The entire season revolves around this one question. Now that the 2016 postseason field is set, all that remains is seeing which of the 10 remaining clubs will be hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Toronto hosts Baltimore in the AL Wild Card game on Tuesday, with the winner going on to face Texas. Cleveland holds home field advantage over Boston in the other ALDS matchup. Over in the NL, New York hosts San Francisco in the Wild Card game on Wednesday, and a date with league-leading Chicago awaits the victor. Washington will host Los Angeles in Game 1 of their NLDS series on Friday.
Will the Cubs break their curse and capture their first World Series since 1908? Or, perhaps the second-longest Series drought in baseball could instead end if the Indians continue Cleveland’s sudden run of sports success. Could the Rangers (56 years in existence) or Nationals (48 years) finally win the first championship in the history of their franchises? Can the Mets continue to thrive amidst a swath of injuries and make it back to the Fall Classic for the second straight year? Do the Blue Jays have more bat-flipping postseason heroics in store for 2016? No AL team has won more games over the last five years than the Orioles, but can they finally get that elusive postseason breakthrough? Could the Dodgers or Red Sox celebrate their respective franchise icons (Vin Scully and David Ortiz) by sending them into retirement on the high note of another championship? Or, are all these questions moot since it’s an #EvenYear and thus the Giants are due for another title?
MLBTR readers, who do you think will win it all? (link for app users)
CUBS ALL THE WAY #FlyTheW
I would love to see the Cubs vs Red Sox or Indians in the WS. With the Cubs coming out on top of course…
To much hype, not enough experience. They won’t even make the series.
I predicted Rangers over Giants to start the year so I gotta stick with it! Let’s go Rangers!!
None of those will happen
And you know this how ?
My predictions: WSH>BOS
Toronto eliminated Texas
Most miraculous World Series run, Indians beat Nats in 7 without Brantley, Salazar and Carrasco! Afterwards- party at Napolis!
You will love Napoli if that happens. He walked around Boston shirtless chugging booze and tending bar for a week after the World Series in 2013.
If the Giants can’t do it, I’ll pull for the Cubs, but if the Cubs can’t I’ll pull for Cleveland. #EndTheDrought
But,Id also like to see the Cubs or Nats finally win it,also. I can’t believe that the Expos/Nats have never won a pennant. All that talent for the last 40 some years. Might’ve won the whole damn thing if not for the freaking strike. But,the owners kind of brought it on,if I recall.
And,is there a way to change my username/screen name ?
Cubs over Rangers in 5
You wish
Picked Giants over Orioles in April. Sticking with it.. #EvenYear
Rangers over Dodgers in 5
Dodgers over Rangers in 6….
Nats over Sox in 7
Good luck to all the playoff teams. Should be a great October!
I cri every time we miss.
It’s 2016, an even year. Therefore the Giants will win. I’m not a Giants fan but they got this.
Chase you have any idea how many times people have posted about the “even” year crap? Yes we get it.
Giants over Rangers. Count on it.
2010 repeat? If it happens, I’ll put money on bumgarner throwing another shutout
Honestly, when it comes to postseason, experience is important. The only very young team in recent memory that has taken home the crown was the ’08 Phillies- but every other team in the last decade has had multiple players with substantial postseason experience. Look at it, ’09 Yanks had Jeter, Mo, A-Rod, Tex and Damon, Giants had vets like Burrell in ’10 and the young guys have received experience as the years have gone on, Cards had Carpenter and Puljols, and the Red Sox had Papi, Victorino, and others– therefore, I think Boston, Texas or San Francisco are going to take it home. I hope SF, just because of the even year streak, I mean, that’s awesome, but if I could see Cole Hamels get another WS win, or Papi get his last one, I would be cool with that too. Just as long as Washington doesn’t win, I’m good. It just gets under my skin to witness Bryce Harper experiencing joy.
Last year’s Royals? 4 players on their roster who’d reached the playoffs prior to 2014. 2010 Giants? 5 players on their roster who’d ever played in the playoffs. 2005 WhiteSox, 5 players with previous playoff experience. These three plus the 2008 Phillies team makes 4 teams with limited experience who won the WS over the previous 10 years. That’s 40%.
And every team reaching the playoffs this year has more postseason experienced players than any of these teams.
Your point is valid but World Series experience is worth a lot more than just saying playoff appearance. Last years Royals saw most of their team playing in the World Series just one year before- I can agree on the 2010 Giants. I was simply taking a few of their guys into account but they didnt have overwhelming experience. I’ll be honest, I was only like 6 for the White Sox team, so I’ll take your word on that one. Haha-
As a disclaimer, I acknowedge the Mets have experience but they are ravaged with injuries right now, so we’ll see.
The Giants, if every team the play rolls over like the Dodgers did. I hope that comes back to bite them. I’d love to see the Giants beat the Dodgers in the Nlcs.
Dodgers fans would love to see the Dodgers GET to the NLCS.
For the Dodgers fans I would feel sorry, but not for the Dodger brass. These three games with the Giants was laughable. They rolled over. Part of me is glad the Cardinals didn’t get in, but the Dodgers opened a door and said hey Giants here’s the playoffs.
1986 and 2016. Mets over Red Sox in 7.. If that don’t fly i’ll go Red Sox over Cubbies in 7.
Make a post about 2017 draft order
Minnesota, followed at a great distance by everyone else.
Giants are the hottest team at this point. They have voodoo magic going on every time they’ve made into the post season. As a Dodger fan, I would take anyone but Giants to win the World Series this year.
Yes, having the worst record in the MLB since the AS break really makes a team “hot”. Allowing a team which went 6 games over .500 in the second half (most of that in September) overtake them really makes them “hot”. Going 10-10 in their last 20 and 15-15 since Sept 1 really makes them “hot”.
