NL:
WC: Nats over Brewers
-Now, if I were making a tournament bracket, competing against others, I'd go the other way. Why? In a knockout game, really either team can win, but a signficant % of predictions are likely to have the Nats advancing - and, there's no way I'm having the Nats advancing in the next round.
I'm not doing that, I'm just saying "the thing more likely to happen is" and the Nats are easily the better team, with the better arms, and Milwaukee is missing its best player.
NLDS: Braves over Cards
-This is also a coinflip; these teams are really evenly matched, and given there's no way I'm advancing the winner to the WS, what I'd do in a competition is see if the public is heavily leaning Braves and then go Cards. I'm not doing that, I'll take the home team
NLDS: Dodgers over Nats
-The Dodgers are the best team in the NL by a sizeable margin; I think the Nats are second best and so it's not an ideal draw if it works out this way, but it doesn't make sense to pick anyone but LA.
NLCS: Dodgers over Braves
-See that prior discussion. Caveat - anyone can win any short series. If Milwaukee is hoisting the trophy that's not miraculuous, it's baseball.
AL:
WC: A's over Rays
-Picking Oakland, rooting for Oakland to win the whole thing. Outside of the A's, it doesn't much matter to me who wins any of these series', save that I always want the Dodgers to lose every game. But I am here for Oakland to make a run.
ALDS: Yankees over Twins
-I'm super tempted to go the other way; I'm not bothering to look up any of the betting trends, but given the names on the front of the jerseys I have to believe the public is heavily on NYY and this is a far closer matchup than that. But New York is better and I'll pick them.
ALDS: Astros over A's
-Here's where my (spoiler alert) decision to pick the Dodgers to win the whole thing starts to come into focus. I think Houston, by a nose, is the best team in MLB - but the Yankees and A's are better than any of the NL opponents the Dodgers have to get by. So - while I am picking Houston to win the pennant, their route is more frought; if they're knocked off in the ALCS or even knocked off here, I'd be less surprised than if LA lost to anyone in the NL.
ALCS: Astros over Yankees
-As mentioned above
World Series: Los Angeles over Houston
