2015 MLB Playoff Bracket and My Predictions

The regular season is over and now the "real" season is set to begin tomorrow with the 1st playoff game between the Yanks and the Astros in a winner take all wild card game. This year there are old standby teams that made back in such as the Dodgers and Cardinals but there are more newbies compared to the last couple of years such as the aforementioned Astros along with the Cubs, Mets and Rangers. Should be a great and entertaining second season and I am looking forward to it. Here are my "unbiased" predictions on who will meet in the Fall Classic.

American League :

• For the wild card game I believe that even though the Yankees crawled in they will end the Astros Cinderella season even though they will be facing their ace and likely Cy Youn winner Dallas. If this game were to be played in Houston I would have picked the Astros to pull it out but I think the Yanks will have enough of the home crowd behind them to pull it out.
• Then the Yanks will face the Royals where their season will come to an end in a 4 or 5 game series. I did not pick the Royals to win the Central but they have done a great job this year and are better equipped than the Yankees.
• In the other division series other than the David Price pitched game(s) for the Blue Jays I expect to see offense, offense and more offense. With that said I think the Blue Jays roster will out slug the Ranger's in a thrilling 4 or 5 game series. 
• For the championship series I was going to go with whoever had home field advantage prior to the end of the season and with me forecasting the Royals and Blue Jays in this series I am still going with that mentality. Having David Price pitched 2 and maybe 3 games is a daunting task but I think the Royals pull it out in 7 to reach the World Series in back to back years to face . . .

National League :

• I thought last year's wild card game between the Pirates and Giants was a barn burner but this year's edition between the Cubs and Pirates will most definitely raise that bar and become an instant classic. These two teams went back and forth with each other for the past 2 months while trying to catch the Cardinals but will now have to settle for a 1 game playoff to see who gets to face the redbirds in the division series. Cole vs Arrieta. This will be a huge heavyweight battle and I think they will both toss at least 6 innings of no run baseball. I think the final score will be a combined total of  4 runs or less with 1-0 or 2-1 being a good possibility. As with the American League wild card game I think it comes down to the home field advantage and I believe the Pirates will pull it out someone against the Cubs and will secure a date with the Cardinals.
• If I thought the 1 game between the Cubs and Pirates was tense a potential 5 game set between the Pirates and Cardinals should be epic. The Cardinals are banged up and they seem to be holding on by a thread but like the Dodgers, the Pirates continue to have problems with the Cardinals year in and year out. Even though the Pirates "should" win this series I think the Cardinals will yet again beat them in a 4 or 5 game highly competitive match-up. With that said I would not be surprised if the Pirates win as I think this is a toss up of a series but I am going once again with the team that has the home field advantage.
• In what I believe will be the most "boring" division series of the 4 in this year's playoffs I believe the Dodgers will pull this one out against the Mets in 4 games and a possible sweep. If the Mets did not fumble away home field advantage I could see this series going the full 5 but since the Dodgers won out I think the back to back combo of Kershaw and Greinke in games 1 and 2 will overwhelm the young Mets. If somehow the Mets steal one of the 1st games then I see the Dodgers finishing them off at Citi Field. If all that goes to plan then yet again for the 3rd year in a row the Dodgers will face the Cardinals in a series.
• 2013 the Cardinals broke Hanley's ribs and the series did a 180. In 2014 Kershaw was cruising right along in both his games until he imploded in the 7th in both of them. What does 2015 have in store for this two hated rivals? I said in the beginning of the year that the Dodgers road to the World Series would go through St. Louis and I think that still holds true as the Dodgers will have to win this series in St. Louis as I see neither team beating the other in 5 games which means games 6 and 7 will be played in St. Louis. Both teams have and are playing hurt so neither team has an excuse. Clayton is on a mission and I personally am tired of hearing about the "Cardinal" way as being the "right" way to play baseball. Does that included hitting players on purpose? This series is destined to go back and forth but I believe that the third time is the charm and the Dodgers will finally end a 27 year drought and will return to the World Series by conquering the redbirds in a highly combative 6 or 7 game series. Kershaw and/or Greinke will step up to yet another level.

World Series :

• Blue vs. blue as the Dodgers will play the Royals as both teams are starved to hoist the trophy that has eluded both these franchises for years. Unlike last year's 7 game classic I think the Dodgers pitching will dominate the Royals and will close out the series in 5 games. The lead up to the World Series will be great but I think this will be anti-climatic but I am OK with that as all I want is a Dodger win. Hoping and wishing here.

Recap :

• Yankees over Astros
• Royals over Yankees
• Blue Jays over Rangers
• Royals over Blue Jays
• Pirates over Cubs
• Cardinals over Pirates
• Dodgers over Mets
• Dodgers over Cardinals 
• Dodgers over Royals

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin