MLB Playoffs 2020: Divisional-Round Predictions and Picks for Every Series
With the whirlwind AL and NL Wild Card Series in the rearview, the MLB playoff field is down to eight.
As fate would have it, the four Division Series matchups come with an interesting twist: Each one features the first- and second-place teams from the AL and NL's East and West divisions.
That means every series will involve squads that are intimately familiar with each other, and in some cases clubs that share bad blood.
As we await the action, let's examine each ALDS and NLDS showdown and offer predictions, including picking a winner.
As ever, keep in mind that this is 2020, which means even the most well-reasoned prognostications can fly right out the window.
NLDS: Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta
1 of 4
The Matchup
Atlanta: 35-25, 1st place NL East
Miami Marlins: 31-29, 2nd place NL East
Game 1: Tues., Oct. 6
Game 2: Wed., Oct. 7
Game 3: Thurs., Oct. 8
Game 4*: Fri., Oct. 9
Game 5*: Sat., Oct. 10
*If necessary
Overview
The Marlins are a cool story. They're a young team that blossomed ahead of schedule, slipped into the postseason thanks to the expanded format and shortened season and dispatched the more experienced Chicago Cubs in a two-game Wild Card Series sweep at Wrigley Field.
Atlanta, meanwhile, won a third straight NL East title thanks to a potent offense, experienced bullpen and a starting rotation that weathered the loss of Mike Soroka (Achilles surgery) and got ace Max Fried back from an ankle injury in time for the postseason.
Fried tossed seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, and his team won the series in two games.
Atlanta went 6-4 against Miami in the regular season and outscored the Marlins 68-44.
Predictions
Miami got strong performances against the Cubs from hard-throwing young right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Sixto Sanchez, who combined to allow one earned run with 10 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. The Fish will need them to be dominant once again.
Alcantara never faced Atlanta this season, while Sanchez did twice and yielded four earned runs in nine innings with eight strikeouts.
One of them will have a superlative start and get the Marlins a win. But Atlanta's offense is simply too potent to be kept down for long, with Ronald Acuna Jr., Marcell Ozuna and NL MVP candidate Freddie Freeman leading the charge.
Add a pitching staff that held the Reds scoreless over 22 innings in the Wild Card Series, and Atlanta should end the Marlins' Cinderella run and hand them the first playoff-series loss in franchise history.
Sure, one or more of Miami's young hitters could have a big series. But with Starling Marte questionable after suffering a fractured left hand on a hit-by-pitch against Chicago, only veterans Jesus Aguilar and Matt Joyce have any postseason experience.
Again, look for either Alcantara or Sanchez to take a star turn and make this series interesting. But expect Atlanta to mostly dominate.
Atlanta in four.
ALDS: Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics
2 of 4
The Matchup
Oakland Athletics: 36-24, 1st place AL West
Houston Astros: 29-31, 2nd place AL West
Game 1: Mon., Oct. 5
Game 2: Tues., Oct. 6
Game 3: Wed., Oct. 7
Game 4*: Thurs., Oct. 8
Game 5*: Fri., Oct. 9
*If necessary
Overview
If you like drama, tune in for this one.
Few good vibes are flowing between the Astros and Athletics, who got into a benches-clearing incident on Aug. 9, notably involving Oakland outfielder Ramon Laureano and Houston hitting coach Alex Cintron, both of whom were suspended for their roles.
The Astros are used to playing the bad guys after a season of facing the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal. They're also without 2019 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander (Tommy John surgery) and closer Roberto Osuna (elbow injury), both of whom were lost for the year.
The A's, meanwhile, are missing star third baseman Matt Chapman (hip surgery).
Both clubs still have plenty of talent. The Astros have an ace up their sleeve in Zack Greinke and feature a lineup with extensive postseason experience from their 2017-19 run of two pennants and a World Series win.
The A's can counter with a deep lineup, even sans Chapman, and will lean on ex-Astro and whistleblower Mike Fiers, rookie lefty Jesus Luzardo and a stout bullpen led by closer Liam Hendriks.
Oakland won the season series 7-3 and outscored the 'Stros 38-25.
Predictions
Sparks will fly. Every high-and-tight pitch will be interpreted as a provocation. Every sideways glance will carry extra meaning.
With the heightened emotions that accompany a playoff series, there is simply no way these games will go off without at least some words being exchanged—if not the dugouts emptying.
As for the outcome, the Astros have a head of steam after sweeping the Minnesota Twins on the road in their Wild Card Series. And they have a rather sizable chip on their shoulder, as Carlos Correa indicated in recent remarks.
Pitching could be their undoing, however. They'll need at least one if not two strong starts from Greinke, who yielded seven runs, 18 hits and three homers to the A's in 17 regular-season innings. After that, they'll be counting on arms such as Jose Urquidy and Framber Valdez.
