2021 MLB Postseason Preview

By Peyton Schultze

The Dodgers’ elite middle infield duo of Corey Seager and Trea Turner could be major factors in the Dodgers’ quest for back-to-back titles (via The Athletic).

After 162 enticing regular season games, including one final Sunday stretch that had baseball fans on their toes from beginning to end, the 2021 MLB Postseason is finally here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers once again enter the playoffs as defending champions and likely favorites, but they have some legitimate contenders in their way that could easily end their hopes at the snap of a finger. Can the NL West-winning Giants power past their longtime foes for their fourth title in the past decade? Can the Rays recover from last year’s disappointment to capture their first championship in franchise history? Will the Yankees find a way to overcome their inconsistencies in 2021 to get back to the World Series for the first time in over 10 years? Or will the Astros silence their doubters and power through the American League to reach yet another World Series?

With that said, we look at each postseason partipcant in this year’s crop, featuring our team-by-team x-factors and postseason predictions for one of the most wonderful times of the year in all of sports.

National League

National League Central Champion: Milwaukee Brewers

Corbin Burnes may be the best pitcher in baseball this season, but he is one of three outstanding options that Milwaukee will deploy at the top of their rotation (via CBS Sports).

Always one of the least talked about teams in all of baseball despite their winning ways in recent memory, manager Craig Counsell has once again found a way to propel Milwaukee back into the playoffs in what could be a breakthrough year for the organization. With some huge pitching pieces in place and some prior October experience on their platter, could this be the year that the Brewers finally find a way to get back to the Fall Classic?

The NL Central race was really never much of a race to begin with despite a late surge from the Cardinals, which could spell a bit of a concern for the team in terms of rust in the NLDS. But these concerns remain especially relevant for a lineup that has dealt with a ton of adjustments over the course of the year and has had some real struggles at the plate with regulars such as Lorenzo Cain, Luis Urias, and Avisail Garcia. Shortstop Willy Adames was a perfect addition that has sparked this lineup all year long and may be the true MVP of this lineup in the 2021 season, but typically-reliable bats such as Christian Yelich, Eduardo Escobar, and Kolten Wong will need to wake up in the postseason if this team has intentions of a World Series appearance.

Yet the Brewers, in serious contrast to some of their winning formulas in year’s past, may have the best starting rotation in all of baseball entering the postseason. Rather than turning to bullpen arms such as Josh Hader and Brad Boxberger as they may have done in year’s past, Milwaukee will run out three elite starters with NL Cy Young contender Corbin Burnes, the increasingly dominant Brandon Woodruff, and 2021 standout Freddy Peralta. This trio gives Milwaukee a key advantage over nearly any other team they’ll face in this year’s postseason, even the Dodgers and the Giants, which could put them right at the top of the World Series picture. This could certainly be a championship season in Wisconsin, and National League teams should be worried about the potential of the Brew Crew if their offense can find a way to get hot.

X-Factor Pitcher: Freddy Peralta

X-Factor Hitter: Christian Yelich

National League East Champion: Atlanta Braves

Max Fried has been incredible since the All-Star break, and could be a major reason for Atlanta’s potential success in this year’s playoffs (via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

A mid-season injury to Ronald Acuna Jr. seemed to all but end the Braves’ chances of a World Series run in 2021. But then something quickly happened: the Braves kept winning and winning. Atlanta is back in the playoffs as NL East champions once again despite a strange year, but the team has all the talent in the world to make an interesting run back to the World Series for the first time since 1999.

Manager Brian Snitker once again has his Braves in the postseason despite some major obstacles along the way, which begs the question: how did they do it without Acuna Jr.? Largely due to one of the best infield groups the league has seen in recent years, the Braves slugged their way out of a slow start to the year right back to the top of the NL East, where they have remained in recent years. It helps that Atlanta still deploys the game’s best first baseman in Freddie Freeman, but the Braves found some real punch in their lineup this season from Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Dansby Swanson to form a great group in the middle of the lineup. Adding slugger Adam Duvall, former postseason hero Joc Pederson, and consistent catcher Travis d’Arnaud has only helped re-shape this lineup over the course of the year, as they’ll enter the playoffs with some of the most impressive power hitting numbers in the big leagues.

