The Moonshot: MLB Playoffs expert picks and predictions
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Who represents the NL in the World Series and why?
John Buhler: It has to be Philadelphia. The Phillies have been the best team all season long. They have the perfect combination of star power offensively and great starting pitching. The bullpen scares me, but this is the Phillies’ year to win the whole thing. They have to take advantage.
Zach Pressnell: I’ll go with the Padres. They’re loaded with talent and they’re built for the moment, led by the always-cool, Fernando Tatis Jr. Dylan Cease and Michael King can go toe to toe with the best pitchers in the league on any given day. They have Tanner Scott and Robert Suarez to close out games. Machado has been here before and he’s dominated in the postseason before. Jackson Merrill is a star in the making and I look for him to improve his play with the season on the line.
Chris Landers: It makes me a little itchy to overlook the Dodgers, but that pitching staff is just too hard to trust in October. So I’m going with the Phillies, a team with enviable rotation depth, impact arms out of the bullpen and a lineup that’s getting healthy and rounding into form at the right time. We know that Rob Thomson knows how to push the right buttons in the postseason, and while I think the Padres in particular could pose a serious problem, this is the year that Philly finally gets over the hump.
Zachary Rotman: It’s the Phillies. Ranger Suarez looks like the weak link in this rotation right now, but he has a 1.62 ERA in 33.1 postseason innings. Their offense has been frustrating at times, but are you really going to bet against the likes of Bryce Harper, Trea, Turner, and Kyle Schwarber (I can go on) in October? They even addressed the closer role by acquiring Carlos Estevez at the trade deadline. Their rotation in the best among postseason teams especially with Chris Sale now hurt, their lineup is full of stars and extremely deep, and their bullpen is better than most give it credit for. To make them even scarier, they will have home-field advantage in front of a raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd in every round except the NLCS if they match up with the Dodgers. That even includes in a potential World Series.
Terrence Jordan: My heart says the Mets, but my head says the Padres. Nobody is firing on all cylinders like they are right now. They’ve already taken out the Braves, and as excited as everyone is about Shohei Ohtani’s playoff debut, I think even he won’t be enough to stop this freight train.
Scott Rogust: I was originally leaning towards the Phillies, but do the Padres look like a team you want to avoid at all costs this postseason. The batting order is incredibly deep. The bullpen is stacked. But one stat that really stands out is, they are 8-5 this season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. You can’t count them out.
Who represents the AL in the World Series and why?
John Buhler: Give me Cleveland. I don’t trust the Yankees and I don’t want to pick the Astros. Baltimore faded in the second half. Detroit and Kansas City are just happy to be here. This October will be the postseason that ensures Jose Ramirez will have a plaque in Cooperstown.
Zach Pressnell: Everything in me wants to say Tarik Skubal and the Tigers, but that would be speaking strictly off emotions. Give me the Yankees. Judge and Soto are having way too good of years and there’s just way too much on the line for them. Judge is playing for his Yankees legacy and Soto is playing for his 10+ year contract. Aaron Boone has his job on the line and Gerrit Cole is already a postseason legend. New York needs this World Series win more than ever.
Chris Landers: Maybe it’s just that I’ve watched too much of the bottom half of the Yankees’ lineup this season, but I’m riding with the Guardians. Cleveland has far and away the best bullpen in the game, highlighted by the game’s best reliever in Emmanuel Clase. No team can shorten a game like the Guards, especially with built-in off days, and there just aren’t a ton of other compelling candidates here. The Orioles’ offense has been asleep for months now. The Tigers and Royals feel a year too soon. I think Cleveland’s pitching can silence the parts of New York’s offense not named Judge and Soto, and they’ll head to the Fall Classic.
Zachary Rotman: The Kansas City Royals might’ve struggled down the stretch of the regular season, but they made it to the postseason, and they’re dangerous. Bobby Witt Jr. is a superstar. Getting Vinny Pasquantino back is huge. Salvador Perez still rakes. The rotation led by Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha is quite good. Lucas Erceg has fit into the closer role quite nicely. It’ll be a tough road, but it feels like the Royals have the ingredients to make a deep and shocking postseason run.
Terrence Jordan: The American League is truly wide open, and while the Yankees are the betting favorites, I have serious doubts that they have enough behind Aaron Judge and Juan Soto to win the pennant. I’m with Chris — the Guardians have the best bullpen in the game, and their lineup can beat you in a lot of different ways. Jose Ramirez hit 39 homers and stole 41 bases, Josh Naylor hit 31 bombs of his own and Steven Kwan hit .292 with a .368 on-base percentage. Only three teams in baseball struck out less than the Guardians. They’ll put the ball in play, they’ll shorten the game and they’ll represent the American League in the World Series.