The loss of Chapman stings, but the A's still feature a number of patient hitters who drew 11 walks in three games in their wild-card tussle with the Chicago White Sox and could wear down Houston's staff.
This one should go the distance with some fireworks thrown in, but we'll give the edge to the Athletics.
Athletics in five.
NLDS: San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
3 of 4
The Matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers: 43-17, 1st place NL West
San Diego Padres: 37-23, 2nd place NL West
Game 1: Tues., Oct. 6
Game 2: Wed., Oct. 7
Game 3: Thurs., Oct. 8
Game 4: Fri., Oct. 9*
Game 5: Sat., Oct. 10*
*If necessary
Overview
The Dodgers finished the regular season with the best record and run differential (plus-136) in either league. They swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card Series. Mookie Betts leads an offense that paced MLB with 349 runs, while the pitching staff also ranked first with a 3.02 ERA.
Against Milwaukee, Betts went 3-for-7, while veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw appeared determined to bury his postseason demons with eight innings of zero-run, 13-strikeout work.
The Padres, meanwhile, owned the second-best record in the Senior Circuit and the second-best run differential (plus-84) in the game.
They got a scare in the Wild Card Series against the St. Louis Cardinals but prevailed thanks in part to a dangerous lineup topped by rising superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., who hit two home runs in a Game 2 comeback.
San Diego is hoping Dinelson Lamet (biceps) and Mike Clevinger (elbow), its top two starting pitchers, will return and be effective for the Division Series. But that's far from certain.
The Dodgers won six out of 10 against the Pads in the regular season and outscored them 48-36.
Predictions
If San Diego hopes to upset Los Angeles, it'll need Lamet, Clevinger or, preferably, both to come back and throw to the best of their ability.
Even assuming that happens, the Dodgers have the depth on the pitching and hitting fronts to defeat their upstart Southern California opponents.
If Betts keeps raking and Kershaw keeps dealing with a young gaggle of arms—including Walker Buehler and Dustin May—behind him, the Dodgers might be unstoppable.
The Padres will represent a much bigger challenge than the Brewers. Tatis will relish the opportunity to build on his 5-for-11 outburst, and Manny Machado is one of many other weapons in the Friars' arsenal.
The Padres are good enough to hand the Dodgers their first loss of the playoffs. Every game might be close.
But San Diego isn't ready to dethrone Los Angeles just yet.
Dodgers in four.
ALDS: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays
4 of 4
The Matchup
Tampa Bay Rays: 40-20, 1st place AL East
New York Yankees: 33-27, 2nd place AL East
Game 1: Mon., Oct. 5
Game 2: Tues., Oct. 6
Game 3: Wed., Oct. 7
Game 4: Thurs., Oct. 8*
Game 5: Fri., Oct. 9*
*If necessary
Overview
Like the Houston-Oakland series, this one could feature emotions cranked to 11. More on that shortly.
The Rays compiled the best record in the Junior Circuit and tied for the best run differential (plus-60, White Sox). They brushed aside the Toronto Blue Jays in two games in the Wild Card Series.
Their pitching staff finished third in baseball with a 3.56 ERA and allowed three earned runs with 23 strikeouts in 18 innings against Toronto.
The Yanks had an up-and-down, injury-marred season but scored 22 runs on 23 hits and mashed seven home runs against Cleveland in a Wild Card Series sweep.
Sluggers Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge appear healthy and ready to lead a stacked lineup, while ace Gerrit Cole will hope to build on his seven inning, 13-strikeout showing in Game 1 against Cleveland.
The Rays won the season series 8-2 and outscored the Yankees 47-34.
Predictions
The age-old rivalry between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox will forever dominate baseball lore. Right now, though, the hottest head-to-head battle in the AL East is between the Yanks and Rays.
The negative feelings reached a boiling point Sept. 1, when the two clubs were involved in a benches-clearing fracas. But this has been simmering for a while, as CBS Sports' Mike Axisa recently outlined.
This series should be ripe with tension. Benches might clear.
The Rays bullpen as well as top starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are capable of curbing the Bronx Bombers. At the plate, Tampa Bay will need contributors such as Brandon Lowe and Willy Adames (3-for-14 with no extra-base hits in the Wild Card Series) to carry the load.
New York will hope to ride another superlative start or two from Cole along with its tested pen and cadre of hitters.
This feels like a coin toss and should go down to the wire. But we'll give a slight edge to the Yankees, who appear to be peaking at the right time.
Look for Cole to dominate, Stanton, Judge and Co. to clear more fences and New York to survive a tough test in its quest for title No. 28.
Yankees in five.
All statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference and MLB.com.
