Predicting the 2020 MLB Postseason and World Series

By Adam Cheek | Sep 29, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 02: Ryan Zimmerman #11 of the Washington Nationals holds the Commissioner's Trophy during a parade to celebrate the Washington Nationals World Series victory over the Houston Astros on November 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. This is the first World Series win for the Nationals in 95 years. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

The 2020 MLB postseason will be unlike any other that we have seen. How will the playoffs shake out?

It seems only fitting that the 2020 MLB postseason could easily devolve into chaos – whether it’ll be underdogs squeaking out series wins, the Marlins (!) continuing their perfect postseason percentage, or the playoffs culminating in a completely unexpected World Series matchup.

The postseason kicks off on Tuesday (Sept. 29) with four games, followed by eight games each of the two days afterward. Matchups didn’t get fully decided until the final day of the season, with the St. Louis Cardinals clinching a spot and the San Francisco Giants missing the postseason entirely, among others.

Eight teams from each league qualified for October baseball, and the leagues will be split between two states due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The American League will play out their divisional and championship rounds between San Diego and Los Angeles in California, while the National League is isolated in Texas’ cities of Arlington and Houston. Three of the four cities’ teams made the playoffs but all will be playing in the opposite state, given they make the second round – the Texas Rangers were the only outlier, failing to qualify for the postseason. All Wild Card games will be played in the higher-seeded teams’ stadiums.

Everything begins on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with the Astros and Twins facing off in the first game of the postseason at 2 p.m. on ABC.

With that, let’s predict.

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