MLB Playoffs 2019: Latest Bracket, Format Details and World Series Predictions

It feels foolish to pick against the MLB team with the best regular-season record and three dominant starting pitchers. 

Houston appears to have the perfect mix of experience throughout its lineup and control on the mound to move on to its second World Series in three seasons. 

The Astros are one of five teams in the last decade to advance to back-to-back American League Championship Series, but only the 2011-13 Detroit Tigers extended their streak to three. 

AJ Hinch's team has an opportunity to earn that achievement, but it could face a fight from either the New York Yankees or Minnesota Twins in the ALCS. 

In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers are viewed as the favorite, but a third straight World Series trip could be cut short by another division champion. 

Postseason Bracket

American League

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Oakland or No. 5 Tampa Bay

No. 2 New York Yankees vs. No. 3 Minnesota

National League

No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. No. 4 Washington

No. 2 Atlanta vs. No. 3 St. Louis 

Playoff Format

The wild-card round is a one-game playoff to earn the fourth spot in the divisional series, which is a best-of-five. 

Once those matchups conclude, the league championship series and World Series shift to best-of-seven competitions. 

World Series Prediction

Houston over St. Louis

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Gerrit Cole enters the postseason off nine consecutive double-digit strikeout performances. In those appearances, he conceded 11 earned runs. 

In September, Justin Verlander let up nine earned runs and crossed the 10-strikeout threshold on three occasions. 

If that was not enough to strike fear in opposing hitters, Zack Greinke gave up five earned runs in his final four trips to the mound. 

Last postseason, Verlander went 2-1, while Cole fanned 17 batters in a pair of starts. In 2017, Verlander won his first four appearances. 

On pitching strength alone, the Astros could plow their way into the ALCS, and they have the arms capable of silencing the home run hitters in either the Yankees or Twins lineups. 

If they need to rely on their bats, Alex Bregman and George Springer can power the Astros to victories. The pair have 17 home runs and 35 RBI in the postseason.

Bregman recorded at least one hit in all but six September games, while Springer finished the regular season by going 4-for-4 against the Los Angeles Angels. 

If the American League West champion plays to its full potential, it is hard to imagine anyone slowing it down, especially at Minute Maid Park, where Houston is 60-21. 

St. Louis does not jump off the board as the National League's World Series participant. The Cardinals ranked 24th in home runs and had a .245 batting average that was well below the league average. 

But Mike Shildt's team possesses the fifth-best ERA and had the fifth-best runs-per-nine inning average at 4.09. 

The pitching numbers suggest the Cardinals can go head-to-head with the Dodgers if the two sides meet in the NLCS. 

St. Louis went 4-3 versus the NL West winner in the regular season and won five of its final seven road games to secure its divisional crown. 

In their last seven wins against playoff qualifiers, the Cardinals limited Milwaukee and Washington to an average under two runs. 

Adam Wainwright and Jack Flaherty could be the keys to getting St. Louis into the Fall Classic. 

Flaherty turned in a terrific September by conceding four earned runs over 44 innings. If he replicates that form in two games per series, his team could be in great shape. 

A 14-game winner this season, Wainwright struggled a bit down the stretch, but he produced four straight quality starts in September during which he allowed a single earned run over 27 innings. 

Whether they can compete with the Astros is another question, but reaching the World Series is an attainable goal for the third seed in the NL.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.