NBC 2 Sports: MLB Playoff Outlook

Jason Pensky:
For the second year in a row I look at the MLB playoffs and can legitimately talk myself out of thinking each individual team has a shot to win the title. Last year I believe Chris Carpenter is the only reason the Cards won the World Series. He's the most underrated player in the history of baseball, and if he played for New York or Boston, he would already be in Cooperstown, even though he's still playing. With no Chris Carpenter in this year's playoffs (the real Carp isn't healthy), I will offer a thought on each team:

Nats....No Strasburg, no title.

Reds...stud-filled staff.

Braves....Hollywood is hoping for Chipper to Hoist.

Cards...Their baaaack, but the magic isn't.

Giants...this isn't 2010.

Yankees....these aren't your father's Yanks.

Tigers....2 v 2 they'd win it all with Verlander/Cabrera.

Rangers.....something just doesn't seem right.

A's....their surge has been historic.

O's.....my favorite team. Not objective!

World Series Picks:

Yankees over the Reds 

                                    

Reds over the A's (plan B)  

Grant Pugh

October baseball: The "Land of Hopes and Dreams."  That also happens to be the name of this year's theme song by Bruce Springsteen. Just like "The Boss,"' playoff baseball stands for everything that's right in America. Watching teams go toe-to-toe for our national pastime brings hope, fear, cheers, and tears. 

Major League Baseball and Bud Selig have implemented a new system this year, and it has a taste for the theatrical. The additional wild card playoff game is fun, but add in the fact that the lower seeds will get to start the division series at home in a 2-3 format, this could get crazy dramatic. 

It's only fitting that the Cardinals and Braves square off for the NL Wild Card after what happened last year. The game takes place in Atlanta, and the Braves always seem to win when Kris Medlen starts, but the Cardinals have the experience. Prediction: Redbirds walk out of Atlanta with a win. 

In the AL, my oh my how the Rangers have fallen. They went from leading the AL West to fighting for their playoff lives. One good thing, at least they get the Orioles at home. What Buck Showalter has done with this team is nothing short of incredible, but what Showalter hasn't done is win in the postseason. Prediction: Rangers take care of business at home. 

Now on to the 2 Division League Series in the National League. The Nationals are the #1 seed, and congratulations, you get to travel to St. Louis and face one of the toughest teams in baseball. The Cardinals lineup is the strongest in the NL, and no Stephen Strasburg will come back to haunt Washington. Prediction: Cardinals move on to the LCS. 

The Cincinnati Reds and Dusty Baker are back in the playoffs as National League Central Champion. However, the Reds will have to travel to San Fran for the first 2 games against Matt Cain and company. The Giants are an overlooked team heading into the postseason which makes them very dangerous. Prediction: Giants get it done and move on to the LCS. 

Over in the American League, The Oakland Athletics are the best story in baseball. Bob Melvin and crew come out of nowhere to not only make the playoffs, but knock the Rangers out of the division on the final day of the season. If the A's are the best story, Miguel Cabrera is the best chapter of the baseball season. He's the first triple crown winner since 1967, and leads a Tigers lineup full of power. The Tigers and A's met in the 2006 LCS, and I expect a lot of theatrics in this one, too. Prediction: It's hard to go against these A's, they are red hot and may end up knocking Jim Leyland into retirement. A's move to on to the LCS. 

The New York Yankees needed some late magic to clinch the AL East over Baltimore. If Texas beats Baltimore, a Texas-New York matchup is something the networks will drool over. These two teams have some playoff history in recent years, and I expect this one to be another exciting chapter. Prediction: Yankess move on to the LCS. 

How good would a Cardinals vs Giants LCS be? These are the past 2 World Champions with some of the best pitching in baseball. The format goes back to normal for the LCS, which gives the Giants the home field, but I like the road warriors under the Arch. Prediction: St. Louis moves on to the Fall Classic. 

Everyone remembers the Jeter flip vs the A's several years ago. No flipping part two this time, but I like the Yankees over the A's based on experience. Prediction: Yankees go back to the Fall Classic. 

So let's go to the World Series (because this post is getting long). The last time there was a Triple Crown winner (1967), the Cardinals won the World Series. On the other side, the last 6 times Kentucky has won the National Championship in Basketball, the Yankees won the World Series. We've had a chalk year in sports with Kentucky and the Miami Heat, and I think the trend continues. Prediction: Yankees over Cardinals in 6.

Lucas Mayer

Since the Wild Card era began after the strike season, Bud Selig and company have been on a constant mission to create parity. It makes sense, the more teams that have a chance at winning, the more fans keep watching. The only issue was the wild card teams' only disadvantage was lack of a home field advantage in the playoffs. This isn't the NFL and that proved to not be a big deal at all. Wild Cards teams have had no issue finding their way to and winning the World Series ( Marlins 97' Angles 02' Cardinals 11' to name a few). So the baseball minds decided to create a second wild card. Now the two wild card teams will play a sudden death game to enter "the real playoffs". I love this idea. It puts the wild cards teams at a severe disadvantage, which is appropriate and gives a bunch of clubs a chance as the season winds down. The move also creates the need to win the division as opposed to the past when teams coasted by not caring how they made it into the second season. So here we are, about to embark on this MLB post-season experiment. The start has been tremendous (how about those A's!) and I expect the roller coaster ride to continue.

