If the Playoffs Started Today – MLB Week 5

By John in MLB, Red Sox ⋅ May 10, 2012 at 5:30pm ⋅ Post a comment

Rangers vs Cardinals: Week 5's prediction for the World Series

After another week, there’s been some shifting. The Mets and Braves are opening a bit of space for themselves in the Wildcard race, while the Blue Jays are still trying to maintain their final spot. There’s more competition for the #1 spots, which is sure to make things fun. A few division have entertaining races for the lead as well, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Thursday, May 10 at 5:30pm:

National League

#1 St. Louis Cardinals

Behind a four-game winning streak, the Cardinals are right back in the race for #1. They’ve gotten good pitching even without Chris Carpenter, and they’re about to get Lance Berkman back. If the Cardinals can keep things going like this, they’ll be a tough out.

#2 Los Angeles Dodgers vs #3 Washington Nationals

The Nationals have lost three in a row, and haven’t done too well on the road so far. Not that the Dodgers have been impressive themselves, but they have Clayton Kershaw leading the pitching staff and triple crown contender Matt Kemp leading the offense, they have good potential.

#W1 Atlanta Braves vs #W2 New York Mets

The Braves have a recent sweep of Colorado, but have been hit or miss lately otherwise. The Mets have turned things around with five straight wins, including wins in games started by Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. With both teams in position to overtake Washington, New York has the momentum on their side.

American League

#1 Texas Rangers

Texas is back at #1 despite not playing to the best of their abilities as of late. But they still have a killer pitching staff and triple crown contender Josh Hamilton. They won’t go down easily.

#2 Tampa Bay Rays vs #3 Cleveland Indians

The Rays have been very difficult this season. They’re an MLB-best 13-3 at home, which is bad news, even though Cleveland is 9-3 on the road. Tampa has a greater overall balance of talent, so they definitely have the potential to make a deep run.

#W1 Baltimore Orioles vs #W2 Toronto Blue Jays

The Orioles have lost two in a row (to Texas, though), but are still half a game behind Tampa. The Blue Jays just broke a three-game losing streak, which followed a four-game winning streak. The Orioles have done very well overall, and their 11-5 road record doesn’t hurt either.

What Might Change Next Week:

With Baltimore hosing Tampa, the Os have a decent chance to take the division.
With the Dodgers and Cardinals tied, the Braves (@ Cardinals) should help the Dodgers regain #1 outright.

Tags: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB Playoffs, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals