Not so long ago, we were waiting for the start of this campaign hoping that the labor dispute that reigned at that time would not continue unnecessarily. But as in every season, time passes much too quickly and here we are already at the dawn of the playoffs.
So that means it’s now time to get wet. Without further ado, here are our columnists’ predictions.
Seattle Mariners v. Toronto Blue Jays
Antoine: Blue Jays in 3. It will be a very interesting series between the two teams, but the strike force of the Blue Jays will surpass that of the Mariners.
Charles-Alexis: Blue Jays in 3. The Torontonians’ offense and home field advantage will make the difference.
Félix: Mariners in 3. The rotation of the Mariners will get the better of the Jays, who will however deliver a good opposition.
Jean-François: Mariners in 3. Luis Castillo will steal the first game of the series and Seattle will narrowly win the ultimate game.
Maxime: Blue Jays in 2. Home-field advantage will be paramount in this series, as the Jays have played away from home for so long since the pandemic. It will invigorate them.
Pascal: Blue Jays in 3. The Jays will carry their energy in the playoffs, but beware of too much confidence.
Pierre-Olivier: Blue Jays in 2. Too bad one of the clubs involved will already have to pack up in the playoffs. The energy of Rogers Center will be the big factor.
Raphael: Blue Jays in 2. First time the playoffs will play in Toronto since 2016, the crowd will help them.
Sébastien B.: Mariners in 3. Alek Manoah will win his match, but it will be the only one in the Jays’ camp.
Sébastien T.: Mariners in 3. I have the impression that we see these Blue Jays always more beautiful than they are. Two teams learning from the playoffs, the crumbly bullpen of the Jays will allow the Mariners to create a surprise.
Tampa Bay Rays v. Cleveland Guardians
Antoine: Guardians in 3. Interesting series that will be played in the last rounds for each meeting, in my opinion. Advantage Guardians on the enclosure, among others, with Emmanuel Clase.
Charles-Alexis: Guardians in 3. Both teams are underrated, but Guardians pitchers will get the job done.
Felix: Guardians in 3. The youth of the Guardians will have the upper hand against a Rays team very affected by injuries.
Jean-François: Rays in 2. Can’t bet against Kevin Cash in the playoffs.
Maxime: Guardians in 3. The leaders of the Guardians will rise up and make the difference.
Pascal: Rays in 3. Kevin Cash certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve and it is the Guardians who will be the first to be surprised.
Pierre-Olivier: Guardians in 3. Tyler Glasnow will inject an energy boost into the Rays, but Cleveland has a better batting staff to counter Tampa Bay.
Raphael: Rays in 3. The team’s playoff experience will propel them to victory.
Sébastien B.: Guardians in 3. The old wolf that is Terry Francona will find a way to beat the tough Rays.
Sébastien T.: Guardians in 3. A series that I would have liked to see featured in a best-of-5. Two underrated forces, two fairly similar schools of thought, but a little extra for the Guardians for their current form.
Philadelphia Phillies v. St. Louis Cardinals
Antoine: Cardinals in 2. A whole series for the Cardinals. At bat and on the mound, they will defeat the Phillies.
Charles-Alexis: Cardinals in 3. The club still has some magic in store.
Félix: Cardinals in 2. After a terrible end to the season, the Phillies’ fall run will be very short-lived.
Jean-François: Cardinals in 2. Goldschmidt and Arenado are on a mission and they will have the upper hand over the Phillies easily.
Maxime: Cardinals in 3. There is something magical about the Cards of 2022. The beautiful story cannot simply end in a wild card.
Pascal: Cardinals in 2. No, the fairy tale is not over in St. Louis and the Phillies will quickly realize it.
Pierre-Olivier: Cardinals in 3. Saint-Louis will be the team of destiny in these series. The Phillies are a good team, but too fickle to go a long way.
Raphael: Cardinals in 2. St-Louis will be motivated to win for Pujols and Molina.
Sébastien B.: Cardinals in 2. The Phillies’ porous defense and lack of depth on the mound will cost them a place in the Division Series.
Sébastien T.: Cardinals in 2. The Cardinals are simply stronger and more complete than the Phillies who qualified for the playoffs by a mouse hole.
San Diego Padres v. New York food
Antoine: Put in 2. In the short term, in this style of series, they will be able to defeat the Padres. Deprived of Mike Clevinger, it will be difficult for San Diego. They should not be counted as beaten.
Charles-Alexis: Put in 3. The big pitchers of the club will do their job.
Felix: Padres in 3. The Mets have lost momentum and if one of their two aces drops his game, the Padres will jump at the chance.
Jean-François: Padres in 3. Juan Soto will give nightmares to the poor Mets.
Maxime: Put in 2. The pitchers of the Mets and all the negative around the Padres will get the better of them.
Pascal: Mets in 2. The Padres have experienced too many emotions in 2022 and the Mets will want to forget the last moments of the season.
Pierre-Olivier: Put in 2. New York is still counting on deGrom and Scherzer to bring it to life in a short series.
Raphael: Put in 3. The Padres are not their level.
Sébastien B.: Put in 2. The Mets’ two-headed monster will get the better of the Padres’ sticks.
Sébastien T.: Padres in 2. Scherzer and deGrom are human. Proof of that is their last outings (and not just the one against the Braves), and the Mets are flying with a broken wing. The Padres will pass without dominating, but without shaking.
World Series
Our columnists also saw beyond the end of their noses and weighed in on the finalists and the champion of the next World Series.
We can see that the Braves start as favorites to repeat their exploits of last year, just ahead of the Dodgers, Blue Jays and Yankees. The Cards could also work their way to the end if all the pieces fall into place. Either way, we’ll be treated to quite a show.
With that, good series!
