White Sox, Brewers, Dodgers and more: Ben Verlander's way-too-early MLB playoff picks
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Writer
There is less than a month left in the MLB regular season, and that means it’s time to start talking about the important things in life.
Predictions!
I’m not just talking about your ordinary World Series prediction. I’m talking about predicting every team and every outcome of every series coming up in October.
Nobody said this would be easy. Nobody even said this was necessary. But I'm doing it, and honestly? If I don’t get all of this right, I’ll be shocked.
Let’s go.
NL WILD-CARD GAME
Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers
This one hinges on the fact that I think the Reds are going to edge out the Padres for the final wild-card spot. It comes down to one simple thing: strength of schedule.
The Reds play nine of their remaining games against the Pittsburgh Pirates and new-look Chicago Cubs. The Padres, on the other hand, have 13 games left against the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
But it doesn't really matter. The winner of the second wild card will have to go up against Walker Buehler or Max Scherzer. A tough draw.
PREDICTION: Dodgers
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NL DIVISION SERIES
Atlanta Braves (No. 3 seed) at Milwaukee Brewers (No. 2 seed)
The Braves are going to make the playoffs, but it isn’t going to look like we all thought it would at the beginning of the year. I mean, I predicted the Braves to win the World Series before the season started.
That prediction was a long time ago now, and this Braves team looks nothing like what we saw in spring training.
On the flip side, after the acquisition of Willy Adames from the Tampa Bay Rays in May, the Brewers became one of the best and most complete teams in baseball. I love them in this series.
PREDICTION: Brewers 3-1
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Dodgers (No. 4 seed) at Giants (No. 1 seed)
The Dodgers were expected to be here. The Giants were not.
In the playoffs, experience is huge, and having a manager who has been through it all is vital. L.A. has loads of playoff experience, and Dave Roberts and the Dodgers won it all in 2020. Meanwhile, the Giants’ Gabe Kapler has never managed in the playoffs.
The Giants have been the best team in baseball all season, but the playoffs are a totally different beast. Plus, while San Francisco is no stranger to winning, this team hasn’t been all that good lately.
In this series, I think the Dodgers' firepower will be too much for the Giants to handle.
PREDICTION: Dodgers 4-3
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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Dodgers (4) at Brewers (2)
If there is any team that matches up well with the dominant Dodgers roster, it would be the Brewers. Their starting pitching, their offense, their bullpen — they do it all extremely well.
Nobody wants to face Milwaukee's top three of the rotation of Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta. Then, once you get past the starter, the back end of the bullpen is Devin Williams and Josh Hader. It's pure dominance from the pitcher's mound.
The Dodgers will counter that with a rotation featuring Buehler and Scherzer at the top.
Offensively, the Brewers don’t get the credit they deserve. Adames and Eduardo Escobar were two huge offensive additions acquired via trades this season. They have been staples in that lineup ever since.
This one will be fun, it will be exciting, and there will be a lot of low-scoring baseball games. In the end, I’m taking the Brewers to win the National League pennant.
PREDICTION: Brewers 4-2
AL WILD-CARD GAME
Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees
The Blue Jays are hot, and they're going to jump the Boston Red Sox to grab the final wild-card spot. (The Yankees will rally to reclaim the first.)
Jays-Yankees games have been awesome all season, and the Jays have played very well in New York.
In this one, just like on Opening Day, the Blue Jays are going to come out in their powder blue uniforms and take the winner-take-all game against the Yanks in the Bronx.
PREDICTION: Blue Jays
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AL DIVISION SERIES
Chicago White Sox (No. 3 seed) at Houston Astros (No. 2 seed)
This series is going the distance, and it'll come down to pitching.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better starting rotation in the American League than that of the White Sox. Facing Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodón and Lucas Giolito in a five-game series is just not a fun scenario.
On the flip side, the Astros have been the best offense in baseball this season, but pitching wins in the playoffs.
PREDICTION: White Sox 3-2
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Blue Jays (No. 4 seed) at Tampa Bay Rays (No. 1 seed)
The Blue Jays live and die by their offense — which is great when the offense is rolling.
But the Rays have a way of shutting offenses down, and the Jays don’t have the pitching to compete, especially in the bullpen.
This one won’t be pretty. Toronto will grab one (probably when Robbie Ray starts), but in the end, Tampa Bay will be too much.
PREDICTION: Rays 3-1
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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
White Sox (3) at Rays (1)
I love this White Sox team. I also love this Rays team. These are two incredible lineups that get it done in very different ways.
The White Sox's arms can shut teams down just as well as the Rays' can. Chicago's starting rotation, paired with Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendricks in the back end of the bullpen, makes this team as dangerous as any squad in the playoffs.
But where they really have the advantage is on offense. This season, the White Sox's team batting average is more than 10 points higher than the Rays', and their team OPS is also almost 10 points better.
The Rays are incredible, and there is some magic with that team, but I am sticking with my preseason pick of the White Sox to win the AL pennant.
PREDICTION: White Sox 4-3
WORLD SERIES
Chicago White Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers
These two teams line up perfectly on paper.
The White Sox and Brewers each have a dominant top three of the starting rotation.
They each have a dominant eighth- and ninth-inning reliever.
They each have an exciting lineup.
Without the additions of Adames and Escobar this season, the Brewers wouldn’t be here. Their rotation was always fantastic, but the offense was lacking a bit. Adding those two totally changed the direction for this team this season.
The White Sox weren’t healthy the majority of the year but still put together their best season since 2005, when they won the World Series. Now, the Sox are all back and all healthy, and this lineup is dangerous.
When I attended the Field of Dreams game in Iowa in August and was able to watch the White Sox play, I got the feeling that this is a team of destiny.
I’m standing by that.
From the Field of Dreams to a World Series dream come true: For the first time since 2005, the White Sox are going to be the World Series champs.
PREDICTION: White Sox 4-2
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Mark my words. Or, you know, don’t.
But you'll see. (If I'm wrong, and you don't, pretend you never read this.)
Go White Sox.
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.