Playoff time is here, hooray! As is typical, our staff has their picks for who's going to represent each league in the World Series, and who's going to wind up on top. If you want to have a laugh, take a look at our picks from six months ago and see just how awful we all are at this prognostication thing.
Amanda Rykoff
ALCS: Athletics over Red Sox
NLCS: Cardinals over Dodgers
World Series: Cardinals over Athletics in 6
The Cardinals are a team that just manages to get it done in October and I've learned to pick against them at my peril. This year's team is balanced and loaded in all facets of the game. Even without Allen Craig, they can flat-out rake and their pitching is good and deep enough to win it all. It's also hard not to go with the team that won the toughest division in baseball.
Garrett Wilson
ALCS: Rays over Tigers in 7
NLCS: Cardinals over Dodgers in 5
World Series: Rays over Cardinals in 6
Ian Casselberry
ALCS: Athletics over Red Sox in 6
NLCS: Cardinals over Braves in 5
World Series: Athletics over Cardinals in 7
The A's look like the most complete team going into the postseason to me, ready to progress after taking the Tigers to the limit last year. I just hope they don't have to celebrate in a sewage-filled dugout or clubhouse at O.co Coliseum.
Jaymes Langrehr
ALCS: Red Sox over Athletics in 5
NLCS: Cardinals over Dodgers in 6
World Series: Cardinals over Red Sox in 6
The Cardinals have the offense to match any AL team blow-for-blow, very good starting pitching, and one of the deeper bullpens (with virtually everyone throwing gas) of anyone in the playoffs. That's a tough combination to beat.
Joe Lucia
ALCS: Rays over Tigers in 6
NLCS: Braves over Pirates in 5
World Series: Braves over Rays in 6
I said in during a radio interview in August that if Jason Heyward came back healthy from his broken jaw, Atlanta would win the World Series. I'm sticking to that pick, because I think he brings their offense to a new level and makes it tough to contain.
Scott Allen
ALCS: Rays over Athletics in 6
NLCS: Cardinals over Braves in 5
World Series: Rays over Cardinals in 7
Tim Livingston
ALCS: Athletics over Red Sox in 6
NLCS: Cardinals over Dodgers in 6
World Series: Cardinals over Athletics in 5
A's are the best team in the AL from 1-25 but the Cardinals are even better. They have the pitching depth and the offense to really take it to any team that comes out of the AL.