Scott Rogust: So many talking heads and media figures are picking the Yankees as the favorites to win the World Series. If you watched most of their games this season, they are flawed. The base-running is atrocious and the defense leaves a lot to be desired. Plus, they are really going to be banking on two stars in Aaron Judge and Juan Soto carrying them throughout the playoffs. I’ve seen this story before with the Yankees in the Aaron Boone era, hence why I’m not picking them. I will, however, pick the Cleveland Guardians, who are thriving in the first year with Stephen Vogt as manager. Let’s not forget, Cleveland’s bullpen is incredibly terrifying.
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Who is your 2024 World Series champ?
John Buhler: Phillies. They are going to do cartwheels in the streets because the greased up poles won’t allow them to. The Eagles are in the pits and the 76ers will never win another NBA Finals under the current administration. This sports-crazed town needs this, so I will let them have it.
Zach Pressnell: Give me the Padres. I mean, how good is this team? In Game 1 against the Braves, Michael King shoved, Jason Adam shoved and Robert Suarez shoved. Their lineup is too deep to consistently shut down and their pitching staff is too good to string wins together against. They went out and were the biggest buyers at the deadline and it’s going to pay off.
Chris Landers: We’re sticking with the Phillies over Cleveland. The starting pitching is far better than what the Guardians can offer, and the bullpen formula that worked so well the last couple of postseasons remains intact. Philly has more offensive oomph, and that’s why I think they’ll lift the trophy.
Zachary Rotman: I’m going with the Phillies. That rotation is too good, the lineup is too deep, they have too much experience, and home-field advantage goes a long way. The addition of Carlos Estevez could be what gets them over the hump. They would’ve made it back to the World Series last season had it not been for Craig Kimbrel. If the bullpen is figured out, and it looks like it might be, they’re the team to beat. They defeat the Royals in 6 games.
Terrence Jordan: I’m seeing a lot of Phillies picks, but while few teams can match up with Rob Thomson’s group on paper, the fact of the matter is they just haven’t been playing well lately. The Phils are 10-11 in their last 21 games, and while that was still enough to earn the second seed in the National League, teams like the Mets, Padres and Tigers have been fighting for their lives and playing de facto playoff baseball for well over a month. My World Series pick is Padres-Guardians, with San Diego winning its first World Series title in franchise history in five.
Scott Rogust: The National League is so much better than the American League this year. The AL is completely wide open where anyone could feasibly win the pennant. As for the NL, there are so many great teams, it feels like they should be locks to win it all. With that in mind, I’m going with Padres over the Guardians in six games.
Who will be the AL MVP of the Playoffs? (if such an award existed)
John Buhler: Jose Ramirez will make himself a lock for Cooperstown after this postseason.
Zach Pressnell: Give me Juan Soto. I could take the easy route and say Judge, but Soto ups his play with the season on the line. I see Soto being the best player in the league this postseason, taking his game to the next level in October, like he’s done in the past.
Chris Landers: It feels like someone always comes out of nowhere in October, so I’ll opt against Jose Ramirez and take a stab at Lane Thomas. He was absolutely awful after being acquired by Cleveland at the trade deadline, but he slugged .560 over his final 25 games, and he was a top-of-the-order difference-maker for the Nationals the past couple of years. If he’s finally gotten right, he could give Ramirez the support he desperately needs.
Zachary Rotman: Bobby Witt Jr. won’t win the AL MVP award for the regular season, so it’s only fitting that he’s going to step up in October. He already did step up in the Royals’ postseason opener, driving in the only run of the game in a 1-0 Kansas City victory. Witt’s all-around ability will be on full display for the world to watch, and it’ll be so fun.
Terrence Jordan: I hate to go with the crowd, but Jose Ramirez has long been one of the most underappreciated great players in the game, and I think this is his moment to shine. If the Guardians come out of the A.L. like I think they will, you better believe that Ramirez will have a lot to do with it.
Scott Rogust: Since Cleveland makes the World Series, you have to go with Jose Ramirez. Probably the most underrated player in all of baseball, Ramirez should help lift the offense to help out whoever the starting pitcher is, and then hand things off to their rock solid bullpen.
Who will be the NL MVP of the Playoffs? (if such an award existed)
John Buhler: Bryce Harper. No real thought behind this other than he needs a World Series ring.
Zach Pressnell: I’ll take Fernando Tatis. He has all the tools to be one of the faces of baseball and he’s going to show that this October. He already has a home run in one postseason game this year. If the Padres go far, he could end with six or seven big flies.
