Fearless Baseball Playoff Predictions

By Nick Meyer
Associated Content

American League

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:
This will be a hard-fought series and a lot will hinge on the health of Manny Ramirez for the Red Sox. But Vladimir Guerrero is even more important to the Angels than Manny is to the Red Sox and he has been ailing with an inflamed triceps muscle. Gary Matthews, Jr. is only hurting for the Angels as well and they don't have a ton of depth in their lineup. Both of these teams are kind of running on fumes right now but the Red Sox should pull this one out in 5 games.

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians:
The Yankees were 6-0 against the Indians in the regular season, but this series will be much tougher. Both teams played incredibly well coming down the stretch so this should be a close series. In the end, Cleveland's superior starting pitching will win out 5 games in as New York's rotation remains unsettled. The Indians also have a much better bullpen. A-Rod still has plenty to prove in the post-season and I expect his production to slip again this time.

ALCS:
Indians over Red Sox in 6 games

National League:

Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks:

The Cubs have a powerful lineup but their pitching depth is a bit shaky. Arizona's pitching is superior but they might have a hard time scoring enough runs to beat the Cubs. The Cubs win this one in 4.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies:
Both teams have a lot of momentum in this intriguing series between two playoff newcomers. Ryan Howard's timely home runs and Jimmy Rollins' versatility should be enough to push the Phillies over the top in 5 games.

NLCS:
Cubs over Phillies in 6 games

World Series:
Indians over Cubs in 5 games