Ty Predicts the 2026 MLB Postseason

The MLB playoffs are set, and I'm here with some predictions. Now, before I get started, take these predictions with a big old grain of salt. I believe that I picked the Mariners to be in the World Series before this season started. I thought the NL Central was going to be a rough and rugged division. I figured the Red Sox were cooked. I didn't even know that the White Sox were going to be this good. I was wrong on a lot of my picks. But with the teams set, and doing a little research, I think I have a solid guess on who is going to win it all this year.

I'll start with the AL.

The Tampa Bay Rays are the 1 seed, who saw that coming, and the Guardians, like clockwork, are the 2 seed. The Astors, with a record of 81-81, are the 3 seed, and they face the 6 seed White Sox in round one. I'm going to pick the White Sox here. They have some kind of mojo working with their team right now, and the Astros might be the worst team in the playoffs. I don't believe in them nearly as much as I do the White Sox. The 4-5 is an inter divisional matchup between the Red Sox and Yankees. I'd love to pick the Red Sox here. They have been on a really good run for a long while now. But the Yankees have the better lineup, and I think they have better pitching at the top of their rotation. The Red Sox may also see their luck run out when they have to face the Yankees playoff lineup. I also want the Yankees to win in honor of my late uncle. So that means I have the White Sox facing the Rays and the Yankees facing the Guardians. I'd love to pick the White Sox to win again, but the Rays are consistent. They have found ways to win tons of games this season, and I feel like that success will follow them to the playoffs. I wish they'd have more fans watching, but that is not the case with this team. But they are damn good up and down the lineup, and their pitching staff is solid. As for the Yankees and Guardians, we have seen this matchup too many times before, and the Yankees always find a way to beat them. The Guardians match up nicely with them, but the Yankees are a better and deeper team. They have a lineup that can hit the Guardians' staff and the Yankees top[ line pitching talent will win out. So that leaves me another inter division matchup featuring the Rays and Yankees in the ALCS. I do think this will go the full 7 games, and it will be hard fought. These teams both know each other very well and know what it takes to win. But in the end I'm rolling with the Yankees. Again, I don't ever root for them, but my uncle was a humongous fan, he passed away, and I want to see them win in his honor. They also have the playoff experience and they have a better lineup. I have the Yankees representing the AL in the World Series.

Onto the NL.

The Brewers, who may be the best regular season baseball team ever, are the 1 seed and the best team money can buy, the Dodgers, are the 2 seed. The 3-6 matchup may be the best first round series, featuring the Braves and Phillies. The Braves have been a nice surprise this year. It looked like they might have had to wait another year to be back in this position due to injuries, but here they are now. They are very good. They can mash and they have a good pitching staff. The Phillies have one of the best lineups in all of baseball. They can kind of do it all when needed. They also have an almost equal pitching staff to the Braves. But it is not quite up to how good the Braves staff is overall. For that one reason I'm going with the Braves here, but it will be a fun and hard fought series. The 4-5 gives us the Padres and Cubs. The Padres have become a perennial playoff team. They can really hit the ball really well. But the Cubs have a legit starting pitching staff, they have the NL MVP and they have a lineup that is just as good on paper as it is at the plate. I think the Cubs can do some really nice things during these playoffs. They might sweep the Padres in this round. So that gives me the Braves facing the Dodgers and the Brewers facing the Cubs in round 2. I would love to see the Brewers win this series. It would be so nice to see their regular season success turn into postseason success. But they seem to always blow it in the playoffs and get beat in magnificent fashion. I believe the Cubs will dispose of them, and they may do it in another sweep. As for the Braves and Dodgers, I mean come on, it is the Dodgers all the way here. Again, they're the best team money can buy. They have everything any MLB team could want. And now they don't even have to pitch Shoehei Ohtani. He can just hit, and the dude has proven time and again that he can mash the ball. I will be rooting for the Braves, hard. But the Dodgers are going to oust them in this round and give us the best matchup in the playoffs. The Cubs and Dodgers may be the de facto World Series. I think they are the two best teams in baseball. But the Dodgers are the better team. Again, they have it all. They are too good to be beaten. The Cubs will take them to the brink, but the Dodgers will pull out another game 7 win. The Dodgers will be, once again, the NL champs.

So that means I have the most boring World Series one could think of, the year before a strike most likely, with the Yankees facing the Dodgers. It makes sense because they're the two best teams in their leagues, so it only makes sense that they're going to face each other in the World Series. But this time I'm not picking the Dodgers. I think we saw that they could be beaten last year, and I think the Yankees actually do it this year. Again, this is most likely due to my uncle, but I'm rolling with the Yankees to win it all this season, and go into the strike with the most recent World Series ring. And Aaron Judge will be the MVP.

There you have it, my MLB postseason preview and predictions. Enjoy the playoffs. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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