That’s it: starting this afternoon, the divisional series will get under way in major league baseball. All eight teams will be in action today.
Here is the portrait of the series at the moment.
At Passion MLB, we played the game of predictions. The team was surveyed and here are, in the end, our team’s predictions.
I made mine on Twitter, but I’ll let the rest of the team detail their picks for you.
Astros vs. Mariners
Sebastien Berrouard : Astros in 5. The momentum acquired in the series against the Blue Jays will allow the Mariners to push the series to the limit.
Raphael Simard : Astros in 4. The Astros are just too strong.
Antoine Desrosiers : Mariners in 5. I want to believe that the Mariners can be the Cinderella team, even if it will not be easy against the experienced pitchers of the Astros.
Sebastien Tabary : Astros in 4. If the Blue Jays were well within reach of the M’s, playing the Astros will be a whole different ball game for the Seattle gang. They will have their chances, but the Astros will go through experience.
Pascal Harvey : Astros in 4. The men of Scott Servais will lack solutions against the Astros tailor-made for the playoffs.
Felix Forget : Astros in 4. In a duel between two excellent rotations, it is the superior alignment of the Astros who will finish at the top.
Maxim Trudeau : Astros in 4. The Astros have a whole ball club, without making waves. I give a victory at home for Seattle, but nothing more.
Daniel Birru : Astros in 3. Despite the Mariners pitching, the Astros offense will be too powerful for them.
Pierre-Olivier Poulin : Astros in 3. The victory in Toronto was nice, but the Astros are a whole different machine. With Verlander and Valdez rested to face, this will be one hell of a command for the Mariners.
Yankees vs. Guardians
Sebastien Berrouard : Yankees at 4. Yankees pitchers will continue to silence the anemic Guardians offense.
Raphael Simard : Yankees in 5. the Guardians will have stood up to the powerful Yankees, but the New York strike force will save them.
Antoine Desrosiers : Yankees in 4. With all due respect to the Rays, it will not be the same challenge for the Guardians against the Yankees.
Sebastien Tabary : Guardians in 5. I said it from the beginning, the Guardians are not to be taken lightly. They have things the Yankees don’t have and will win the series in five games, but indisputably.
Pascal Harvey : Guardians in 5. Watch out for the Guardians, who don’t end up there by accident. A balanced offense and good pitchers will defeat Aaron Judge and the Yankees.
Felix Forget : Yankees in 4. An Aaron Judge who no longer has to worry about the history books will make short work of the young Guardians.
Maxim Trudeau : Yankees in 4. The Yankees have Cleveland’s serial number. I don’t see that changing this season.
Daniel Birru : Yankees in 5. The series will be tight, but the Bronx Bombers will emerge victorious.
Pierre-Olivier Poulin : Guardians in 5. The Guardians have proven that they can neutralize an attack thanks to their launchers. Just avoid Aaron Judge and the odds of winning increase tremendously.
Dodgers vs. Padres
Sebastien Berrouard : Dodgers in 5. The experience of the Dodgers will make the difference in a hard-fought series.
Raphael Simard : Dodgers in 3. Is there really a team that can beat them?
Antoine Desrosiers : Dodgers in 4. The Padres played quite a tour de force in disposing of the Mets. However, it won’t be that simple against the Dodgers. They can, however, win a game.
Sebastien Tabary : Dodgers in 4. In the season, the Dodgers have dominated in almost every direct confrontation and that will not change so much for this series. That said, the Padres will go for at least one game.
Pascal Harvey : Dodgers in 4. The rivalry between the two teams carries over to the playoffs, but quite honestly, I don’t see how the Padres will be able to compete with their rivals.
Felix Forget : Dodgers in 3. The Padres’ inferiority complex against the Dodgers will manifest itself once again.
Maxim Trudeau : Dodgers in 5. Hotly contested series between two division clubs, but the skill and experience of the Dodgers will be the difference in the ultimate game.
Daniel Birru : Dodgers in 4. The strike force of the Dodgers will not allow the Padres to have the upper hand on their rivals.
Pierre-Olivier Poulin : Dodgers in 4. Beating a 100-win team is one thing, beating the Dodgers is another. San Diego has won just seven of 19 meetings against its division rival in 2022.
Braves vs. Phillies
Sebastien Berrouard : Braves in 4. The Phillies will face much better opposition.
Raphael Simard : Braves in 4. I expect another duel between the Dodgers and them in the championship series.
Antoine Desrosiers : Braves in 3. I think the Phillies have played luck enough. The Braves will get their ticket to the championship series because of their team’s advantage in several aspects, including succession and playoff experience.
Sebastien Tabary : Braves in 4. I do not see the Braves trembling against a team that is certainly good, but overall of a lower level than theirs, and this, in all compartments of the game.
Pascal Harvey : Braves in 5. The Braves do not have many weaknesses and they can more easily bring out those of their opponents, who will have to surpass themselves again.
Felix Forget : Braves in 5. The Phillies will deliver a very good opposition, but the Braves will win in extremis in the last game.
Maxim Trudeau : Braves in 5. The Phillies will be tenacious until the end. On the other hand, the reigning champions will be able to win the decisive match by their fabric.
Daniel Birru : Braves in 4. It will be a duel of pitchers during which the Braves will have the upper hand.
Pierre-Olivier Poulin : Braves in 4. The best team in the Majors will be quite a client for the Phillies. The rest of the rotation will need to get up behind Wheeler and Nola.
Clearly, the tightest series, in the eyes of our columnists, will be that of the Yankees and the Guardians. I actually hesitated a bit on that one.
But otherwise? The favorites should, according to our team, move on to the championship series.
