With the season being limited to just 60 games, Heftyinfo will not go into much detail about the teams gearing up for the sprint to the post-season this October. Instead, just a brief look at what to possibly expect in what will surely be a most unpredictable season. Reason being should any players (especially key players on major league rosters) go down with the COVID-19 virus, it will have a significant impact on their team and could derail a run to the playoffs.
This virus has been very tricky and with so many people not wanting to follow protocol for health and safety (wear a face mask, wash your hands and social distancing) which is really pretty easy and very basic to do. That is a big reason fans will NOT be in the stands for the games. Stop the spread of this damn virus already and MLB (like the other major sports in America) is looking to do just that.
When Dr. Anthony Fauci throws out the ceremonial first pitch for the game between the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees on Thursday, it will mark the beginning of what should be a very interesting baseball season.
Not since the 1981 strike shortened SPLIT SEASON has MLB seen anything like what will transpire for the next two months or so.
Teams will need to get off to a good start and those teams that do flounder out to a poor start can pretty much pack it in until next spring training. That being said, most people are picking the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees to face each other in the World Series. It's what the pick was here at this site a year ago and before spring training shut down back in March, was the likely pick once again for this year.
All bets are off for this season and picking a champion will be no easy task as if it ever is in baseball.
The Dodgers and Yankees both are loaded teams and have the pitching and the depth to go all the way for sure. But the game isn't won on paper, it is won on the playing field.
Here goes nothing as Heftyinfo looks at what could happen around Major League Baseball for the (brief) 2020 season.
*(Note - MLB has changed to expand the MLB playoffs to 16 teams this season rather than the usual 10 teams that it originally planned when the 60-game schedule was set. So disregard any playoff picks previously made. Still taking Yankees over Dodgers in the World Series.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE
East East
1 - New York Yankees 1 - Washington Nationals
2 - Tampa Bay Rays (wild card) 2 - Atlanta Braves (wild card)
3 - Boston Red Sox 3 - Philadelphia Phillies
4 - Toronto Blue Jays 4 - New York Mets
5 - Baltimore Orioles 5 - Miami Marlins
Central Central
1 - Minnesota Twins 1 - St. Louis Cardinals
2 - Chicago White Sox (wild card) 2 - Chicago Cubs (wild card)
3 - Cleveland Indians 3 - Cincinnati Reds
4 - Kansas City Royals 4 - Milwaukee Brewers
5 - Detroit Tigers 5 - Pittsburgh Pirates
West West
1 - Houston Astros 1 - Los Angeles Dodgers
2 - Oakland A's 2 - San Diego Padres
3 - Texas Rangers 3 - Arizona Diamondbacks
4 - Los Angeles Angels 4 - Colorado Rockies
5 - Seattle Mariners 5 - San Francisco Giants
* Original Post-Season predictions below no longer valid due to the change in playoff format announced on Thursday, July 23, 2020 by MLB officials. The World Series pick made still stands for this post.
American League Playoffs
Chicago White Sox over Tampa Bay in Wild Card Game
ALDS
New York Yankees over Minnesota Twins (3-1)
Houston Astros over Chicago White Sox (3-2)
ALCS
New York Yankees over Houston Astros (4-2)
National League Playoffs
Atlanta Braves over Chicago Cubs in Wild Card Game
NLDS
Los Angeles Dodgers over Atlanta Braves (3-0)
St. Louis Cardinals over Washington Nationals (3-1)
NLCS
Los Angeles Dodgers over St. Louis Cardinals (4-0)
WORLD SERIES
New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-3)
No comments:
Post a Comment