Too bad the Dodgers played dead for them this weekend, else the Giants probably wouldn’t be getting in.
Giants
Every even year I have counted the Giants out, so I gotta say Giants
Cubs over Nationals in 6
Rangers over Red Sox in 7
Cubs over Rangers in 5
Red Sox over Cubs in 7. So many storylines.
Red Sox over Cubs in 6
I’m surprised the nats are so low at 4%
No STrassburg, no Ramos, no production from Harper and a banged up Murphy could make for a quick exit out of the playoffs for the Nats.
I’ve been thinking the Rangers since around June. Not sure about the bullpen but Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish with that offense is scary.
Giants bullpen will cost them in the playoffs just like it has during the season. Margins for error are considerably less during playoffs than they are during the season.
That’s what they said in 2014, 2012 and 2010. Just wait my friend.
Kinda like 2010 when they couldn’t beat the Phillies pitching. or 2012 when they couldn’t beat the reds in cincy 3 times in a row. or 2014 when they “didn’t deserve to be there” and couldn’t beat the Nats.
Nationals over Orioles in 4.
The red sox are have been hitting like crazy in september and Big Papi would like to retire as a champion. I believe papi will lead the red sox to another title juste like he did in 2013
Cubs vs Rangers or Red Sox….but I am waiting for the 2017 WS….between the Mets and Indians….if both of their starting pitching stays healthy….this would be a must see WS….
I have about as much faith in any team that plays the Giants in October as I have in Hillary or Donald.
Are you comparing the Giants bullpen of today with their bullpen of the past? Apples and Oranges, karma doesn’t win in October.
I’m not comparing anything with anything. People made excuses and counted them out every year they made the postseason. Just wait. They will find a way.
Cubs > Rangers in 6. My pre season picks
Im not rooting for them but i think its the Nats year. They consistently are picked and always fail and this year the attention is all on the cubs. Nats have a good ball club and i think this is the year they take it.
On a side note, cubs lose in the NLDS
I agree. Why is no one looking at them?? Turner, Ramos, Harper, Murphy, and the rest are solid. Roark and Zimmerman can easily lead the rotation.
Ramos is done for the year
Zimmerman is a Tiger.
Not ryan zimmerman. And he even left out scherzer just to add to the names.
If they are counting on Ryan Zimmerman to lead their rotation, that’s an even bigger issue.
No Strassburg, No Ramos, Is Harper gonna show up? And has Zimmerman done with the bat?
I know it’s the even year for the Giants, but Cubs are looking terrific in every category – batting, pitching, and defense – with a deep bench and deep bullpen. Hard to go against that even with their supposed curse.
I’m reminded of two years ago when people were saying the same thing about the Washington Nationals.
One Fan, you will hear talk about said curse until the Cubs win a WS. Red Sox fans heard about their curse until they finally won. Its called fans having fun. Lighten up Francis !!
Orioles all the way! #BirdlandPowerCompany #Trumbomb
Id love to see a Sox vs Cubs WS but as an Illinois native, thatll be a hard one to watch. I gotta root for my Sox, but man Id love the Cubs finally get the monkey off their back like the Sox did in 04. This years gonna be a good one no matter what.
Esthetically and by regular season accomplishment, it should be the Cubs. It’s time–actually past time. My guys are out, so raise the flag over Wrigley.
Rangers all the way. Sorry, Cubs fans…you’re the Cubs. Steve Bartman.
Rangers over cubs in 7
Red Sox over Cubs in 7
Giants, always counted out, always doubted. And yet, count on them when things are hardest. They persevere, they are scrappy and they know how to do this. They have won it with less talent before. #hummbaby
Brat thanks for expressing how the Giants can win and of course they can but thanks for stating why without mention of that “even” year crap others cling too
Jays over Expos(I mean the Nationals)
I don’t know who is gonna win it all but I do know it ain’t gonna be the Cubs.
–Biily the Goat
I thought the goat’s name was Murphy
LOL! You would be correct West Coast. All I could remember was the Billy Goat Tavern was the bar involved. Murphy was the goats name.
Gozurman and change your name to TROLL
No, just remembering the curse that was supposed to have been placed on the team by Billy Sianis back in 1945. I am sure if there was a curse placed on another team like the Cardinals, etc, Cubs fans would be joking about it if the cursed team had not won a world series for over 100 years.
Do Not underestimate the Giants. It’s an even numbered year and we all know how that turned out this decade. Yeah they slumped in the 2nd half but they had the best record in baseball in the first half. They have that October magic going on
that magic is going to run low when thor shuts them out
You mean like when Bumgarner shuts the Mets out?
Ok Fisher thanks for telling us the only reason the Giants will win is its an even year. Good analysis. Never heard that one before all friggin year
No problem Einstein anytime you want a baseball history lesson just let me know. Such a sally you are
The Giants will take out the cubs then have an epic showdown against the nats for the NL pennant.
I am not ready to let go of our last epic futility streak. Go Not Cubs.
Giants fans be like – Its 2016 an even year, give us the trophy now. But in reality , not so fast this year, I think Thor shuts them down in an epic pitching duel with bumgarner, it will be decided by 3 runs or less.
I can’t wait to drag you for being 100% wrong
Come on orioles
Kind of got to hope that Trump wins and the Cubs win the World Series! Ricketts at the White House with Trump would be priceless. I guess they can speed things up and have Obama greet them instead. Just as priceless. May be the first time a president foregoes a White House ceremony in either case.
Giants… Somehow, this team knows how to win World Series…
The Cubs can’t beat the mets remember that
Mets! Unfinished business completed!