After six months, the MLB regular season has come to a close. This season has been historic in many aspects. Players such as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been setting records for parking the long ball over nearly every fence in the league, the Minnesota Twins became the first team to ever lose over 100 games in the previous season only to make the playoffs the following year, and the Cleveland Indians racked up a win streak over 2o games. That is only a small sample size of the history made thus far, and it is only the beginning of October. Per usual, ten teams will represent their city on baseball’s biggest stage. Only one of those teams will be standing when the clock strikes midnight on November 2nd, one month from today. There will be six head-to-head match-ups over the course of the next week and a half. Four teams will make it out alive.

AL Wild Card: Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees

The 2017 MLB postseason will make its debut on Tuesday night in the Bronx when the Yankees will find themselves up against the Minnesota Twins, perhaps the most unlikely team to a postseason appearance this year. New York has plenty of young talent to take them deep into the postseason. For years the Yankees have been deemed as the “old team,” with some players in their forties, but a couple of years ago manager and legendary catcher Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman began to work on developing a younger core. Now, in the year 2017, they have developed rookie sensation Aaron Judge into an MVP candidate and other young players such as Gary Sanchez and Clint Frazier into future All-Stars. Neither Girardi or Cashman completely bagged their veteran talent, though; in fact, they added more. Close to the midway point of the season the Yankees added multitalented third baseman Todd Frazier from the Chicago White Sox. Although Frazier does lack some postseason experience, watch for him to be an x-factor for the Yankees if they are to make it deep into the postseason. The Yankees’ pitching staff has been hard to predict all season. Luis Severino will likely get the start for New York in the series opener Tuesday night. Severino, who has maintained a 2.98 ERA this season–better than any other Yankee starter–is their top choice heading into a do-or-die situation. If Severino exits the game with a lead, expect the Yankees to win the ballgame as David Robertson and Aroldis Chapman have traditionally dismantled the Twins at the plate. The only concern regarding their bullpen is Dellin Betances. His control has been weak in the second half of the season and the Twins are lethal on the base paths when they get ducks on the pond.

The Minnesota Twins put the baseball world into a state of shock this season. On April 1st, nobody expected the Twins to be in the playoffs, yet here they are. Right after the 2017 All-Star break, the Twins went on a horrendous losing skid, convincing their manager to trade away their All-Star closer Brendan Kintzler to the Washington Nationals, and also sent a new starting pitcher that they recently acquired from the Braves to the New York Yankees. At that same point, rookie phenom and Gold Glove candidate Byron Buxton, along with Eddie Rosario, Eduardo Escobar, and Jorge Polanco all came out of their shells and began to propel the Twins to the postseason. On top of this, they are making a postseason run without Home Run Derby finalist and All-Star Miguel Sano.  The Twins have truly morphed into a team that has the potential to make it far into the postseason. Pitching for the Twins, however, has been mediocre compared to other teams in the postseason. Ervin Santana will get the start Tuesday night. In 33 games he has a 3.28 ERA and has pitched decently against the Yankees. The Twins’ biggest x-factor in the postseason will be Joe Mauer. He is the only Twin player hitting above .300 and is one of only a few to have any postseason experience.

Tuesday night’s game will be a dogfight, but by the end of it, the Minnesota Twins’ cinderella story will forge on. Ervin Santana will control the Yankees’ bats early allowing the Twins to take the lead while Minnesota’s bullpen will finish them off in the late stages of the game.

Winner: Minnesota Twins

NL Wild Card: Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

The list of unexpected postseason teams continues with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies. Last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks finished the season with a very disappointing record of 69-93 while the Rockies crossed the finish line at 75-87. The tides have turned for both teams this season.

What many people fail to realize is that the Diamondbacks not only finished the year with the best record in the Wild Card round, but they also have a better record than last year’s World Series champion, the Chicago Cubs. They have been able to accomplish this thanks to a handful of players that came back from rough years the season prior. Paul Goldschmidt, who is .001 off from a .300 batting average has really been the centerpiece for the Diamondbacks thus far. The All-Star first baseman has helped some of the team’s younger players develop, such as David Peralta, who is currently batting .293 at the plate combined with a solid year in the outfield. Peralta and Goldschmidt aren’t even the hottest on the Diamondbacks. J.D Martinez, who came over from Detroit at the mid-season mark, has been tearing it up at the plate. Martinez is currently hitting .398 in the past 30 games. Martinez will play the role of the x-factor for Arizona if they can get past the Rockies. My main concern with the D-Backs is their starting pitching depth. Besides Zack Greinke, who gets the start Wednesday, they don’t have the pitchers to freeze some of the Dodgers’ stars at the plate. That much remains to be seen, however. They should be fine against the Rockies tomorrow.

The Colorado Rockies were among the unexpected teams to make it to the postseason this year. Their clinch on Saturday marked the first time they would be making a playoff appearance in eight years. In the last month of regular season play, the Rockies have four hitters batting over the .300 mark, including Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado. Not only have the Rockies been solid at the plate, but they have a tremendous defense to go along with their stellar pitching. Aside from this young team’s lack of postseason experience, the Rockies’ best pitcher is Jon Gray, who is in his third year in the majors. In 20 games (110.1 innings), Gray has posted an ERA of 3.67, which is high for a team’s ace. The Diamondbacks have a lot of offensive potential and if Gray is not at his best, tomorrow night could be long for the Rockies. Charlie Blackmon is the one Rockies player to really keep an eye on. He has provided some serious pop for Colorado and could be the difference maker Wednesday night.

These two teams are very familiar with each other. The Arizona Diamondbacks are 11-8 against the Colorado Rockies this season. Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona will be electric Wednesday night, which will contribute to a Diamondbacks victory over the Rockies. Arizona is the one underdog of the four Wild Card teams that I believe could definitely make their way to the World Series. It all starts with a win tomorrow night.

Winner: Arizona Diamondbacks

ALDS: Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros:

The Houston Astros have been on an emotional roller coaster over the past month. With all the damage that Hurricane Harvey did to the Houston area, the Astros were forced to move a home series to St. Petersburg, Florida. Despite the disaster, the Astros continued to put together what became a 101 win season. Houston can thank their young talent for getting them to this stage. George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman needed to step up to get this team to the postseason, and they did. Correa hit over .300 at the plate and at times has looked like the next Derek Jeter at shortstop. Bregman and Springer have also had productive seasons at the plate and have shined on defense. Those three are only the beginning of what is a World Series-caliber roster. The Astros also have 2nd baseman Jose Altuve, who owns the highest batting average in baseball, and is the unanimous favorite to win MVP. The Astros starting pitchers are among the best in baseball as well. In a late season pickup, Houston acquired veteran Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers. He is yet another reason why the Astros are a convincing team to pick to represent the NL in the World Series. The only flaw the Astros have is their inexperience. The Red Sox are regualrs in postseason play and will be able to handle the playoff atmosphere better than a young Astros ballclub. Other than that, this is a team that could be dangerous in the postseason.

The Boston Red Sox became the last team to win their division when they defeated the Astros last Saturday night. Boston has nowhere near the same offensive numbers that Houston boasts. Still, veteran 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia leads the team with a .293 batting average followed by two of the team’s unlikely stars, Christian Vazquez and Rafael Devers. Their offense isn’t superb, but their defense may be the best in baseball. Houston has a very good pitching staff, but Boston has a better one. Chris Sale, a Cy Young Award candidate, is 17-8 this season qith a 2.90 ERA. Behind him is last year’s Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, who has had yet another solid year. Then there is David Price, who we are unsure will start or primarily serve as a bullpen pitcher. To top things off, closer Craig Kimbrel has 35 saves and has posted a 1.43 ERA. Behind the pitchers are a stacked defense. Outfielders Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi are making a case for Gold Glove awards along with shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Defense is said to win championships. The Red Sox’s defense could carry them to the World Series.

Out of all the match-ups, this may be the toughest to predict. I am going to side with the Boston Red Sox as they have enough offensive power to outscore the Astros, especially if their defense is performing to their full potential. The Red Sox will win the ALDS in four games.

Winner: Boston Red Sox

ALDS: Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins/New York Yankees

How about the turnaround the Cleveland Indians have made this season? After being absolutely shocked last year in game seven of the World Series by the Chicago Cubs–who came back from two games down to win the title–many people thought the Tribe would not be able to rebound from such an immense disappointment. Those people were wrong: Here they are on October 3rd with the second best record in baseball. The Indians got off to a slow start at the beginning of the year in surrendering the division lead to the Minnesota Twins, but shortly before the All-Star break turned on the jets and took command of the division. Then, in the month of September, the Indians made baseball history by winning 22 straight games. They have remained hot ever since and are big favorites to win the World Series. But, they will have to get by the pesky Twins or the highly-powered Yankees, who are two teams that will definitely put up a fight. Jose Ramirez will be one player to keep an eye on for the Indians. During the 22 game win streak, he was hitting over .400 at the plate and had a great glove at 3rd base. Pitching has been a strong suit for the Indians throughout the season as well. I don’t have many concerns at all with the Cleveland Indians besides their home record against the Minnesota Twins. The Indians are 3-6 at home when playing Minnesota at Progressive Field, so if the Twins win tonight, it would definitely make the series more interesting. Regardless of who they play, I am still taking the Indians to advance to the ALCS for the second straight year.

