Last week I promised my MLB playoff predictions. Never let it be said that I don’t live up to my promises.
Remember, we’re testing the theory that run differential on the first day of the season is a good predictor of teams’ ability to make the playoffs.
Here, for easy reference, are our playoff teams. I’ve included their current Won/Loss records for your amusement.
| Team |
Won/Loss |
Run Differential |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto |
3-4 |
29-30 (-1) |
| Texas |
4-4 |
32-35 (-3) |
| Chicago |
5-2 |
28-19 (9) |
| Kansas City |
4-2 |
21-19 (2) |
| Baltimore |
6-0 |
31-17 (14) |
| Team |
Won/Loss |
Run Differential |
|---|---|---|
| Washington |
4-1 |
21-16 (5) |
| Chicago |
6-1 |
47-18 (29) |
| Los Angeles |
4-3 |
42-26 (16) |
| San Francisco |
5-2 |
43-25 (18) |
| Colorado |
3-3 |
35-51 (-16) |
The first thing we notice is that Colorado is lucky to have scraped together a .500 record. If they’re going to make the playoffs, even as the second Wild Card, they need to beef up their defense.
OK, playoffs.
The Orioles are obviously the class team of the AL this year. They’ll demolish the Royals in the Wild Card game, crush the White Sox in the Division Series, and mutilate the Blue Jays (who squeaked past the Rangers) in the League Championship.
The NL playoffs are going to be even less competitive. The Giants will shred the Rockies in the Wild Card, then be flattened by the Cubs in the Division Series. So much for the “Even Year Dynasty”. The Dodgers won’t have any trouble bouncing the Nationals out of the playoffs, but they won’t get anywhere against the Cubs in the League Championship.
That gives us a Cubs/Orioles World Series.
On the face of it, the Orioles should coast through the series, riding their record-breaking 162-0 regular season performance, but that pesky run differential tells a different story. The Cubs may only have gone 138-24, but their run-scoring and run-prevention, nearly twice as good as the Os’, will make the difference.
The Cubs’ curse will be broken, only one year later than the Back to the Future movies predicted. Congratulations, Chicago.
Now, how about a World Series win for Seattle next year?
Koi Scribblings 
Well, you might be right. The Cubs currently have eight men batting over three hundred, and four of those are batting over four hundred (!). For all my optimism about the Giants’ batting order, they’re not in that league, and several of the local boys tend to be fragile, historically. Interesting, and thanks for calling my attention to it. Time will tell, and the season is a long one, but you may just have called it.
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Nobody will be more surprised than I if my predictions pan out–but it sure would be amusing.
Lots of interesting stories so far this season. To my mind, the most entertaining is that Mark Trumbo–yes, our old friend the Trumbone–has put up better offensive numbers than nine whole teams.
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