The Kutty Katt's Thoughts

In my last post I wrote about what teams would make the playoffs, now we will take the team to play out the actual playoffs.

Wild Card Matchups

#3 Twins vs #6 Red Sox – In what most will consider the weaker of the of the two AL wild card matchups, the Red Sox will prevail. Although the Twins will put up a fight in both games the Red Sox come out with a sweep. The Twins will go into the offseason trying to figure out how to get over the hump against the big teams in the American League.

#4 Yankees vs #5 Mariners – The 90’s revive themselves with this Classic matchup in the Bronx. Julio Rodriguez comes into the Yankee Stadium and plays out of his mind. The first two games get split, and then the Mariners win an all-time classic game 3 to take the series.

#3 Cardinals vs #6 Cubs – One of the greatest rivalries in all of baseball will take center stage in this wild card matchup. Back in 2015 the Cubs beat the Cardinals 3-1 in the NLDS. This time there will be a different outcome. A combination of Wainwright, Mikolas, and Flaherty keep the talented Cubs lineup at bay. While Arenado and Goldschmidt finally escape their playoff woes.

#4 Braves vs #5 Padres – Two juggernauts matching up in a wild card series will definitely cause many people to scream for reseeding. Will the Braves continue to win in the playoffs? Do the Padres pull off another upset this season? The latter will be true. The Padres do enough in game 2 and 3 to complete the comeback and advance. The Braves go into the offseason wondering where it went wrong.

Divisional Round

#1 Astros vs #6 Red Sox – A rematch that Red Sox’s fans have been wanting since 2021. The little underdog team taking on the big villain in the American League. Unfortunately for the Red Sox this will not be a tale to write home about. The Astros will come out with a sweep. This team is just too good and has too much depth to lose in this round. Jose Abrue Drives in 4 in game 3 to put an explanation point on this series.

#2 Blue Jays vs #5 Mariners – A rematch of the 2022 Wild Card round. Will the Mariners pull off another upset? No. The Blue Jays get revenge and win this series in 4 games, crushing the hopes of Mariners’ fans in their own ballpark. Vlad Junior homes in all four games and looks red hot going into the ALCS.

#1 Dodgers vs #5 Padres – The stronger older brother against the younger brother. The Dodgers will overlook the Padres and lose game one. They will bounce back in game 2 and 3. With the Padres on the ropes Juan Soto will come through in game game 4 with a walk-off hit to force a game 5. The Dodgers will role out Kershaw and the Padres counter with, Michael Wacha? Wacha should slot himself as the fourth starter in the rotation and after 3 games against the Braves, he should be inline for this game, with either Darvish or Musgrove ready to through a few innings. Both pitchers are dueling. Kershaw comes out of the game and Tatis gets the Padres on the board. The Padres take game five 2-0.

#2 Mets vs #3 Cardinals – Clearly my bias will start to show here, in all accounts the the Mets have a better roster in every way except defense. So for anyone who wants an unbiased opinion, just put the Mets everywhere the Cardinals are after this section. With that being said, the Cardinals will win this series in 5. Remember the days of hating on Paul DeJong? Remember how we wanted him gone? Well Paul DeJong continues his role as a Mets killer going 8-15 in the series with 2 homers and 6 RBIs. The pitching staff for the Cardinals is able to keep the Mets from utilizing the long ball. Max Scherzer and Jose Quintana give the Cardinals fits in games 1 and 3, but the Cardinals will take games 2, 4, and 5 to win the series (Alternatively the Mets win in 4).

League Championship

#1 Astros vs #2 Blue Jays – This matchup gives me vibes of the 2017 Yankees vs Astros ALCS matchup. The Proven Astros against the young guns trying to make their mark. In that matchup the young guns were able to win, in this scenario the Astros will hold off the young Blue Jays. Astros take the series in 6 games, 1, 2, 5, and 6. Jose Altuve may have had a rough postseason last year, but this year he wins ALCS MVP. Vlad Junior cools off in the series and no one else in the lineup to fill his shoes. Astros go back to the World Series with a chance to repeat.

#3 Cardinals vs #5 Padres – An underwhelming matchup to most people, but to a lifelong Cardinal fan it will be bittersweet. Matt Carpenter, Michael Wacha, Luis Garcia, and the Juan Soto, the man many Cardinals’ fans wanted to get last year, playing against the Cardinals. The first two games get split between the teams. Back in San Diego the Cardinals take game 3 and 5 to take a 3-2 lead going back to St. Louis. In game six Juan Soto makes the Cardinals pay for not trading for him and the Padres take game 6. Needing a big win in game 7 the Cardinals turn to Adam Wainwright to take the mound at home, with Flaherty ready to go if needed. What does Wainwright do? Not enough. He goes 5 and gives up 4. The Padres take a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th. In dramatic fashion the Cardinals storm back to take lead 6-5 going into the 9th. Ryan Helsley closes it out and the Cardinals go to the World Series. Nolan Arenado wins NLCS MVP and gets his first touch of the World Series. (Alternatively the Mets win this series in 7 with Max Scherzer throwing a complete game shutout to clinch the series.

World Series

#1 Astros vs #3 Cardinals – Remember the classic middle 2000’s matchups between the stacked rosters of the Cardinals and Astros? This will be another classic. Two teams who ties go way back. Two teams hungry. A final goodbye to a Cardinal Legend. A potential sealing factor for future Hall of Famers. A chance for greatest for multiple former MVPs. This series will be one for the ages. In the end the Cardinals will be able to outlast the Astros in 7. Nolan Arenado plays his heart out and wins World Series MVP. With a chance for his first title, Jose Abrue attempts to put the team on his back. Abrue goes 11-24 with 4 homers in the series. The final out of the series? A double play turned by Arenado, Edman, and Goldschmidt.

For an unbiased look, the Mets take this series in 6. Justin Verlander gets the best of his former team as him and Scherzer combine for flawless performances.