Winner: Cleveland Indians

NLDS: Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals

Its official. The Chicago Cubs avoided a postseason hangover. Barely. Over the past five years, the team that won the World Series has failed to make it to the postseason the following year on each occasion. The Cubs snapped that trend this year by making it to the playoffs. Now they have their eyes set on a repeat, but will have to get through the uber-talented Washington Nationals first in order to do so. The Chicago Cubs have a pretty similar team compared to last year’s postseason roster besides All-Star center fielder Dexter Fowler and closer Aroldis Chapman. Luckily, those gaps have filled very quick. Rising stars Ian Happ and Albert Almora Jr. both had solid years at the plate. In fact, Almora is .002 off from hitting .300. They have also played above par in the outfield. The Cubs filled Chapman’s vacant closer rle with Wade Davis in the offseason, and although he hasn’t been as good as Chapman was, Davis was the lone Cub to make an All-Star appearance this year and Joe Maddon will be relying on him in the late innings against the Nationals. The addition of White Sox ace Jose Quintana was also a key moment in the Cubs’ season. Quintana is 7-3 this season and is just another piece of Chicago’s epic rotation that features Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, John Lackey and Kyle Hendricks. Let’s be honest: This is not the same Cubs team we saw a year ago win the World Series. That said, we’ve seen this team’s potential. If there is one team in the postseason that has experience and knows how to pick each other up when times get tough, it’s the Chicago Cubs.

The Nationals became the first team to clinch way back in September allowing manager Dusty Baker and the rest of the Nationals team to enjoy the ride to the end of the season while preparing for the games that really matter in October. The immediate concern with the Nationals is their former MVP Bryce Harper. After suffering a scary leg injury back in mid August, Washington feared that he would be out for the rest of the season (including the playoffs.) Harper made a return in the final games of the regular season, but has clearly not been playing at his full potential. Baker said that there is not really a time table for Harper’s full return. Bryce Harper is hitting .319 this season and has a .413 on-base-percentage. This will be a huge blow for the Nationals if he can not perform at his best in the postseason. Veteran 2nd baseman Daniel Murphy has one of the highest batting averages in baseball at .322 and haunted the Cubs in a Mets uniform in 2015. His leadership and experience makes him the x-factor for the Nationals as he will need to step up in the absence of Bryce Harper.

The Nationals’ injuries don’t stop there. Ace starting pitcher Max Scherzer is questionable due to a hamstring injury. Luckily Stephen Strasburg, who comes after Scherzer in Washington’s rotation, has been dealing. The Nationals also traded for Minnesota Twins All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler midway through the season, who has played a huge roll in the Nationals bullpen. If Scherzer can get healthy before the series against Chicago, their pitching could really help them make it to the NLCS.

Just like the Cubs, the Nationals are no stranger to the postseason. This series should be very entertaining and will likely take four or five games to determine a winner. When the series is all said and done, the Cubs will make their second straight appearance in the NLCS. The Nationals are not a healthy team right now. If they were, my beliefs would be different. The Cubs will take advantage of the Nationals injuries and will move one step closer to repeating as World Series champions.

Winner: Chicago Cubs

NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks/Colorado Rockies

The Los Angeles Dodgers have had the strangest season this year in the entire MLB. Up until August the Dodgers were on pace to break regular season records and be easy favorites to win the World Series. However, in the month of September they went 12-17, including an 11-game losing streak. The Dodgers still maintained the best record in baseball, but are now coming into the postseason looking like a team that doesn’t even deserve to be there. Granted, this could all change in the matter of a few games as we have seen with this talented Dodgers roster. The have the hitters, pitchers, infield and outfield that can definitely make a case for being one of the two teams left at the end of October, but they need to get hot like they did earlier in the season. Justin Turner will be the x-factor for Los Angeles. He has one of the best batting averages in baseball and has played well at 3rd. He will also play a key role in the clubhouse helping the more inexperienced players like rising star Cody Bellinger adapt to the postseason atmosphere.

The Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff has had its ups and downs. Clayton Kershaw has been mediocre in the postseason and will need to step it up against the NL Wild card team. Rich Hill has thrown some gems this season and will need to perform at that level in the postseason to get his team to the NLCS. Yu Darvish, who was a late season pick-up from the Texas Rangers, also needs to be at his best after a rough 10-12 season. If the Dodgers can head to the 8th or 9th with the lead in any game, you can almost assume that the game is over. Closer Kenley Jansen has been dominant this season and will no doubt will continue to be in the playoffs.

No matter who wins the NL Wild Card game, the Los Angeles Dodgers will face off against a team from their own division, which is not necessarily a good thing. They went 8-11 this year against the Diamondbacks and 9-10 against the Rockies. Winning the Wild Card game will provide a huge boost in momentum for either club and the fact that both teams are so familiar with the Dodgers and have winning records against them is not good for Los Angeles fans. Wild Card teams are no stranger to upsetting #1 seeds. Last season the Toronto Blue Jays upset the #1 Texas Rangers. Three years ago the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants, who both came out of Wild Card games, made it to the World Series. This year I am taking the Diamondbacks over the Dodgers, and if the Diamondbacks fail to win tomorrow night, I am just as confident that the Rockies will upset the Dodgers as well. 

Winner: Arizona Diamondbacks.

This year’s postseason will be historic. There are so many unanswered questions that will find themselves rendered in the coming week. My prediction for the ALCS will be the Red Sox vs. the Indians and the NLCS will feature the Diamondbacks vs. Cubs. Besides the Indians, none of those teams are favorites to win the World Series, but in order to predict the MLB postseason, you need to expect the unexpected. Buckle up–this next month of baseball will certainly be a wild ride.