MLB Playoff Predictions 2020: Early Projections for World Series Bracket

The Los Angeles Dodgers have come close to capturing their first World Series title since 1988 over the past few years, but they have not been able to finish the job.

This postseason could provide the Dodgers with the best chance yet to claim that elusive championship. 

Dave Roberts' team finished the 60-game regular season with the best record in baseball (43-17), and it is as suited as any club to deal with the unique circumstances of the 2020 postseason. 

The Dodgers will be the popular pick to win the World Series because of their regular-season form and position on top of the championship odds chart. 

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are viewed as the two franchises with the best odds to come out of the eight-team American League field, but there could be a team further down that list that is better suited to stay alive through the wild-card series and postseason bubble.

World Series Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Los Angeles Dodgers (+350; bet $100 to win $350)

New York Yankees (+600)

Tampa Bay (+600)

Oakland (+1000)

San Diego (+1000)

Atlanta (+1100)

Minnesota (+1400)

Chicago Cubs (+1500)

Chicago White Sox (+1500)

Cleveland (+1500)

Houston (+2500)

Cincinnati (+2800)

Miami (+3300)

Milwaukee (+3300)

St. Louis (+3300)

Toronto (+3500)

World Series Projection

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cleveland

It is hard to find flaws in the Dodgers roster. 

Los Angeles finished with the best staff ERA in the majors at 3.02 and was second in runs allowed per game at 3.55. The Dodgers should have a major advantage right away against Milwaukee, who struck out the second-most of any lineup in 2020.

Milwaukee qualified for the postseason with a below-.500 record after San Francisco and Philadelphia lost their regular-season finales. 

If the Dodgers starters wreak havoc on the Brewers lineup, they could set up an all-NL West semifinal with the San Diego Padres, who they went 6-4 against in the regular season. Their lineup, powered by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, did not score more than six runs in a single game against the Dodgers. 

If Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and others limit the on-base productivity of San Diego's top bats, the Dodgers could make quick work of their divisional foe. 

If form holds in the NL bracket, the Dodgers will face the Atlanta Braves, who have much less pitching depth than the NL West champion.

Max Fried provides Atlanta with a solid starting point, but then it has to turn to unproven options Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright before Fried can make another appearance. 

The Dodgers can throw any combination of Buehler, Kershaw, Dustin May and Julio Urias at opponents. They also have a lockdown bullpen with plenty of playoff experience, including Joe Kelly, Blake Treinen and Kenley Jansen. 

Los Angeles can also overpower opposing pitching staffs with its bats. Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Will Smith all finished the regular season with an OPS above .900, and five players hit 12 or more home runs. 

Few, if any, teams from the American League could keep up with the Dodgers' depth in both areas of the game, but Cleveland may be the best suited to do so. 

The runner-up in the AL Central conceded the fewest runs per game at 3.48 and finished second behind the Dodgers in staff ERA. 

Cleveland's pitching staff also led the majors with 621 strikeouts and allowed the second-fewest earned runs. 

Shane Bieber deservedly gets most of the pitching headlines from that staff, but Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac and Carlos Carrasco have also pitched well. 

Cleveland also has a back end of the pitching staff that can compete with the Dodgers. Closer Brad Hand and setup men James Karinchak and Oliver Perez had ERAs under three and the team could add rookie Triston McKenzie as a long reliever alongside Cal Quantrill and Adam Plutko.

Cleveland may not have the eye-popping offensive stats like the Dodgers, but it possesses one of the most dangerous bats in baseball in the form of Jose Ramirez.

Ramirez hit 17 home runs and recorded a .993 OPS in the heart of the order behind Francisco Lindor, who had eight home runs and 27 RBI.

Carlos Santana and Franmil Reyes pack power behind Lindor and Ramirez, while Cesar Hernandez has performed well as either a leadoff man or in the No. 2 hole with 66 hits and a .763 OPS. 

Cleveland will face plenty of difficult matchups in the AL, starting with the New York Yankees, but it has a deep enough pitching staff to recover if Bieber struggles. 

There is also an edge in experience on the Cleveland roster since it made the trip to the World Series in 2016. Houston is the only other AL team with World Series experience from the last four years.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.