Brett's Quick Thoughts on Wild Card + Divisional Predictions
OCTOBER BASEBALL IS SO BACK!
October baseball is back, and I could not be more excited! Throwing together some quick thoughts from the Wild Card Series and predictions for the divisional series.
Astros vs. Tigers (Tigers win series 2-0)
Is the Houston dynasty finally over? It appears so following a 1st round knockout dealt by the Detroit Tigers. Plus, Alex Bregman has already said goodbye. All things must come to an end, right? Detroit is well-managed and looked very athletic against Houston. Will they be able to continue their run against American League Central rival Cleveland? Time will tell, but right now, the pitching is coming together. Tarik Skubal is an auto W. Cleveland might have their hands full for this divisional round series. Weirder things have happened in baseball.
Mets vs. Brewers (Mets win series 2-1)
PETER ALONSO is a villain in Milwaukee and a hero in New York. That was one of the most clutch moments I have ever witnessed in sports. I do feel bad for Devin Williams; that was a rough outing. Do the Grimace Mets have enough to will their way past Philadelphia? I wouldn’t think so,
but these Mets are playing at a different level right now. They are very familiar with Philadelphia and are hungry to win. On the other hand, the Phillies have a player named Bryce Harper. Ever heard of him? Yeah, he is a monster in the playoffs, and the Philadelphia lineup is DEEP. If the Mets starting pitching doesn't hold down the fort this could be an ugly series for New York.
Orioles vs. Royals (Royals win series 2-0)
I have been wrong about many things this season. The Royals being legit is not one of them! I picked them to advance in our Skippers View bracket pool and love seeing them succeed. Kudos to the Kansas City management team for being active in the free-agent market and putting together a winning ball club. The O’s simply never had the starting pitching to last long in the playoffs, which was apparent since day 1 of this season. They need to sign Burnes and/or get multiple starting pitchers signed during free agency if they want a realistic shot to win in all in 2025. As for the Royals, they will be going up against the #1 seed in the American League, the New York Yankees. The Yankees roster has the depth and talent advantage, but the Royals have the pitching and Bobby Witt Jr. If New York’s pitching shows up, New York should advance. If they don't we might be seeing two teams from the AL Central in the American League Championship series.
Braves vs. Padres (Padres win series 2-0)
This makes sense. I don’t think many people had Atlanta beating San Diego in this series, as Atlanta has sustained many injuries critical to their club’s success. The Padres look dangerous look to upset their NL West rivals in the divisional round. I am low-key rooting for the Padres to take the National League if the Mets don’t advance. San Diego has a fun roster, and I love how they put this team together. This series between LA and San Diego is going to be an electric one. I predicted the Padres would advance, and we shall see how that unfolds. Los Angeles does have Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez, and Shohei Ohtani salivating to go after a World Series trophy this year.
Divisional Series Predictions
Royals vs. Yankees → Yankees in 4
Padres vs. Dodgers → Padres in 5
Mets vs. Phillies → Phillies in 4
Tigers vs. Guardians → Guardians in 5 (on bracket, I thought Houston would advance, but it is Cleveland who I am now picking to advance over the young Detroit Tigers)