MLB playoff preview: does your team have a realistic shot?

Justin Saks / Staff Writer / The USD Vista

With the arrival of October it only means one thing, and it is not Halloween. After six grueling months, 162 games (163 for two teams) and 27 trades, the MLB post-season is finally upon us. Before looking at the four match-ups for the first round, let’s take a quick look at some teams that didn’t make it.

The playoffs will look different for the first time in 13 years because it will not feature the New York Yankees. Despite a payroll just shy of $210 million, a team full of all-star caliber players, their final season at historic Yankee Stadium and a new manager, the Yankees were unable to win enough games to qualify for postseason play.

The New York Mets made history by becoming the first team for two straight seasons to lose their final game of the year, eliminating them from playoff contention. This year’s collapse wasn’t as colossal as last year’s, but with the addition of Johan Santana and a payroll over $135 million, it would be an understatement to say this team underperformed.

After the first month of the season, the Diamondbacks led the Major League in wins. They were 20-8 and had a five game lead in their division. No other first place team had a lead of even two games. Despite this good start and a talented team, they were unable to hold off the resurgent, Manny Ramirez-powered, Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West title.

The Detroit Tigers probably made the biggest splash in the off-season with their acquisition of both Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins. Many experts picked the Tigers to not only make the playoffs but to go to the World Series. The Tigers got off to a putrid start and were unable to recover. This left both them and their $137 million payroll at home for October baseball.

Finally, probably the most devastating of all the teams not making the playoffs is the Minnesota Twins. After 162 games of baseball there was a dead tie for first place in the American League Central. The one game playoff between the White Sox and the Minnesota Twins determined what team would advance the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Twins, it was the White Sox who advanced to postseason play. Now, lets take a look at these four first round, best of five, playoff series.

With their victory in the 163rd game of the season, the White Sox won the right to play against the surprising AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays. A casual baseball fan would be shocked to see that the Rays won the division that has been dominated for over the past decade by the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, but this really comes at no surprise. After countless losing seasons, and high draft picks, the Rays stockpiled a bunch of young talent and they are finally seeing results. The Rays are a young, athletic team that can hit for power and put runs up. Their pitching staff has been solid throughout the season and should hold up in the playoffs. The White Sox were a surprise team to win the Central, but they just don’t have enough to beat the Rays. The Rays will win in four games.

The other AL match-up is by far the best series in the first round. It features the number one team in MLB this year in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim against the defending champion Boston Red Sox. This series will feature both offense and pitching from both teams. Despite the success the Red Sox have had since their acquisition of Jason Bay, it won’t be enough to win against the Angels. The Angels will take the series in five games, using their home-field to their advantage.

In the National League, the first series is between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers clinched the wild card on the last day of the season with their victory and the Mets loss. With their midseason acquisition of CC Sabathia and a talented young infield, this team seems to have the tools to win. The Phillies have a lot of talent themselves and will not go away easily. Their lineup includes the Major League home run leader in Ryan Howard and last years MVP Jimmy Rollins. Despite these dangerous players, the Brewers young talent will steal the show and win in five games.

The final series is the one between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The last time the Cubs won the World Series was in 1908, and people have been riding the Cubs bandwagon all season long. The Cubbies are a fundamentally sound team and have the talent and coaching staff that could take them to the World Series. They will have to get through Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers first. The Dodgers have been inconsistent all year in their pitching staff and they struggle to put up runs. Having Manny Ramirez in their lineup makes them a threat not only because of him, but how he makes the players around him better. To the surprise of many, the Dodgers will win the series in four.