The Hunt for the World Series begins

Michael Lyday & Adam Mancini
Staff Writers

As the 2013 Major League Baseball Season winds down, it is time to start thinking about the playoffs. This is the second year that will feature two wild cards instead of one, a new rule enacted last season by the MLB. The two wild card teams face off in a one game playoff, with the winner advancing to meet the top seeded team in the Division Series. Michael Lyday and Adam Mancini will give their best guesses as to who will win each division and who will win the World Series.

American League

EAST

Adam: Boston Red Sox. Boston currently holds a nine game lead over the second place Tampa Bay Rays, an almost insurmountable number of wins. The Red Sox have played great baseball all year and currently boast the best record in the MLB.

Michael: Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox have put together a great season and have pretty much locked up the AL East. It looks like the Red Sox have finally gotten over the hangover from Bobby Valentine’s short stint as manager.

CENTRAL

Adam: Detroit Tigers. Detroit has a five game lead in the division over the Cleveland Indians, and look primed for a nice playoff run. Led by slugging third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitching staff ace Max Scherzer, the Tigers look nearly unstoppable.

Michael: Detroit Tigers. Detroit is fighting the Cleveland Indians for the division, but the Tigers have a better road record than the Indians, and the season ends on the road for both teams.

WEST

Adam: Oakland Athletics. For a long time, the American League West looked like a tossup between Oakland and the Texas Rangers. However, the Rangers are 1-9 over their last ten games, compared to an 8-2 record for the A’s. As a result, Oakland holds a six and a half game lead over Texas in the division. The hit movie Moneyball was based on Oakland’s general manager, Billy Beane, and his number crunching ways continue to find success for the team.

Michael: Oakland Athletics. In their past ten games, Oakland is 8-2 compared to second place Texas who has gone just 1-9.

WILD CARD

Adam: Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays. The race for the two wild cards will be the most exciting storyline in the MLB as the season winds down. Six teams can realistically get the final two playoff spots, but Cleveland and Tampa Bay appear to be the favorites. The Rangers are reeling and will most likely drop out of the final wild card spot in the coming weeks, with the Indians taking their spot.

Michael: Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays. The Royals are currently in a series with the Indians which they should do well in. If the Royals win they will get an edge on them. After that, they only play one team with a winning record, the slumping Texas Rangers. Both of these teams are very good, but are victims of strong divisions. Hopefully we will be able to see some frustrations vented in a great game.

National League

EAST

Adam: Atlanta Braves. The Braves have nearly clinched the National League East already, and the team has enjoyed great success led by an underrated pitching staff and an extremely talented outfield. Young shortstop Andrelton Simmons has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves this season, and he, along with a top notch pitching staff, is a large part of the reason for Atlanta’s success.

Michael: Atlanta Braves. Atlanta has a lock on their division as the disappointing Washington Nationals have failed to challenge them despite their weak division.

CENTRAL

Adam: St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are currently a game ahead of the surging Pittsburgh Pirates for the lead in the NL Central, but I believe the Cardinals have the necessary experience to win the division in the closing weeks.

Michael: Pittsburgh Pirates. This is the season that Pirates fans have waited decades for. This season will not only be their first winning one since 1992, it will also come with winning the division and a playoff berth thanks to their weaker schedule than their competitors, the Cardinals.

WEST

Adam: Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers big offseason spending finally paid off this season, as the team sits in first place in the NL West with a huge lead. Young phenom Yasiel Puig and pitching ace Clayton Kershaw have carried the Dodgers to success this season, along with a star-studded starting lineup.

Michael: Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are essentially the Red Sox of the west. They have gone through adversity in the past few years with their financial troubles and their former owners’ high profile divorce, but they have managed to lock down their division and look to go deep into the postseason.

WILD CARD

Adam: Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds. The dominant NL Central has produced three scary playoff teams this season in the Reds, Pirates, and Cardinals. All three teams could still win the division and all of them figure to make an impact in the postseason.

Michael: St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. The National League Central was certainly the stiffest competition this whole season, with the Reds, Cardinals, and Pirates all in the race for the division. The Pirates will win that division, leaving the Cards and the Reds to battle it out in the Wild Card.

WORLD SERIES

Adam: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox in six games. The Cardinals will enter the playoffs on a hot streak, winning seven of their last ten games. The Red Sox will enter equally as hot and rested, but the Cardinals’ experience advantage will allow them to prevail in six games, behind an underrated starting lineup and a shutdown pitching staff led by Adam Wainwright. Overall the Cardinals will simply out play Boston and win the World Series.

Michael: Detroit beats St. Louis in seven games. With Detroit’s pitching, featuring three aces in Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Anibal Sanchez, nobody will be able to score any runs to keep up with their offense. The Cardinals have been there and done that in the toughest division in baseball, so they should be able to advance to the series. They will be able to compete with Detroit and take the series to seven games, but will not be able to win                                                 .