MLB Playoffs 2017: Updated Picks and Predictions as LCS Kicks off

If the wild-card New York Yankees coming back from down 0-2 in their series with a Cleveland Indians team that went 33-4 to close out the regular season taught us anything, it's that trying to predict the MLB postseason is a fool's errand.

I guess that makes me a fool.

With the American League Championship Series set to begin Friday night and the NLCS getting underway Saturday, it's time for some updated predictions on how the rest of the postseason will play out.

ALCS

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Dallas Keuchel

Projected Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Masahiro Tanaka (13-12, 4.74 ERA) vs. Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90 ERA)

Game 2: Luis Severino (14-6, 2.98 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (15-8, 3.36 ERA)

Game 3: Brad Peacock (13-2, 3.00 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia (14-5, 3.69 ERA)

Game 4: Charlie Morton (14-7, 3.62 ERA) vs. Sonny Gray (10-12, 3.55 ERA)

Series Overview

The memory of the Astros eliminating the Yankees in the 2015 Wild Card Game is still fresh in the memories of both fanbases heading into this matchup.

The Astros took the season series 5-2 and they'll have Dallas Keuchel on the mound in Game 1.

Keuchel threw six scoreless innings in that 2015 play-in game to earn the victory and he boasts a 1.41 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 44.2 career innings against the Yankees.

"There's an artistry to how Dallas pitches," manager A.J. Hinch told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. "There's a competitiveness between him and the hitter. Some people will call it a cat-and-mouse game. He's a tremendous competitor. He's very smart on the mound. He's very under control while intense. And with any game plan, he can adjust on the fly and continue to get outs."

Can he prove to be the Yankees' kryptonite once again?

On the other side, the Yankees made the somewhat surprising decision to push Sonny Gray to Game 4, meaning he'll go 11 days between starts.

With Masahiro Tanaka coming off a brilliant start in Game 3 of the ALDS and Luis Severino turning in a solid follow-up performance to his rough Wild Card Game outing, the Yankees look to have a strong one-two punch of their own to counter Keuchel and Justin Verlander.

Both of these teams can pile up runs. The Astros led the majors with 5.53 runs per game and the Yankees were not far behind in second at 5.30 per contest.

If it turns into a battle of the bullpens, the Yankees have an incredibly deep relief corps, but don't underestimate Chris Devenski and Joe Musgrove as multi-inning weapons for Houston.

Prediction

Astros in 6; Dallas Keuchel wins ALCS MVP

NLCS

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Wade Davis

Projected Pitching Matchups

Game 1: John Lackey (12-12, 4.59 ERA) vs. Clayton Kershaw (18-4, 2.31 ERA)

Game 2: Jose Quintana (11-11, 4.15 ERA) vs. Rich Hill (12-8, 3.32 ERA)

Game 3: Yu Darvish (10-12, 3.86 ERA) vs. Jon Lester (13-8, 4.33 ERA)

Game 4: Alex Wood (16-3, 2.72 ERA) vs. Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03 ERA)

Series Overview

The Dodgers enter the NLCS with a distinct advantage having swept their way through the Division Series.

"Being able to set your rotation, not having to travel the first two games of the series, I think they're huge advantages," manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "That's the byproduct of having the season that we had."

Meanwhile, the Cubs used Jake Arrieta (90 pitches) and Jon Lester (55 pitches) on Wednesday and Kyle Hendricks (81 pitches) and Jose Quintana (12 pitches) on Thursday, so it could be veteran John Lackey who takes the ball in Game 1.

The Dodgers won the season series 4-2 with a plus-11 run differential, and the sting of last year's NLCS should give them plenty of added motivation—as if that were needed in October.

It's worth noting, the Cubs had a .777 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, good for seventh-best in the majors. They'll be facing three southpaws in the L.A. rotation.

As for the Dodgers, home-field advantage means a lot after they went an MLB-best 57-24 at home during the regular season.

Both teams have been shaky at times bridging the gap from starter to closer, and this series could be all about who can make an early lead stand up.

Prediction

Cubs in 7; Wade Davis wins NLCS MVP

World Series

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Flashback to the 2014 season.

The Cubs had just wrapped up their third season with Theo Epstein pulling the strings in the front office and had another last-place finish to show for it, having gone 73-89.

Meanwhile, the Astros managed to snap a string of three straight seasons with 100-plus losses, but they were still far from contention at 70-92, good for fourth in the AL West.

The following season, both teams finally reached the postseason as their long rebuilding efforts started to bear fruit.

An Astros vs. Cubs matchup in the World Series—just three seasons after they were both also-rans—would essentially be a public service announcement on the right way to rebuild a franchise from the ground up.

Both teams have dynamic young offensive cores and a healthy mix of veteran talent to keep things on track in the clubhouse.

Javier Baez (.796 OPS, 23 HR, 75 RBI) and Marwin Gonzalez (.907 OPS, 23 HR, 90 RBI) both batted eighth in Division Series games if that paints a better picture of the depth of both lineups.

The Astros have an edge with their dual aces atop the rotation, but the Cubs probably have a deeper starting staff after Charlie Morton and Brad Peacock both looked shaky in the ALDS.

Wade Davis is a more reliable option in the ninth inning, but the Astros have a better relief corps overall, especially with Carl Edwards Jr. struggling for the North Siders.

It's as well-balanced a matchup as you could ever ask for and one we could see more than a few times in the years to come.

October baseball at its finest.

Prediction

Astros in 6; Carlos Correa wins World Series MVP

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.