2024 MLB PLAYOFF PREVIEW

After a long MLB season that really dragged during the summer, the MLB post season has arrived. As of this publication date, the first games of the Wild Card round will likely have been played. Despite that, I am going to give my predictions on the future NL and AL champions which will be followed by my educated guess on the World Series winner for 2024. First, a quick review of the 2023 season and the major event of the offseason that kept MLB in the news through the winter.

The 2023 World Series was won by the #5 AL seed Texas Rangers coached by the living legend Bruce Bochy who defeated the #6 NL seed Arizona Diamondbacks four games to one. This is Bochy’s 5th NL/AL Title (One in San Diego, three in San Francisco and one in Texas) and 4th World Series win (Three in San Francisco, One in Texas) as a manager. The Texas Rangers had been to two previous World Series (2010, 2011) losing both including being one strike away in 2011 before losing in seven to the St. Louis Cardinals. Texas became the 25th of 30 Major League teams to capture a World Series title. Arizona, who captured their only NL and World Series title in 2001, won their 2nd NL pennant in 2023. Like 2022, the #6 seed in the National League advanced to the World Series. Since that seed was implemented in 2022, the #6 NL seed has never lost a series in the National League playoffs (Despite being beaten twice in the World Series by the Houston Astros in 2022 and Texas Rangers in 2023). After the season, the upcoming baseball season was overshadowed by the signing of Shohei Ohtani by the LA Dodgers who became the first 50 HR/50 SB player in MLB history in 2024. During this season, he did not throw a single pitch as he recovered from Tommy John surgery which allowed him to focus on his hitting. Before the season began, Ohtani found himself wrapped in a major gambling scandal that ensnared his closest friend and translator Ippei Mizuhara who apparently admitted to a gambling addiction, bet on different sports other than baseball and lost millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money. After an investigation, Ohtani was found innocent, and his translator was fired and prosecuted. And the Chicago White Sox became the leader in losses during an MLB season by going 41-121 in 2024 setting a new loss record that will likely never be beaten.
After the doubleheader on September 30th, here are the seeds in each League.

American League

1. New York Yankees: AL East Champion
2. Cleveland Guardians: AL Central Champion
3. Houston Astros: AL West Champion (And their seventh in eight seasons)
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Kansas City Royals
6. Detroit Tigers

In the case of the latter two teams, the youth movement has finally paid dividends. Kansas City got off to a hot start and cruised towards the end of the season. They slid into the playoffs during the last week. Detroit was at nine games under .500 in the 1st half before coming together as a team in the 2nd half and clinching the last playoff spot thanks to the Minnesota Twins collapse. Here are the predictions for the AL.

AL Wild Card

4) Baltimore over 5) Kansas City 2-0
3) Houston over 6) Detroit 2-1

Detroit’s late streak does count for something, and it will not surprise if they eliminate the postseason darling Astros who always seem to play at their best in September and October.
AL Division Series

1) NY Yankees over 4) Baltimore 3-2

The Orioles have been competitive with the Yankees all season. I expect this series to go the distance with Garret Cole saving the Yankees in Game 5.

2) Cleveland over 3) Houston 3-1

The Guardians have been good this season. The Astros are feisty but will meet their end in this round.

AL Championship Series

1) NY Yankees over 2) Cleveland 4-1

The Yankees will come together and dominate the Guardians to capture their 41st AL Title.

National League

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: NL West Champion (3rd consecutive and the 11th in 12 seasons)
2. Philadelphia Phillies: NL East Champion
3. Milwaukee Brewers: NL Central Champion (2nd consecutive)
4. San Diego Padres
5. Atlanta Braves
6. New York Mets

NL Wild Card

4)  San Diego over 5) Atlanta 2-1
6) New York Mets over 3) Milwaukee 2-0

Milwaukee will continue to prove that if they were in the West or East, they would not be a playoff team. The Mets will blow through them in the wild card.

NL Division Series

1) Los Angeles Dodgers over 4) San Diego 3-2
2) Philadelphia over 6) New York Mets 3-0

NL Championship Series

2) Philadelphia over 1) Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2

Philadelphia will win its 9th NL pennant.

This sets up a rematch of the 1950 & 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees. In both previous World Series, the Yankees won, and they beat the Phillies for their last title in 2009. This time:

2024 World Series

Philadelphia will win its 3rd MLB title in 7 games over the New York Yankees.

Trea Turner will be the MVP.
And when I am wrong, come back to me in November and let me know.
​
Next week, one more post before a one-month hiatus involving the history of warfare and the profiteers who have made fortunes off it. Until next time!