With the postseason starting up, Seager Gipson and myself, Hayden Schwab, have striked up our predictions for who will win each series, and who will ultimately enshrine themselves in glory and take home a championship.
HAYDEN SCHWAB’S PICKS
DIVISION SERIES
ALDS: TEX-BAL, Rangers in 4
ALDS: MIN-HOU, Twins in 5
NLDS: PHI-ATL, Phillies in 5
NLDS: ARI-LAD, Dodgers in 5
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
ALCS: Twins in 6
NLCS: Phillies in 6
WORLD SERIES
Phillies in 7
WS MVP: Bryce Harper
Despite being a Cardinals fan, it’s only right I pay attention to the Phillies in the playoffs this year due to the legendary run they had last October. Bryce Harper and the Phillies are hungry in search of their ring that they failed to bring home last year. You could easily say that the Braves would knock off Philadelphia in the first round, but the Braves lack depth in the pitching department. So how long are they gonna be able to continue walking through the rest of the playoffs? Obviously, they are an extremely talented team, and they have their stars in home run champion Matt Olson, star pitcher Spencer Strider, and coming off of his fantastic rookie campaign, none other than Michael Harris II, slugger Marcel Ozuna, and top MVP candidate Ronald Acuna Jr. By no means are they in any position to lose this series to the Phillies, but they just won’t survive with no pitching depth. I believe their offense is amazing and could very well advance them, but the Phillies offense is just as good, and they’re not lacking pitching. On top of all this, the Phillies were in the World Series just last year! They’re more than hungry. They want to kill their competitors and finish the job that they couldn’t last year. With newly acquired shortstop Trea Turner, him and Bryce reunite and they add even more firepower to the already star-studded cast. I have very high hopes and immense belief that the Phillies will finish this season as champions.
SEAGER GIPSON’S PICKS
DIVISION SERIES:
ALDS: TEX-BAL, Rangers in 5
ALDS: MIN-HOU,Astros in 3
NLDS: PHI-ATL, Braves in 5
NLDS: ARI-LAD, Dodgers in 4
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
NLCS:ATL-LAD, Braves in 6
ALCS:HOU-TEX, Astros in 5
WORLD SERIES
Braves in 7
MVP: Matt Olson
I’ve been a Cardinals fan for my entire life, but since they didn’t make the postseason this year I took a step back to look at some other teams. The team that caught my attention the most was the Atlanta Braves because they have a potential MVP in the making in Ronald Acuna Jr. who has set records for himself and the Braves franchise. On the other hand, their power hitting Matt Olson led the entire Major League in home runs with 54, and RBIs with 139. So you can see why I put confidence into the Braves, especially since they have been making the postseason a lot as of the last couple years, even winning it all in 2021. That’s why I think the Braves are going all the way this year. I think the Diamondbacks had a comeback season for sure, but I think their run will end facing the Dodgers. Their roster has too many great players including Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Clayton Kershaw just to name a few. Same thing for the Orioles, they’ve had some bad seasons in the past 5 years to put it nicely, but when it’s time to crack under the pressure, I think they will end up losing to the Rangers in the ALDS. The reason I think the Astros are going to get swept is because I think they will have the drive to beat their former teammate Carlos Correa, and because the past five years, the Astros have been extremely clutch in pressured situations in the postseason. When it comes to the NLCS/ALCS and World Series, I think they will all be close games but the Braves will end up taking the season title in an intense 7 game battle with the Dodgers.
