The 2017 MLB season is officially underway, and all 30 teams begin the campaign with the hope that they’ll be able to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy this fall.
That moment is still nearly seven months away however, so for now, the question needs to be asked: which team will ultimately win it all and stand atop the baseball world in 2017?
Will the Chicago Cubs repeat as World Series champions? Will a big-budget team like the Boston Red Sox or Los Angeles Dodgers dethrone the Cubs? Can the Cleveland Indians end their title drought, now the longest in the sport?
We won’t know the answer until November, but for now, here are our playoff picks.
American League East – Boston Red Sox
American League Central – Cleveland Indians
American League West – Seattle Mariners (Wild Card – Houston, Texas)
Chicago Baseball
National League East – Washington Nationals (Wild Card – New York)
National League Central – Chicago Cubs
National League West – Los Angeles Dodgers (Wild Card – San Francisco)
If that looks like a lot of chalk in the National League, it is. All five of those teams made the postseason last year, and while there are certainly teams that could jump into the fray, like the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Pirates, but the five teams that made the postseason a year ago managed to keep their rosters mostly intact, and they have the skill necessary to make a repeat playoff appearance.
The American League is a bit more chaotic, as we’re picking two new playoff teams in Houston and Seattle. Seattle hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001, and we’re picking them to not only end that drought, but also to win one of baseball’s most competitive divisions.
Wild Card Round
New York beats San Francisco, Houston beats Texas
Division Series
Chicago beats New York, Los Angeles beats Washington
Houston beats Boston, Cleveland beats Seattle
The Cubs are a juggernaut, and we’re looking at them to get some revenge on the Mets after New York beat them in the 2015 NLCS. In the American League, we’re predicting an upset, with Houston knocking off the Red Sox in the first round.
Championship Series
Los Angeles beats Chicago, Houston beats Cleveland
Many outlets are predicting a World Series rematch, but with how chaotic baseball is and how difficult it is to get to 11 victories in the playoffs, we’re going to avoid that. The Cubs and Indians are definitely both good enough to win these series, but this time around we’re going with luck, skill, or whatever breaking the other way as Los Angeles and Houston will head to the World Series.
World Series
Los Angeles over Houston
The Astros have never won a World Series, and even with the skill that they have in their lineup, we’re predicting that their drought will continue another year. With their high-priced lineup, incredible youngsters, and dominant pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, we’re predicting that the Dodgers will win their first World Series since 1988.