MLB Playoff Schedule 2014: Updated ALCS, NLCS Bracket and Series Predictions

If you attempted to pick the winners of the MLB Division Series simply by going with the teams that featured more star power, you went 0-for-4. Not only did those clubs with the big names lose, but they did so decisively, with no matchup advancing to a deciding fifth game.

Those series proved once again that success in the playoffs is more about excelling in key moments than individual talent. That's why teams like the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have been able to reach this stage on a consistent basis in recent years.

The Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles hope to follow a similar path in the seasons ahead. As for now, they are all just eight victories away from winning the World Series. Let's check out the brackets they've navigated and predict which sides will represent their respective leagues.

American League Bracket

Wild Card	ALDS	ALCS
	(1) Angels 0
	(WC) Royals 3
Royals 1		(2) Orioles
Athletics 0		(WC) Royals
	(2) Orioles 3
	(3) Tigers 0

National League Bracket

Wild Card	NLDS	NLCS
	(1) Nationals 1
	(WC) Giants 3
Pirates 0		(3) Cardinals
Giants 1		(WC) Giants
	(2) Dodgers 1
	(3) Cardinals 3

Championship Series Predictions

Kansas City Royals vs. Baltimore Orioles

The Royals swept the Los Angeles Angels, led by the dynamic Mike Trout and a very strong supporting cast, because they did the little things better. While the Angels were waiting for the floodgates to open with a huge inning, Kansas City chipped away a little bit at a time.

It has 12 stolen bases in the playoffs. No other team has more than two. It's registered three sacrifice flies to bring home runs. The other nine playoff teams have combined for one. The style of play isn't always pretty, but it's effective in closely contested postseason games.

Slowing down Kansas City's running game is crucial for the Orioles. It could lead to more playing time for Caleb Joseph behind the plate. He threw out 40 percent of attempted base stealers this season, while Nick Hundley threw out just 14 percent.

Offensively, Baltimore needs Adam Jones to get going. The outfielder had 61 extra-base hits during the regular season but none in the division series. If he heats up and Nelson Cruz stays hot, that will be a very tough tandem for Kansas City to deal with in the middle of the order.

Regardless of which team advances to the World Series, they will be making their first appearance in a long time. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports 1 notes exactly how long each team's drought is:

Ultimately, this series has the feel of one that will go the distance, fully featuring the chess match between managers Ned Yost and Buck Showalter. And in the seventh game, the Royals' ability to manufacture runs will be the difference.

Prediction: Royals in seven

San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals

As mentioned, both of these teams have enjoyed plenty of success in October recently despite a lack of hype during the regular season. The last time there was a National League Championship Series without either the Giants or Cardinals was 2009.

The most important question mark surrounding this series is the health of Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the lingering soreness he's battled for much of the second half brought his availability for a potential NLDS Game 5 into question.

Wainwright gave up six runs in 4.1 innings in his only start in the last round. He will be called on two or three times in this series. If he's unable to produce better results—or unable to make one of those appearances at all—it obviously adds far more hurdles for St. Louis.

As for the Giants, they don't mind being considered scrappy. In fact, it's something they embrace after scoring the final run to end the Washington Nationals' season on a wild pitch. Jayson Stark of ESPN passed along comments from Gregor Blanco about his thoughts on winning ugly.

"Sure, why not?" he said. "I mean, why not a compliment, man? This is the game of baseball. Whatever you have to do to win a game is all that matters. Whatever it takes, we just win it. By eight runs. By one run. By an error. By a walk. Whatever it takes to win a game, man. That's what we do."

Jason O. Watson/Getty Images

That's the team in a nutshell. It's why veteran starters Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy have fit right in. They are no longer at their physical peak, but they love to battle. And that's what it takes to survive in the playoffs, which the team has done as of late.

As long as the Giants are able to keep Matt Carpenter from wreaking havoc like he did in the last round, they should have the edge. The concerns surrounding Wainwright paired with the Giants' depth and well-rounded nature shift the edge in San Francisco's favor, albeit not by a huge margin.

Prediction: Giants in six