With only a few hours left until the first pitch, it's time to discuss the National League. Of the five teams representing the National League this year, only one is a surprise, that of course being the Washington Nationals, who got there by having one of the best pitching staffs in the league all season, as well as some good hitting in the latter half of the season when their lineup got healthier. While the Nationals will be without Stephen Strausburg, they still have a very solid starting pitching rotation with Gonzalez, Zimmerman, Detwiler and Jackson. The Nationals were a very energetic team all season, refusing to go down without a fight every step of the way. Near the end however, they appear to be somewhat limping into the Playoffs having lost 11 or their last 20 games. They will face either the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals or division rival Atlanta Braves.
The Cardinals, who won the world series last year are led by a very health lineup, travel to the Braves, who have a very healthy pitching rotation. In the Playoffs there are two constants: First and foremost, defense matters. Secondly, the Braves have a poor playoff history. While the Braves have a great pitching staff, they are known for not being key in the clutch when they need it the most, the playoffs. With that in mind, the Braves starting pitcher is the right man for the job, as the Braves have won the last 22 games he's started. But given how both are playing at the moment, along with how things played out last year, I believe the Cardinals are still the favorites here to move along and face Washington.
The other second round series is all about pitching. Cincinnati and San Francisco are all about their pitching rotation. While I'm not entirely sure who wins this battle, the fact that San Francisco has the first two games at home is a huge advantage for them, especially since there is no play-in game for either club. The Reds are still the favorites in the series though, since they have similar play styles, but the Reds have a better rotation for the remainder of the playoffs.
Predictions
Wild Card Round: St. Louis over Atlanta
Second Round: Cincinnati over San Francisco, Washington over St. Louis
Divisional Round: Washington over Cincinnati
The reason I choose Washington over Cincinnati, if they should meet, comes down to the individual team matchup. Even when the Nationals were a bad team 3 years ago, they have always had a consistently good record against the Reds. I feel this trend will continue here. Alright, that's it for my Playoff preview of both leagues. Let's hope nothing controversial happens!
