If the Playoffs Started Today – MLB Week 4

By John in Red Sox ⋅ May 2, 2011 at 3:16pm ⋅ Post a comment

Indians vs Phillies: Week 4's prediction for the World Series

It’s been four weeks, and Boston is still in the division’s cellar, and who would’ve thought the Twins would be MLB’s worst team? After that start, the Rays are back in the conversation for the Wildcard team. The Rangers are starting to slip from their powerful start, and Brandon League has the Mariners just 3.5 games behind them. Maybe this makes David Aardsma tradable? Philly is only half a game ahead of Florida, so they’d better watch out. There’s a lot to think about after April, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Monday, May 2, before the day’s games:

National League

#1 Philadelphia Phillies vs #3 St. Louis Cardinals

Admittedly, the Cardinals are doing better than I thought without Adam Wainwright, and without Albert Pujols living up to his full potential, no less. But Philadelphia‘s pitching staff is still doing extremely well. Much has been made of their starters’ excessive workload, but if you only had to work every fifth day, you’d be well-rested no matter what. With much better depth in their rotation, Philadelphia has the clear edge.

#2 Colorado Rockies vs #W Florida Marlins

Florida is off to their best start in team history, but Colorado is doing identically as well. Josh Johnson is looking like an early, clear Cy Young favorite. But Colorado is off to such a good start with Ubaldo Jimenez and Carlos Gonzalez off to poor starts, especially looking at last year. If those two start producing like you’d expect, it should be enough to tip the scales in Colorado’s favor.

American League

#1 Cleveland Indians vs #W Texas Rangers

Texas started the season good and has since cooled off a little. Cleveland has started good and stayed that way. At 19-8, Cleveland is the best team in the majors, without a real good idea on how such a drastic change came about. But it’s working, and Josh Hamilton is still out with his arm/shoulder injuries. If this lingers at all, Don’t expect Texas to go too deep into October.

#2 New York Yankees vs #3 Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are doing their best to reclaim their division, but the Yankees are right where they always are. The Evil Empire didn’t have slow starts to any of their players which usually have them, and Bartolo Colon has turned into a diamond in the rough. And they have Mo. Look for the Yankees to move on yet again.

What Might Change Next Week:

Both Texas and L.A. have an easier series and a harder series, but the Angels’ easier series is still in Boston. If Texas picks off a game against the Yankees (in Texas), the division is theirs.
If one of those two struggles at all, the Rays should be the one to take advantage.

Tags: Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, MLB Playoffs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers