MLB Playoff Bracket 2020: Live-Stream Schedule, Predictions for ALDS, NLDS

Pitching depth will become a more important factor moving forward in the Major League Baseball postseason. 

Teams now have to rely on a minimum of three starting pitchers to get through the best-of-five division series, and with no days off, more pressure could be placed on getting results early in the series to avoid Game 4 or 5. 

Tampa Bay and Atlanta benefited from strong pitching outings in the wild-card round, and both are capable of flexing their depth to gain advantages in their respective series against the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins.

The Rays will call upon a trio of experienced hurlers, while the Braves are banking on some young arms to come through, like they have in the last month, to potentially set up a NLCS clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

ALDS Schedule

Monday, October 5

Game 1: Houston vs. Oakland (4:07 p.m. ET, TBS)

Game 1: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay (8:07 p.m. ET, TBS)

Game 2s: Tuesday, October 6 (Times TBD, TBS)

Game 3s: Wednesday, October 7 (Times TBD, TBS)

Game 4s (if necessary): Thursday, October 8 (Times TBD, TBS)

Game 5s (if necessary): Friday, October 9 (Times TBD, TBS)

Games can be live-streamed on TBS.com.

NLDS Schedule

Game 1s: Tuesday, October 6 (Times TBD, MLB Network/FS1)

Game 2s: Wednesday, October 7 (Times TBD, MLB Network/FS1)

Games 3s: Thursday, October 8 (Times TBD, MLB Network/FS1)

Game 4s (if necessary): Friday, October 9 (FS1)

Games 5s (if necessary): Saturday, October 10 (FS1)

Games can be live-streamed on FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app.

Predictions

Charlie Morton Is Tampa Bay's Pitching X-Factor

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Tampa Bay has a better opportunity to flex its deep pitching staff in the best-of-five ALDS than it did in the best-of-three wild-card round. 

The Rays received strong outings from Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow and their bullpen looked sharp, but those performances did not show off the extent of their abilities on the mound. 

When Charlie Morton enters the fray in Game 3 against the Yankees, he could tip the balance of the series in the Rays' favor for good. 

Morton will feature in the same ALDS role he had in 2019 as the Game 3 starter. A year ago, he struck out nine Houston batters while allowing one earned run over five innings. 

The 36-year-old right-hander developed a reputation for being a go-to postseason pitcher during Houston's World Series run in 2017, when he allowed two earned runs in 10.1 innings of work in the Fall Classic. 

Morton's experience will be key for the Rays since Gerrit Cole may negate Snell's impact on the series in Game 1. 

If that is the case and Glasnow pitches well in Game 2, Morton could alter the series with an impressive outing. 

Morton was successful in two shortened outings against the Yankees in the regular season, as he put up five strikeouts and allowed a single run in four innings. 

If he remains consistent on the mound, Morton could not only be an important factor in the ALDS, but he could also be a key figure in the ALCS if the Rays advance. 

Atlanta's Young Arms Step Up, Produce Sweep

John Amis/Associated Press

Atlanta went through one of the most frustrating regular seasons with its rotation because of injuries and poor form out of others, but it appears to have gems in Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright who can back up Max Fried.

Anderson was terrific in his postseason debut against Cincinnati, as he struck out nine batters and conceded two hits over six innings. 

That performance combined with two regular-season outings against Miami should give him a level of comfort when he first appears in the NLDS. 

Wright did not start in the wild-card round, but he has familiarity with Miami's lineup after two meetings. 

Although he allowed eight earned runs in those two appearances, Wright comes into the postseason off a pair of decent outings. 

Wright allowed two earned runs over 13 innings versus the Boston and the New York Mets, and he could use that confidence to deliver a quality start after Fried and Anderson toe the rubber. 

While Miami has some terrific young arms of its own, it produced a worse team ERA of 4.86 compared to Atlanta's 4.41 in the regular season. 

Atlanta's offense is much more capable of providing run support for its hurlers, as it ranked first in OPS, on-base percentage, hits and RBI over 60 games. 

If Anderson and Wright perform well and receive a decent amount of run support, the Braves should be able to move one step away from the World Series.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.