UCB Predictions: Postseason and Awards

We’ve looked at each division and made our selections on who is going to win up on top and on bottom in each one.  However, that’s the easy part.  Now we have to figure out how October is going to go.  It’s tough enough to predict October when you know the teams, much less six months out!

Let’s start with the American League.  Trying to figure out the two wild cards is pretty tough, because all of the second place teams seem to have legitimate shots.  I’ll say we get Tampa Bay and Texas in a rematch of the first AL Wild Card Game, but this time Texas comes out on top.

So the ALDS would pit Texas against Boston and Detroit versus Oakland in what would probably seem pretty familiar.  I think Boston edges the Rangers in 5 while Detroit gets past Oakland in 4.  That ALCS rematch goes Boston’s way again, with them winning in 6.

Over in the National League, the two wild cards will be Pittsburgh and the Giants.  With the number of great starters the Giants can roll out there for a one game playoff, I’ll give them the nod to move on.

They’ll play the Nationals, who will have a weaker division to beat up on than St. Louis and will pile up a couple more wins.  The Cards and Dodgers will revisit their postseason rivalry in the other LDS.  I’ll say the Nats move on in 4, while the Cardinals do the same.  (If it goes five, they are in trouble having to face Clayton Kershaw again.)

The Nats will have a chip on their shoulder after 2012, but I still think the Cardinals dispose of them in six games.  Granted, both of these results may be due to my red-tinted glasses, I won’t deny that.

That leaves us with Boston vs. St. Louis for the World Series title yet again, as we get plenty of articles about parity being dead and how sick America is of both teams.  However, it’s a tightly played, intriguing series that the Redbirds come out on top of in seven games.  It’s a Cardinals blog, what else do you expect?

Let’s take a random stab at a couple of awards while we are here, huh?

MVP: In the American League, it seems like it’s going to be exceptionally hard to deny Mike Trout, even if the Angels aren’t necessarily in contention.  Two straight runner-up finishes means that, with another Trout-like year, he should get the top billing.  In the National League, a strong season by Justin Upton keeps the Braves in contention for longer than most expect and gets him the MVP honors.

Cy Young: There are a lot of options in the American League, but I like Yu Darvish for this one, expecting another top-notch year and the fact that he’ll push the Rangers into the playoffs.  Over in the NL, he’s been so close before but I think 2014 is the year Adam Wainwright gets over the hump.

ROY: Once he gets the call, George Springer of the Astros will make an immediate splash and take home the rookie hardware in the AL.  I’ll say the flamethrowing righty from Arizona, Archie Bradley, will get the award in the National League.

MOY: I think the Royals will be in the wild card race until the very last weekend, which will get Ned Yost plenty of votes for Manager of the Year in the American League.  Two divisional titles and deep October runs will finally give Mike Matheny the gravitas to take home his first MOY award in the NL.

Batting Title: I don’t usually predict the batting title, but the folks at B.A.B.E.S Baseball, who track predictions, requested it so here goes.  In the American League, I’ll say Trout ups his average while everyone else drops there and his first batting title sways folks in the MVP race.  In the National League, I think it’s a strong year by Joey Votto in the midst of a disappointing Reds season that wins the award.

Again, those are just off the top of my head and should be taken less seriously than anything else I write, which is saying quite a bit.  We’ll see how it pans out starting Monday!

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NL Central Standings

TeamWLPct.GB
Cardinals9369.574 -
Brewers8676.5317.0
Cubs7488.45719.0
Reds62100.38331.0
Pirates62100.38331.0

Last updated: 10/06/2022

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