MLB Playoff Picture 2022: Reviewing Experts' Picks for Updated World Series Bracket

The American and National League Divisional Series are set following a Wild Card Round that saw stunning upsets, historically long games and some superb pitching. San Diego, Philadelphia and Seattle all played spoiler, while Cleveland survived 15 innings against Tampa to cash their ticket to New York.

Who do the experts have to emerge from the divisional round and compete in their respective league's championship series for the right to play for a world title?

What might fans expect from those games?

Find out with this preview of the next round of the MLB playoffs.

Tuesday, Oct. 11

NLDS: (5) Philadelphia Phillies at (2) Atlanta Braves, 1:07 p.m., Fox

ALDS: (6) Seattle Mariners at (1) Houston Astros, 3:37 p.m., TBS

ALDS: (3) Cleveland Guardians at (2) New York Yankees, 7:37 p.m., TBS

NLDS: (6) San Diego Padres at (1) Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:37 p.m., FS1

R.J. Anderson (CBS Sports)

AL Divisional: Yankees, Houston; NL Divisional: Atlanta, Los Angeles

AL Champions: Houston; NL Champions: Los Angeles

World Series Champions: Los Angeles

Kate Feldman (CBS Sports)

AL Divisional: Yankees, Houston; NL Divisional: Atlanta, Los Angeles

AL Champions: Houston; NL Champions: Los Angeles

World Series Champions: Los Angeles

Rowan Kavner (Fox Sports)

AL Divisional: Yankees, Toronto; NL Divisional: Atlanta, Los Angeles

AL Champions: Toronto; NL Champions: Los Angeles

World Series Champions: Los Angeles

Alex Rodriguez (Fox Sports)

AL Divisional: Yankees, Houston; NL Divisional: Atlanta, Los Angeles

AL Champions: Houston; NL Champions: Los Angeles

World Series Champions: Los Angeles

Matt Snyder (CBS Sports)

AL Divisional: Yankees, Toronto; NL Divisional: Atlanta, Los Angeles

AL Champions: Toronto; NL Champions: Los Angeles

World Series Champions: Los Angeles

Ben Verlander (Fox Sports)

AL Divisional: Yankees, Houston; NL Divisional: Atlanta, Los Angeles

AL Champions: Houston; NL Champions: Atlanta

World Series Champions: Houston

First, the Phillies ended any chance at a storybook ending for future Hall of Famers Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina with a two-game sweep of St. Louis in the Wild Card Round. Then, the San Diego Padres sent a New York Mets team packing that had loaded up specifically for a deep postseason run.

Both squads barely squeezed into the playoffs but now have the attention of everyone, including their higher-seeded opponents, as the divisional round approaches.

The Phillies got here on a ninth-inning barrage in Game 1 in which they hung six runs on the Cardinals in stunning fashion. In Game 2, they stunted St. Louis' offense, allowing seven hits but no runs. In two games, the Phils allowed just two runs, keeping their heavy-hitting opponents subdued.

They will have to try to replicate that performance against an Atlanta team they know well. The teams played 19 times this season as division rivals, with the defending World Series champions winning 11 of them.

They have also met in the playoffs in 1993 when Philadelphia ousted Atlanta in the NLCS to advance to the World Series.

The Padres completely shut down the bats of the Mets in their two wins over New York, utilizing strong pitching and their own superb hitting to spell the end of Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso and Starling Marte's season.

They have the unenviable task of matching up with the best team in baseball in 2022—a Los Angeles Dodgers team that set a record for franchise wins and looked every bit as dominant along the way.

The Dodgers controlled the season series, but the playoffs are an entirely different beast. San Diego got great pitching out of Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove against the Mets, and if there is one thing that baseball fans know about October, it is that pitching and defense can result in even the mightiest of upsets.

It will be a tall task for the Padres even then, with the Dodgers excelling on both sides of the ball, but they have the makeup of a team that can make some noise or, at the very least, stretch the series longer than some may expect.

Aaron Judge received all of the headlines and media attention for his record-smashing 62nd home run and the few leading up to it, but some of that is for naught if he cannot carry it over into the playoffs against a Cleveland team coming off a pitching duel with Tampa in Game 2 of the wild-card series.

The Guardians gave up no runs in 15 innings and sent the Rays home with a home run from rookie Oscar Gonzalez. In the previous game, starter Shane Bieber was dominant, allowing just one run on three hits and recording eight strikeouts.

If Cleveland can make it difficult for Judge to get going, it can realistically stifle the Yankees offense and ensure New York goes another year without a World Series appearance.

Factor in some early postseason drama surrounding closer Aroldis Chapman and you have a scenario that would seemingly favor the Guardians.

Except for the fact that the Yankees led the majors in home runs and was fourth in OPS (.751). Even against solid pitching, the Bronx Bombers had lived up to their nickname all season, hitting balls out of the park 40 more times than the second-best Astros, per MLB.com's Nick Aguilera.

Something has to give.

Either Cleveland silences the bats and upsets New York en route to an ALCS appearance or Judge continues a magical year, fueling an offensive onslaught as New York reaches the championship series for the first time since 2019.

Three experts picked the Toronto Blue Jays to represent the AL in the World Series. Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners blew those postseason predictions up, sweeping the Jays and setting up a meeting with the defending American League champion Astros.

To do so, they had to overcome a seven-run deficit in Game 2 of the Blue Jays series to stun the home team, showing the sort of resiliency that defines the greatest underdogs in sports history.

Both teams tout strong rotations, so pitching will almost certainly be the difference in the series.

Houston's ace, 39-year-old Justin Verlander, should be collecting his fifth Cy Young award at the end of the season and figures to be a key cog in the Astros machine this postseason. He will get the first taste of the Seattle lineup when he pitches Game 1.

Seattle has yet to make any starter official, but according to MLB.com, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has strongly suggested it will be Logan Gilbert getting the nod, coming off a breakout season in which he went 13-6 with a 3.20 ERA.