There’s truly nothing like it: Major League Baseball’s postseason starts Tuesday evening with the turn of the calendar to October.
25 KCOU Sports were asked to pick the playoffs round-by-round. Their picks were compiled and are listed at this link.
Before the action starts with the National League Wild Card game tonight, here’s how the results broke down as a staff:
NL Wild Card Game: Washington 14 votes (56%), Milwaukee 11 votes (41%).
A very tight race. Milwaukee enters riding a very strong September, but will have to risk it all in a one-game playoff against the Nationals’ bevy of arms.
AL Wild Card Game: Oakland 13 votes (52%), Tampa Bay 12 votes (48%).
This was by far the closest vote. Both teams come into Wednesday’s game with 97 and 96 wins respectively, and both play a similar type of “small-ball,” low-budget, maximum efficiency baseball.
American League Division Series: New York 20 votes (80%), Minnesota 5 votes (20%).
The question in this series: who can hit the most home runs? Both eclipsed the previous MLB single-season home run record, and for the first time in league history, two teams hit more than 300 in a 162-game season. Our staff thinks the Bronx Bombers will be able to out-slug the feel-good story Twins.
ALDS: Houston 24 votes (96%), Oakland 1 vote (4%).
This one was a landslide. Only the first participant in our vote chose Oakland to win a division series. Houston cruised to an AL west title and is eyeing the World Series again after winning in 2017.
National League Division Series: Atlanta 15 votes (60%), St. Louis 10 votes (40%).
Another relatively close matchup. Atlanta paced the competition in the NL East after a rough April and rolls into the postseason on a string of dominance. It’s worth considering that the relatively hometown Cardinals might be held higher in this matchup in our poll than on a national scale.
NLDS: Los Angeles 24 votes (96%) Washington 1 vote (4%).
Not much to say here. The problem for the Dodgers hasn’t been getting past the first two rounds- it’s been winning in the World Series. Despite a close series last year, no staffer picked a Milwaukee-Los Angeles NLCS rematch, and only one picked the Nationals to advance.
Championship series
As far as the two LCS’s, there was much more disparity. Los Angeles was the most popular to make it out of the National League with 10 votes. Atlanta and St. Louis were other picks to escape the gauntlet, with no staffers taking a Wild Card to make it past the second round.
In the American League, Houston was the overwhelming favorite with 14 votes. New York followed behind with 9 votes. No staffer picked another team to make the Fall Classic. If the two meet, it would be a rematch of the 2017 ALCS, which saw Houston best New York in seven games.
World Series
Finally, for the World Series. Houston was the favorite with 14 votes. 6 staffers picked the Yankees to grab ring No. 28. Despite a sixth straight NL West title and a track record of making it to the Fall Classic, the Dodgers’ back to back losses in the World Series resulted in just three votes. Both Atlanta and St. Louis received a vote each.
Compiled by Garrett Jones | [email protected]