EAST LANSING- One round down, three to go, as the MLB Postseason is officially underway and there are eight teams left with a chance at capturing the 2024 World Series title.
After an exciting Wild Card Series filled with electric moments and clutch home runs, the field narrows down yet again as the top two seeds in each will play their first games in this postseason this Saturday. Without further adieu, let’s get into matchups and predictions.
Tigers vs Guardians
The Tigers’ story continues as they swept the Astros out of the Wild Card Series and handed them their first elimination prior to the ALCS since 2016.
Detroit rode their hot pitching to the series win as Cy-Young and Triple Crown Winner Tarik Skubal delivered six shutout innings to set the tone in Game 1 for manager A.J. Hinch. The Tigers had a scare in the bottom of the ninth, but Beau Briske escaped a bases-loaded jam to pick up the save in a 3-1 Tigers win.
The Tigers won in dramatic fashion in Game 2 as well, as Andy Ibanez delivered a pinch hit three run double to clear the bases and give Detroit a 5-2 lead with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Will Vest picked up the save and the Tigers won by that final, ending Houston’s season.
The Guardians come into this series off a bye, after winning the American League Central for the second time in the last three seasons.
Cleveland sports one of the best bullpens in the league, front-lined by the best relief pitcher and closer in the league right now, Emmanuel Clase. The Guardians also have one of the deeper lineups remaining in the playoffs, with José Ramírez, Steven Kwan, and Josh Naylor leading the charge.
The Guardians won the season series against Detroit 7-6, and this is one of three interdivisional matchups in the division series this year. The probable starters for the Tigers are Tyler Holton/ Tarik Skubal and Tanner Bibee/ Matthew Boyd for Cleveland in Games 1 and 2 respectively.
I expect this to be a very close series, with some down-to-the-wire finishes and classic moments, but when it’s all said and done, I believe “The Roar of ‘24” will continue.
Prediction: Tigers in 5
Royals vs Yankees
The Kansas City Royals just won their first playoff series since their 2015 World Series run this past week against the Baltimore Orioles, sweeping them in two games at Camden Yards while only allowing one run in the series.
They showcased their dominant starting pitching right from the jump, as Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo both showed up and shoved in their two starts.
Kansas City was able to use their identity of speed, great starting pitching, and timely hitting to beat the Orioles and now they will go onto face the New York Yankees in the two teams’ first matchup in the Postseason since 1980.
The Yankees won the number one seed in the American League and had a bye in the first round, and will start Gerrit Cole in Game 1, before turning to the southpaw Carlos Rodon in Game 2.
Michael Wacha will make his first start this Postseason for the Royals in Game 1, while Cole Ragans will make his second start in Game 2.
An interesting storyline to this matchup is the star power in some of the bats, as the top three vote-getters in this year’s American League MVP voting will be playing in this series, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., and Juan Soto.
I also expect hitters like Salvador Pérez, Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisolm Jr., and Vinnie Pasquantino to be x-factors in this series.
This is not an amazing matchup for the Yankees when you really look into the numbers, as Aaron Judge and most of the New York lineup has a limited catalog of success against the Royals projected starting pitchers.
However, they have the better lineup overall, bullpen overall, and depth to get them the series win.
Prediction: Yankees in 4
Mets vs Phillies
Now flipping over to the National League side of the picture, we get a very intriguing matchup between two division rivals who have never faced off in the playoffs in the history of their franchises.
The Mets were the only team to win their Wild Card Series in three-game fashion with an unbelievably dramatic three-run home run by Pete Alonso to give New York a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth. The Mets tacked on one more run in the inning and locked it down in the bottom half to win the game 4-2 and win their first playoff series since 2015.
The Phillies are coming off their first division title since 2011 and had a bye in this year’s playoffs after winning wild card series in each of the last two seasons.
They have been one of the best and most consistent teams in all of baseball all year long, and held the lead in the National League East from May 3 until the end of the season.
The Mets shocked the baseball world by announcing Kodai Senga would return from his calf injury and start Game 1 at Citizens Bank Park this Saturday.
The Mets will turn to Luis Severino in Game 2, who started Game 1 for New York against the Brewers.
The Phillies will hand the ball to the WHIP leader in the N.L. this year, Zack Wheeler in Game 1 and Christopher Sánchez will make his second career playoff start in Game 2.
This is a really hard series to predict. The Mets have been one of the best teams in baseball since the beginning of June and the Phillies finished with the second-best record in all of baseball in the regular season.
I think this series will go the distance, and whoever does win, we will end up seeing an all-time finish.
Prediction: Mets in 5
Padres vs Dodgers
Last but certainly not least, we get the three-match of San Diego vs Los Angeles, as the Padres and Dodgers will match up in the Division Series for the third time in the last five years. The Dodgers took round one in Texas, during a strange and fanless series at Globe Life Field in Arlington during the Covid-shortened season in 2020.
The Padres got awesome revenge in 2022, beating L.A in four games and clinching the series at home at Petco Park.
The Padres are coming off a dominant sweep of the Atlanta raves that included dramatic home runs by Fernando Tatis Jr and Kyle Higashioka, as well as a stellar pitching performance from Michael King in Game 1.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, are coming off a bye after winning the N.L. West for the eleventh time in the last twelve years. They also finished the regular season with the best record in all of MLB.
There is an immense amount of star power in this series in both dugouts, with Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr, Mookie Betts, Manny Machado, Freddie Freeman, and many others on both sides.
The starting pitchers in Games 1 and 2 for Los Angeles are Yoshinobu Yamamoto making his MLB playoff debut, and Jack Flaherty making his Dodgers playoff debut. The Padres are sending Dylan Cease out to the mound in Game 1, and playoff veteran and former Dodger Yu Darvish in Game 2.
This is a rivalry that has been heating up in baseball for the last half-decade, and baseball fans are getting a treat to see these two great West Coast juggernauts play in the Divisional Series for the third time in five years.
As for predicting the matchup, I think the Dodgers are the most complete team in the National League. They’ll be wanting some revenge as they search for their first NLCS appearance since 2021, after reaching that round five of the six years prior. Dodgers ride a hot offense to a series win, but there will be plenty of close games.
Prediction: Dodgers in 4
