October has arrived, and for baseball fans that means one thing: the postseason. Throughout the regular season, teams in both leagues have been battling to get the chance to play in October, whether that be as a wild-card or division champion. 

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

Astros-Rays

In a 5 game series against the Rays, Houston will have their hands full.  Tampa will end their season by respectively losing to Houston with 1 win throughout a tough series. Tampa will start off strong but I don’t think they will have enough gas left in the tank to hang with the big dogs. Good pitching beats good hitting, and when going up against a  Houston lineup that is batting above .300 you must have exceptional pitching. Houston pitchers Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Wade Miley will make it very hard for Tampa to win, with all three averaging an ERA of 2.95. 

Yankees-Twins 

We already know both teams can hit well, but will that be enough?  This series will end up going into a very intense game 5 played in New York. For the Yankees this is great considering they are 54-22 when playing at home. Powerhouse hitters Gleyber Torres and Gary Sánchez of New York will have to step it up if they want to claim the win. Both teams are evenly matched in my opinion when it comes to hitting and pitching so it really will come down to who can execute when it matters. The Yankees will pull through and overall be the better team.

Astros-Yankees

This series will be a very exciting one to watch for sure. Will this series go into a forced game 5?  I don’t know for sure. The Astros’ pitching staff is easily one of the best, maybe the best in the majors and that will be a hard pill for the Yankees to swallow. The Yankees pitching isn’t bad but its not good enough to beat the Astros in a 5 game series. Verlander and Cole are just too much for them and even if the Yankees have one game where they completely dominate, it still won’t be enough when there are other games to be played in the series where Houston has the upper hand. Recent domestic violence investigations on Domingo Germán will make him unable to play for  up to seven days and the MLB has the option to either suspend, reinstate, or extend his leave. This is a big loss for New York and will make it even more difficult for them then it already is. The Yankees’ season will end but they still have to feel accomplished with themselves and the outstanding season they had.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

Dodgers-Nationals

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a name for themselves these last three years after returning to the World Series two years in a row and now potentially a third. The 5 game series between these teams will go back and forth with the Dodgers ultimately ending up on top. Pitching wise, both teams are stacked and each have their strengths and weaknesses; hitting wise the Dodgers are ahead. Cody Bellinger has 45 home runs and will no doubt add on to that during the postseason.  In general the Dodgers as a whole tend to make good plays and execute well when it truly matters. 

Braves-Cardinals

The Braves will defeat the Cardinals but the question is in how many games? The Braves’ batting is insane, with Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuña Jr. leading the way and not to mention their pitching staff has been on a roll, with many on their way to  statistical achievements. The Cardinals will play hard but I don’t think they will be able to keep up with Atlanta and finish on top. The Braves will win in four. The Cardinals’ pitching and hitting staff is great, but they would all need to have super games to get the victory. 

Dodgers-Braves

I’m already calling game 5. This series will be heated and each team is going to give their all, but only one can call themselves the National League Champions and advance to the World Series. With Los Angeles’ Rich Hill returning from a knee injury, the Dodgers will have quite the lineup. Statistics show when the Dodgers have faced rookie Mike Soroka in the past, they haven’t been as strong, which should give the Braves confidence.  That’s one game they know they are likely to win. The Dodgers will narrowly defeat the Braves in game 5 and return to the World Series for the third year in a row. 

WORLD SERIES FINAL:

Astros-Dodgers

Is it 2017? This is it, this is the World Series and I’m predicting its going to be a Houston-Los Angeles battle just like 2 years ago. The Dodgers will have a lot of pressure on them, hoping to not fail another year. This year is going to be different; it’s a new year and a new team, and hey third time’s a charm. Kershaw, Buehler, and Ryu and many others are going up against the best batting lineup in the majors. This 7 game series should be interesting and it truly is 50/50 between these two teams and its difficult to say who will be named the 2019 World Series Champions. The Dodgers will stay determined throughout the series and play with their hearts and souls, and they are the champions.