Postseason Predictions

By Dalton Del Don

NL MVP – Albert Pujols

I know, what a boring pick. Still, Albert the Great has only won one MVP award thus far in his career, which is hard to believe. He’s likely to be pitched around more frequently this year, and he bats in the weakest lineup off all other contenders. Jose Reyes could be one of those contenders, as could Miguel Cabrera if Florida hangs around the playoff picture long enough. Barry Bonds is a dark horse candidate, but San Francisco is more likely to finish in last place than they are first. Ryan Howard can’t be discounted as a possible repeat winner, especially since the media love home runs. In the end, Pujols wins it.

NL Cy Young – Jake Peavy

Chris Carpenter is probably the favorite entering the year, as he has shown good durability and has a terrific defense playing behind him. Carlos Zambrano is pitching for a big contract, and if he can improve his walk rate, this award could follow. Ben Sheets, John Smoltz, Brett Myers and Cole Hamels are all threats as well, but Jake Peavy ultimately beats them out for the hardware.

NL ROY – Chris B. Young

Fellow teammate Stephen Drew is a challenger, especially since he’s the one that won the leadoff spot in the order. Kevin Kouzmanoff is a legitimate contender as well, and if Tim Lincecum gets an early call up, he has the stuff to make an immediate impact. Young, however, can take advantage of hitting at Chase Field and approach a 20/20 campaign.

AL MVP – Travis Hafner

The Yankees employ about five candidates and of course Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz figure to be in the picture. Vladimir Guerrero could stand out as a playoff-bound team’s clear top hitter, and Grady Sizemore might throw his name into the balloting as well. When Cleveland ends the season on top of a highly competitive division, hopefully voters can look past the DH role and mark down Hafner’s name. Quietly, he’s one of baseball’s very best hitters.

AL Cy Young – Johan Santana

Trying not to be too Captain Obvious with these picks is one thing, not choosing Santana to take home the AL hardware is another. Although pitching for a likely fourth place finishing team could really hamper his chances. Felix Hernandez, Rich Harden, Roy Halladay and C.C. Sabathia are the only guys I see as alternatives.

AL ROY – Daisuke Matsuzaka

There are far stronger options in the AL than the NL this year when it comes to first-year players. Namely, three legitimate options in Dice-K, Alex Gordon and Delmon Young. One must have fewer than 130 at-bats the previous season to qualify for ROY, so you better believe Tampa Bay realized this when Young finished with 126 at-bats last season. As good as Alex “The Hammer” Gordon is, and I think he might actually have the most long-term potential out of the three, Young is my pick as the runner-up. Which brings us back to Dice-K, whom I didn’t go crazy with in my fantasy rankings this year. Despite currently dealing with arm fatigue, Matsuzaka proved difficult to hit this spring, allowing just 11 hits over 21 1/3 innings. His control will come around. While pitching in the AL East should make an ERA better than 3.50 unlikely, 15-18 wins and a strong WHIP are both reachable for the future AL Rookie of the Year.

Here’s a recap of my divisional previews, followed by my postseason predictions:

NL West
1. San Diego Padres
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Colorado Rockies

NL East
1. New York Mets
2. Atlanta Braves (Wild Card Winner)
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Florida Marlins
5. Washington Nationals

NL Central
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Houston Astros
5. Cincinnati Reds
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

AL West
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Oakland A’s
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Texas Rangers

AL East
1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox (Wild Card Winner)
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays

AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Kansas City Royals

NLDS – Mets over Padres, Cardinals over Braves
ALDS – Yankees over Indians, Red Sox over Angels

NLCS – Mets over Cardinals
ALCS – Yankees over Red Sox

World Series – Yankees over Mets