Posted on by ABG

Baseball Playoffs Predictions + Prize!

[EDIT] If I get at least 10 people I know to submit their predictions before each round of the playoffs, I’m willing to award a $25 giftcard to Amazon.com to the person with the most correct teams picked and games. If no such person exists or there is a tie, the winner shall be the person who is the closest in their prediction of the number of games in each round.

Points System Breakdown: You will get 3 points for picking the correct winner of each series. However, you will lose one point for every game that you are off in. For example if you pick Phillies to beat the Rockies in 5 games — and Phillies win the series in 7. You will be awarded 3 points for a correct winner but will lose 2 points since it was game 7 instead of 5.

However, if you had chosen the Rockies in that example you will end up losing 3 points for an incorrect pick.

Obviously, the overall leader will have to be in the positive to be eligible for the prize so don’t make a fool out of yourselves with your predictions.[/EDIT]

Well Major League Baseball’s Tie-Breaker Tuesday between the Twins and Tigers was absolutely everything MLB could have wanted from that game and more. So heading into the start of post-season play, I figured I would quickly try to breakdown the series and post my predictions. Feel free to quickly post your winners and in how many games in the comments section and maybe if there are enough players, I’ll do a giveaway at the end of the post-season for whoever has the most correct. Interested to play now?

Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies

I got a chance to see the Phillies play in person the day after they clinched the NL East and even with spotty pitching that day, they quite never says die. Power pitching and hitting will prevail in this series and unfortunately the Rockies do not seem to have much of either. Hamels and Lee will probably be way too much for the Rockies to overcome in a short series.

Phillies in 4.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

I love everything that Tony La Russa does with his squad year in and year out to get them into playoff contention pretty much every single year. He’s got the comeback player of the year (and ex-Blue Jay) in Chris Carpenter and having Albert Pujols in the middle of the order but all that said, I think Joe Torre and his Dodgers with Manny (even though he struggled down the stretch) will be able to prevail in the deciding game.

Dodgers in 5.

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim

This is a series that you can pretty carve into stone every year. The two teams play each other just about as many times as the previous President took days off while in office so they pretty much know each other inside and out. It all comes out to strengths and weaknesses and I have to think that the Angels still struggle to hit the power pitchers. If Lester, Beckett and company are on their game with power pitching and an on-fire David Ortiz from the second half of the season can really prove to be a difference maker. I think that is probably going to be the deciding factor but the Angels’ small ball could definitely turn things the other way as the Red Sox catchers probably couldn’t throw out Benji Molina if he tried to steal a base… still I am going to favor the power arms.

Red Sox in 4.

Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees

This series just happened to come up last in the order I was writing them up but this seems to be the hardest one for me to decide. I would love nothing more than to see Carl Pavano pitch gems in game 2 (and 5 if necessary) against his former team to knock them out of the playoffs but I don’t think that could happen. This is a Yankee team that is looking comparable to the ones from the previous decade with their ability to win close games and having the power to blow things open. Every single fiber of me says you will regret not picking against the Yankees here but I will say they end up pulling this one out cause of a natural letdown after Twins’ playoff mentality just to get into post season play.

Yankees in 4.

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12 Replies to “Baseball Playoffs Predictions + Prize!”

  3. Predictions: Devils open their first 20 games going 10-8-2, Brodeur makes the Canadian olympic team as starter over Luongo. They bomb, don't make it to the semi finals. The Devils are sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference. Brodeur struggles until the trade deadline. A withering Anaheim team who won't make the playoffs trades Scott Neidermayer to NJ for two prospects, possibly Eckford and/or Corrente and draft picks. The reunion of the brothers sparks the late rush to the playoffs which carries us past the dreaded first round.

    …oh, whats baseball?

    Twins throw the game tonight to give their pitchers a rest from last night, win in 7. Or 5, can't remember if its a 7 or 5 game series. Stupid baseball.

    Reply

  4. Lol its a 5 game series homie. Anyway, I wouldn't say Papi had a on fire second half, maybe for September but he was horrible in July and August ( .247 and .222). But yeah, his power was definately coming back and either way he's still a dangerous hitter. Maybe not as much as before with his Manny days but he still got some bat.

    As for predictions..

    Yanks in 4, I would have been more scared facing the Tigers because they have 3 pitchers to throw at you which could be dangerous in a 5 game series, I don't really see the same with the Twins. Beating the Twins all 7 games in the season dosent mean much considering there were a few walkoffs in their but on paper the Yanks are clearly the better team this series, one of the better Yankee teams we've seen in years as you said. If we lose this series I'm not watching another playoff game lol.

    Angels over Boston in 5, I think the time has finally come for them to beat Boston. Much better team this year with that dangerous lineup and good pitching. Although Boston def has that pitching as well, I see that Angels lineup breaking out against them this season. It'll be close and could go either way no doubt about it, but home field in the last game I think will make a difference.

    I would say a Phillies sweep but the Rockies have been hot entering the playoffs so they'll get a game in I think. But you pretty summed it up with the strength they have in both pitching and hitting, plus the experience. One concern though is the bullpen, I don't think they'll really have to worry about it in this series but in the next, it's going to be a big deal. What was it, 22 blown saves and like 11 by Lidge in the season?

    Another close series but I see Cardinals in 5, I think that 1-2 punch with Carpenter and Wainwright will be the difference here. Plus that dangerous lineup. Dodgers have been playing pretty bad baseball lately, thought the division was wrapped up bit they didn't clinch till the final few days. The offense has struggled entering the playoffs as well, and St. Louis won that seasons eries with the 5 or 6 wins, whatever it was. Watching Sportscenter now and Pujols hit .222 against LA, but they still pulled off 5-6 wins on them. Imagine if the real Pujols shows up this series.

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