2013 MLB Playoff Predictions

It’s October and there is literally only one thing I really care about when it comes to this time of month: MLB Postseason. This past regular season was quite interesting and teams that should not have entered the playoffs are in! The Pittsburg Pirates are into the playoffs for the first time in 20 years and will be playing a team that has won 2 World Series since they last joined in the St. Louis Cardinals. The NL Playoffs this year have matchups that should make a grown man cry with the Dodgers and Braves facing each other in the other NL Divisional Series. The best team in the NL all season in the Braves facing the midseason fire squad in the LA Dodgers should be the best matchup of the entire postseason and honestly should be the NL Championship matchup.

In the AL we have the Red Sox who came out of nowhere after the barn burning season of 2012. They finished first in the AL East and did it with ease as the Blue Jay reloaded, Orioles were destined to make a playoff appearance, and Tampa Bay Rays were close on their heels. Speaking of the Tampa Bay Rays, didn’t they have themselves quite a last couple of games having to win game 163 and the wildcard game just to make it to the big dance. Speaking of matchups how about Tigers and Oakland A’s. Who here really thinks this Oakland A’s team is for real? I think they are probably the worst team in the postseason because of the salary cap they throw out on the field every single season, but they have again proven that money means nothing when it comes to winning ball games. The defending AL Champion Detroit Tigers will definitely be looking to capture a world series title, one that has evaded them in 2006 and 2012, and hopefully they can have a less than 100% Miguel Cabrera to carry them. Anyways let’s get to these predictions shall we?

I skipped the Wild-Card matchups because if somebody lost in one of these games it would completely change the outcome of my prediction which is why this is going up immediately after the AL Wildcard matchup game. I called the World Series winner in 2010 with the Giants winning the series and have been miserable at predicting ever since but I do think my prediction should be the legitimate winner in this year’s fall classic. Reason being they have been the best team in baseball all year and almost nobody knows it because of other teams taking the spotlight, but here we go! Here are your 2013 MLB Playoff Predictions.

AL Divisional Playoffs

With the Tigers coming into the playoffs hungry for another shot at the AL Crown, I think the Oakland A’s picked the wrong team to play in the first round. It’s not their fault that they finished as the #2 seed, but seeding isn’t going to help them win ballgames especially against a powerhouse such as Detroit. I see the Tigers coming in with their 21 game winner and Verlander taking care of business sending Oakland back to their dump of a city and starting the process of Detroit heading back to the World Series. Prediction: DET 3 OAK 0

Considering how these two teams know each other I could seriously see this series going either way. I think with the experience the Rays have and their ability to play in close games (which they have shown the past two games) if they play the way they have the past two games, the Red Sox will have no chance. But I do see the Red Sox putting up a great run and making a solid effort at getting to the next round. I think the Red Sox will get it done and take their beard show to Detroit. Prediction: BOS 3 TB 1

NL Divisional Playoffs

This is the matchup of the postseason whether we like it or not, the best team in baseball versus the hottest team in baseball. Yes I know, the Dodgers haven’t been hot as of late, but from June till September this was the best team in baseball. The only difference is that the Atlanta Braves have been the best team in baseball from April till the last week of the season when St. Louis took the #1 spot in the NL. I think there is some strategy in the Braves ability to get the #2 seed instead of the #1 seed because the wildcard has generally caused headaches over the past decade and I don’t think the Braves wanted to face the magical Pirates. I see this being a 5 game classic and honestly whoever wins this series will be a strong contender in the World Series. But I see it being the braves due to their strong consistency throughout the ENTIRE season. Prediction: ATL 3 LAD 2

I honestly have always been a big Cardinal supporter especially when Albert Pujols was in his prime but the magic of the Pirates is really hard not to root for. I could see this series going either 5 games or being a straight rout from either side. Both these teams have played each other a ton this season and honestly they know each other like the back of their hands. Matchups in this will really not matter because both teams know each other so well, so I could see this going the distance. I think the Cardinals will come out on top but I wouldn’t be shocked either way. Prediction: STL 3 PIT 2

ALCS

Detroit will not be stopped in this series and here’s why. The Red Sox do not have the drive like the Tigers to put their head to muzzle and gut out a win to make it to the World Series. I want you to give me a reason as to how this team a year ago who had less than 70 wins will beat the last years AL Champions who got swept in the World Series. The motivation factor for the Red Sox will not be their like it will be for the Tigers and as long as Miguel Cabrera is healthy, this team will be too hard to beat. Prediction: DET 4 BOS 2

NLCS

C’mon… this game is way too easy to predict. The Cardinals have made it through the regular season and after the Pirates series I see them being worn down a little bit. Although, they do have some serious playoff experience with David Frees and his ability to do anything that is magical. But this Braves team is just so stacked I can’t see how the Cardinals beat them. With how gutty the Cardinals are, I definitely see it being a series, but with the powerful bullpen the Braves have, I just don’t see how they get it done. Prediction: ATL 4 STL 2

2013 World Series

The Atlanta Braves are the best team in Baseball, there is no doubt and I think the Tigers are just not strong enough in their bullpen to keep up with the abilities of Atlanta. The Braves don’t just have a great pitching staff, they have a batting lineup that they have built through their farm system with a couple of guys through free agency the past couple of seasons. They are set to really make a big time statement in October and I could see the Tigers winning the World Series as well, but this is Atlanta’s year. They were so good in one of the games I saw when they played in Seattle in 2012, I had a feeling that they had a chance to win a couple World Series in this new window for themselves. They are back to being the divisional powerhouse I think they can become and everybody in that division needs to look out over the next 5 years. Detroit, I’m sorry, but you just can’t match Hotlanta this postseason. Prediction: ATL 4 DET 2