By Tim Birkmeyer It’s the best month of the year: October! Today and tomorrow have been named honorary members of the month October because today, the MLB playoffs begin. In this shortened season, MLB went full NBA and made it easier to make the playoffs, allowing 16 of the 30 teams to qualify. But, more playoff baseball, so I am happy about that. So how’s this going to work? The first series, the “Wild Card Series”, will be a best of three series at the higher-seeds’ ballpark. Then, we go to the bubbles for a regular best of five Division Series, a regular best of seven Championship Series, and a best of seven World Series. The American League bubble will be in LA and San Diego and will play games in Dodger Stadium and Petco Park. The NL bubble will be in Houston and Arlington and will play games at Minute Maid Park and Globe Life Park. The World Series will be played at Globe Life Park. Who’s winning the World Series? Let’s make some picks! ALWCS #8 Toronto Blue Jays at #1 Tampa Bay Rays The only inter-division matchup in this round (thank god), the Rays will take down the Blue Jays no problem. The Rays won the season series 6-4, but the Rays are the better and more creative team. Winner: Rays #7 Chicago White Sox at #2 Oakland Athletics This is my favorite matchup in the AL. The Athletics quietly won the AL West and the White Sox became the AL-version of the San Diego Padres with having fun, swag, and being really good at hitting the ball. And because they are really good at hitting the ball, they will upset the Athletics. Winner: White Sox #6 Houston Astros at #3 Minnesota Twins I have a bit of a soft-spot for the Twins. I lived in the Minneapolis area for a few months and own a Bartolo Colon “Big Sexy” shirt that they had as a giveaway for the game I attended. We all hate the Astros and they shouldn’t be in the playoffs, so go Twins. Your stat is the Twins are 24-7 at home this season. Winner: Twins. #5 New York Yankees at #4 Cleveland Indians I am an Orioles fan. I loathe the Yankees. But, I can’y deny that they are a decent team but unfortunately will fall up short this year as the Indians will win. Game 1 is going to be electric with Gerrit Cole and AL Cy Young Shane Bieber, but the Yankees are stumbling into the playoffs while the Indians ran through a brick wall to make the playoffs and get the #4 seed. Winner: Indians NLWCS #8 Milwaukee Brewers at #1 Los Angeles Dodgers The Brewers never had a winning record this season, and the Dodgers are the best team in baseball. Winner: Dodgers #7 Cincinnati Reds at #2 Atlanta Braves To me, this is the most interesting matchup in the first round. The Reds have the advantage with starting pitching with Bauer, Castillo, and Gray; and the Braves have the best offense in baseball behind Ozuna, Acuña, and Freeman. But, the Reds’ lineup is too inconsistent and the Braves’ pitching will do just enough for them to advance. Winner: Braves #6 Miami Marlins at #3 Chicago Cubs How many times will we see Steve Bartman? The Marlins have actually never lost a playoff series, but that changes now. The Cubs have been here before, Yu Darvish looks like an ace again, and the Cubs will win this series. Winner: Cubs #5 St. Louis Cardinals at #4 San Diego Padres Don’t hate me, but I’m going all chalk this round in the NL. The way the Padres are playing and having fun, I can’t not pick them to make a playoff run. The deadline acquisition of Mike Clevinger will pay off well, and they should have no issues taking down the Cardinals. Winner: Padres ALDS #4 Cleveland Indians “at” #1 Tampa Bay Rays The Indians are hot right now, and could be a problem for the Rays. But, the Rays are the most consistent team in the AL and have the right manager to create all these wacky lineups and pitching changes. 12 players on the Rays have recorded a save this season, and that’s the difference in this series. Winner: Rays in 5. #7 Chicago White Sox “at” #3 Minnesota Twins These two teams split the season series 5-5, and this can really be anyone’s series. But, I’m still riding the fun of the White Sox and they are going to play more loose while the Twins have been here … a lot and can’t seem to put it together (well they also can’t beat the Yankees in the postseason). Could the White Sox be like the 2014 Kansas City Royals? Keep reading. Winner: White Sox in 4. NLDS #4 San Diego Padres “at” #1 Los Angeles Dodgers It’s safe to say that most people would want this as the NLCS, but here we are in the NLDS. I really want to pick the Padres, but the Dodgers are too much of a wagon and I picked them to win the World Series in my preseason picks, so I have to ride with them. Winner: Dodgers in 5. #3 Chicago Cubs “at” #2 Atlanta Braves I’m sitting here writing this and all I can think about is the Padres-Dodgers series, and I hope everyone agrees. You know, to not go all-chalk in the NL, let’s go with the Cubs. Winner: Cubs in 5. ALCS #7 Chicago White Sox “at” #1 Tampa Bay Rays Like the Dodgers, the Rays were my preseason pick to represent the AL in the World Series. The White Sox will make a few games interesting, but the Rays will show that they have been the team to beat in the AL this season. Winner: Rays in 5. NLCS #3 Chicago Cubs “at” #1 Los Angeles Dodgers Scroll up a few paragraphs and you’ll […]