Chris Landers: In Phillies wins this season, Trea Turner had a .967 OPS. In their losses, that number was .567. He’s the most important player on this team, and he started heating up again toward the end of the season. If he catches fire – and we know from the World Baseball Classic two years ago that he likes the bright lights – he could take over a whole series.
Zachary Rotman: Bryce Harper’s power went missing for a large chunk of the second half, but he finished the regular season red-hot, posting a .938 OPS in September. He often seems to come through in big spots for the Phillies, and it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see him right in the middle of things once again.
Terrence Jordan: The Padres are a juggernaut right now, and while I love the Fernando Tatis Jr. picks, I’m going to mix it up and say Jackson Merrill. This rookie is ready for primetime, as he’s already proven by being a homer short of the cycle in his first two playoff games. Merrill vs. Paul Skenes is one of the best Rookie of the Year battles we’ve ever seen, but the young Padre will have the last laugh when he’s holding the Commissioner’s Trophy while drenched in champagne.
Scott Rogust: You have to go with the star of the Padres in Fernando Tatis Jr. He’s already gotten off to a strong start these playoffs, so it’s entirely possible that he keeps this up throughout their run to the World Series.
Who will be the AL Cy Young of the Playoffs? (if such an award existed)
John Buhler: I don’t know. Tarik Skubal has been fun. He’s great, but the Tigers are inexperienced.
Zach Pressnell: Tarik Skubal. There isn’t a lineup in the game that likes to see his name on the lineup card. The Tigers can’t afford to lose any game that he starts if they want the chance at a pennant. Skubal has been the best pitcher on the planet this season and I look for that to continue, hopefully past the Wild Card round.
Chris Landers: Emmanuel Clase. He’s been damn near untouchable all season long, and if Cleveland is going to make the sort of run I predicted above, they’re going to need him to remain so in October – and likely get four, five or even six outs at a time. Something like Andrew Miller circa 2016 doesn’t strike me as out of the question.
Zachary Rotman: I think this is the year Gerrit Cole shows out in the postseason for the New York Yankees. His 3.41 ERA in 17 starts might be a bit higher than what we’ve become accustomed to, but Cole allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but one of his 13 starts against teams that don’t come from Boston or New York. Unless the Yankees run into the Mets in the World Series, Cole won’t see either of those two teams that he can’t seem to beat, and should shove when the Yankees need him the most.
Terrence Jordan: Tanner Bibee may not be a household name, but he’s the Guardians de facto ace. He’s already been named the starter for the ALDS opener against the Tigers, and he’s gone at least five innings in 27 of his 31 starts this year. He’s also getting hot at the right time, with a 2.64 ERA in five September starts.
Scott Rogust: Let’s go with Emmanuel Clase. Clase has been absolutely dominant this year, posting a 0.61 ERA and 47 saves in 74 games.
Who will be the NL Cy Young of the Playoffs? (if such an award existed)
John Buhler: Zack Wheeler will be the key difference in the postseason for Philadelphia.
Zach Pressnell: Let’s go with Michael King. This feels like cheating after his seven shutout inning performance in Game 1 against the Braves. He’s on a different level right now and there’s no reason to believe he’s going to regress this postseason.
Chris Landers: If I’m picking Philly to reach the World Series, I have to stick with them for MVP, so I’ll go a little off the board here: Give me Cristopher Sanchez, who has the sort of stuff to put up a dominant run as part of the Phillies’ rotation and put up a 2.43 ERA over five September starts. He’s pitched much better at home this year than on the road, and I’ll be interested to see if Philly shuffles things in order to keep him nice and comfy at Citizens Bank Park. Either way, he could be the guy who comes out of nowhere to make himself a household name.
Zachary Rotman: Chris Sale is going to win the NL Cy Young Award, but Zack Wheeler will finish as a close second. He has been the most consistent pitcher in the majors since signing with the Phillies, and has been utterly dominant in October. It’s an easy pick to make based both on history and how well he has pitched in 2024.
Terrence Jordan: The early leader in the clubhouse is Padres starter Michael King. He hasn’t given up more than two earned runs since August 7th, and he has a head start on the rest of the field after twirling a seven-inning, 12-strikeout masterpiece against the Braves on Tuesday. Juan Soto has been incredible in pinstripes, but King’s ascent to a top-of-the-rotation starter has made the trade that sent him to San Diego a rare win-win for both teams.
Scott Rogust: I have to agree with my colleagues who selected Michael King. He’s yet another example of an ex-Yankees pitcher thriving outside of the Bronx. Yes, the Yankees got Juan Soto, but the Padres ended up in pretty good position after the trade.
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