be looked upon as the favorite, it's the Washington Nationals. The NL Central champs finished the regular season with the second-best record in the majors thanks to a rotation - Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmermann - that posted an MLB-best 3.04 ERA. The offense is equally impressive. Powered by MVP candidate Anthony Rendon (21 home runs, 83 RBI), Matt Williams' lineup features the perfect mix of power - Adam LaRoche (26 home runs) and Bryce Harper (10 home runs in last 183 at-bats) - and speed - Denard Span and Ian Desmond who've stolen a combined 55 bases. Washington opens the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants, a team that already used ace Madison Bumgarner in the wild-card game. The Nats should dispose of the Giants handedly, while the Dodgers and Cardinals will likely go the distance, putting a well rested Washington team at the advantage in the NLCS.
Clayton Kershaw just put the finishing touches on one of the greatest regular seasons of the modern era - and fortunate for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he could conceivably make at least six starts in the playoffs. If that’s not enough, right-hander Zack Greinke (2.71 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) is a sure bet to make as many as four, if needed. That’s a potential 10 starts from two of the top pitchers in the playoffs. As “dysfunctional” as the Dodgers clubhouse apparently is, those are two guys I’m not willing to bet against. At the plate, everyone’s talking about Yasiel Puig and his power outage, but what about Matt Kemp? Kemp’s .606 second-half slugging percentage is the best in the majors and his presence in the lineup stretches a solid Dodgers offense even further. In a year where there doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut favorite, why not go with the best team on paper?
The St. Louis Cardinals will have to get past Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers and presumably the World Series-favorite Washington Nationals to reach the Fall Classic. But if any team can do it, it's the Cardinals. Led by ace Adam Wainwright, St. Louis' pitching is capable of shutting down any opponent. Lance Lynn, John Lackey and Shelby Miller will follow Wainwright in the playoff rotation, sending starter Michael Wacha to a bullpen featuring Pat Neshek, Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal. Offense has been the Cardinals' biggest weakness, but with good on-base players in Matt Holliday (.370 OBP), Jon Jay (.372) and Matt Carpenter (.375) leading the charge, along with Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina - who should also limit the running game of opposing teams - St. Louis will have opportunities. The Cardinals are a strong defensive team that won a tough division, and should have enough firepower to stick around for a long postseason run.