MLB Fearless Playoff Predictions: NL Edition

With my AL predictions made, it's time to turn the attention to the National League. Here we go:

NL Central Winner: Chicago Cubs vs. NL West Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers

This series will be an intriguing one. The team that has suffered a horrendous losing stretch against a team that is the winner of one of the weakest divisions in baseball history. Something has to give, and in this series, it will be the Dodgers' offense.

Behind the arms of Zambrano, Harden, and Dempster, the Cubs will sweep this series 3-0. The home field advantage will help, as will the motivation to end sports' longest championship drought.

NL East Winner: NY Mets vs. NL Wild Card Winner: Milwaukee Brewers

The first game of this series will be a must see, with Johan Santana taking on CC Sabbathia. The real star, however, will be Carlos Delgado, as he continues to make his push toward MVP honors and will be a game-breaker in this series. It will be close, but the Mets will win in five games.

Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets

The NLCS will feature a match-up that will make Ron Santo cringe. The Mets, who unceremoniously dumped the Cubs from the 1969 playoff hunt, will look to prevent history and claim their spot in the Fall Classic.

Unfortunately, their bats will have no answer for the Cubs' starting pitching. Shea Stadium's doors will slam shut with a Game Five loss as the Cubs advance to their first World Series since 1945.

World Series: Chicago Cubs vs. Tampa Bay Rays

This World Series will be loaded with intriguing story lines, but none will be bigger than that of the Cubs: attempting to win their first World Series in 99 years. The Rays will be the team with nothing to lose, and it will show in the first two games. They will easily cruise past the Cubs at the Trop, much like they did in June, and take a 2-0 lead.

These Cubs, however, are not beholden unto the team's checkered history. They will storm back and take Games 3-5 at Wrigley, sending Chicago into a tizzy: Could this be the year?

The Rays will blow the whistle on the parade and take a hard fought Game Six. Game Seven will go down as one of the most epic contests in baseball history, but ultimately it will be taken by...

The Cubs. They were built for this moment, and their offense and pitching will come together in a way that befits a true champion. They will win Game Seven and erase all pain in their tortured fan base.

So there you have it. My playoff predictions for 2008. No matter what the outcomes of these series are, it will certainly be an October to remember.