Wild Card

Cardinals vs. Braves

A tough match-up, but I'll side with Atlanta. The Cardinals have offensive depth. Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday can get hot and carry the team at any moment and Kyle Lohse is no slouch, but Kris Medlen hasn't lost since 1900, or so it seems. The Braves are playing to send Chipper Jones out on a high note and the back end of their bullpen is absolutely filthy. Shortening the game to six innings could be the key to a deep run for Atlanta. 

Orioles vs. Rangers

In the American League the Texas Rangers will face off against the Baltimore Orioles, who have had a magical season, reaching the playoffs for the first time since the infamous Jeffrey Maier incident. The Orioles have been astounding in one run games and extra inning affairs and came close to taking the AL East away from the Yankees. The Rangers on the other hand, just went through one of the worst collapses in history giving up the division to Oakland on the last day of the season. I still have to go with Texas. They are the better team, but mainly I can't pick Joe Saunders over Yu Darvish in the Texas heat, I just don't see it.

Division Series

Giants vs. Reds

My gut tells me whoever wins this series will represent the senior circuit in the World Series. It's really hard to choose mainly because the teams are similar. Both have strong starting pitching with Matt Cain and Johnny Cueto being two of the best starters going. Will the real Tim Lincecum show up? What Bronson Arroyo do we see? Mat Latos or Madison Bumgarner, that may hold the key to who wins. Buster Posey has been the best player of the second half and Marco Scutaro single handedly eliminated the Dodgers. The Reds will look for Brandon Phillips to ignite the top of the order for Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Both bullpens can be overwhelming. I flip my coin and it comes up Cincinnati's way (I'm sure my Dodgers bias doesn't help).

Nationals vs. Braves

Here is where you miss Stepehen Strasburg. The rotations match-up pretty closely and the fire-baller probably would have put Washington over the top for me. However, without him, I like Atlanta's solid bullpen advantage with the struggling Tyler Clippard in the back end. Does Drew Storen close? Offense could go either way. I can see Michael Bourne heating up, causing chaos on the base paths and Jayson Werth getting some big hits. It will be fun to see what Bryce Harper does and I expect fireworks from Chipper Jones. All in all, the Nationals go into the off season wondering if Strasburg could have pushed them over the top.

Tigers vs.Athletics

This should be the Tigers series. They have the best pitcher in baseball with Justin Verlander and the Triple Crown winner in Miguel Cabrera. Those are only two of a slew of weapons for a team that underachieved. The A's have an all rookie rotation, Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick. With respect to those guys, Cespedes has never experienced anything like October and the rest of the Athletics lineup is not exactly house hold names (this is a team with another stellar bullpen). So of course, I am going with Oakland. Sometimes there are special teams and the A's are exactly that. They play together and are riding a special wave that may take them all the way. 

Yankees vs. Rangers

The Bronx Bombers may be more dangerous then ever. They are healthy and CC Sabathia and Robinson Cano are firing on all cylinders. The New York offense is plain scary in the playoffs especially in the House That A Lot of Money Built. They will miss the best closer of all time in a big way. If we talked in the beginning of the year, I would have picked the Rangers in this match-up. Texas can equal the offensive firepower of the Yanks, but have better starting pitching depth. However, with the way these teams are playing I don't see New York having much of an issue, they advance.

Championship Series

Braves vs. Reds.

The parity in the NL is pretty outrageous, it gets harder as the match-ups advance. I'll go with the Reds hitting some key home runs at Great American and getting some lights out performances from Cueto and Latos along with Chapman blowing away the Braves lefties late in the game. 

A's vs. Yankees.

Is this deja vu all over again? I feel like I'm in the early 2000's and Derek Jeter is running across the field on the famous flip play nailing Jason Giambi at the plate (How can you not slide there? HOW?!?). Not this time, The A's magic continues. That's right I'm taking the rookie starters Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone and A.J Griffen going into the hostile Bronx and coming away alive. This one goes seven games. 

World Series

A's vs Reds

I think I stepped into the time machine once more and got sent back to the late 80's/early 90's. Wheres Barry Larkin and Dennis Eckersley when you need them. Anyway, I'm going with the Athletics. Yep that's right, I'm picking Oakland to go all the way and shock the Sports World. Maybe I just want it to happen because it would be one of the best stories EVER....EVERRRRRR, but look at what they have done. They came back from 13 games down to the two time AL Champions. They are easily the hottest team in the MLB and that makes a difference going into the playoffs. The pitching is young and dominant, maybe too young to comprehend the pressure they should feel. The bullpen is lights out and while the Athletics offense is nothing to get very excited about, they have been hitting for power (clutch home runs have become commonplace). I sense something special. In 2012 the A's will become the sports story of the year.