But what makes the Braves increasingly deadly this postseason is their red-hot starting rotation. The trio of Max Friend, Charlie Morton, and Ian Anderson is as dominant as any starting group in baseball right now after a wipeout month of September, which could be vital due to the concerns in the back end of the bullpen with names such as Will Smith and Richard Rodriguez. Atlanta’s bullpen concerns have been a fatal flaw all too often this postseason, but if their starters can stay the course and carry their momentum into the playoffs, this team could be dangerous. The Braves are battered yet battle-tested, and even though they won’t have their best player on the field in the playoffs, they could make a surprise championship run if they get a couple of things to break their way.

X-Factor Pitcher: Charlie Morton

X-Factor Hitter: Austin Riley

National League West Champion: San Francisco Giants

Buster Posey is surely one of the greatest players in Giants’ history, but will he soon have another piece of hardware to add to his illustrious collection after this year’s postseason? (via NBC Sports).

No team was a bigger surprise in all of baseball this year than the San Francisco Giants, the 2021 National West Champions after years of Dodgers’ dominance at the top. But will that magical regular season success carry over into this year’s postseason as NL favorites, or will other teams such as the Dodgers, Brewers, Braves, and Cardinals have something to say about that?

If current trends continue, the Giants won’t go down without a fight. Likely 2021 NL Manager of the Year Gabe Kapler has helped to completely transform this team’s identity over the course of the season, blending a sensational mix of players young and old to build a potential championship core for 2021. This begins and ends with the franchise’s two key cornerstones in Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford, two players coming off outstanding years that have once again reminded baseball fans why this club remains one of the best in the league year in and year out.

San Francisco will have to deal with a tough hand injury to Brandon Belt that may sideline him for the entire postseason, but the Giants have enough to be able to survive. It helps when the team went out and acquired elite third baseman Kris Bryant at the trade deadline to join a solid group of infielders such as Tommy La Stella, Wilmer Flores, and Evan Longoria, all of whom will all be called upon to deliver in big moments in October. However, some of the Giants’ biggest keys to success have been from some of their outfielders, especially LaMonte Wade Jr., Darin Ruf, and Mike Yastrzemski. Clutching hitting has defined this team over the course of the year, but it will truly be put to the test in October against some elite National League pitching.

That is all before even mentioning their own pitching staff. Right-hander Kevin Gausman leads this group at the top of the rotation after a career best season that will get him some Cy Young votes, while Alex Wood, Logan Webb, and Anthony DeSclafini join him in the back end of the starting rotation. The starters have certainly been one of the best groups in all of baseball this season, but the Giants’ relievers have been just as great inside the bayside confines of Oracle Park. Arms like Tyler Rogers, Jarlin Garcia, and Jake McGee will be vital to the Giants’ success in the 2021 playoffs, and could be the difference makers over the course of a long series. After all of the chaos of the 2021 season, the Giants are finally here and ready to roll. But will it be enough to cap off a dream season in the Bay Area? Stay tuned.

X-Factor Pitcher: Kevin Gausman

X-Factor Hitter: LaMonte Wade Jr.

National League Wild Card 1: Los Angeles Dodgers

Third baseman Justin Turner remains one of the game’s top postseason hitters, which could be vital for a team dealing with some key injuries to star talent (via True Blue LA).

It’s shocking to see the defending World Series champions in the Wild Card Game despite 106 regular season wins, but after the Giants’ consistent magic from start to finish, that is where the Dodgers find themselves entering the 2021 Postseason.

Despite their success in the win-loss column, the Dodgers have actually dealt with plenty of adversity this season. Injuries and controversies galore have surrounded this team from April until September, but manager Dave Roberts has been able to right the storm and get this team back in a position to capture back-to-back titles. But with Max Muncy and Clayton Kershaw looking like they’ll potentially be out for the entire postseason after injuries in the final regular season series of the year, Los Angeles will need to turn toward some other talent if they have realistic hopes of capturing another championship.

Luckily, the Dodgers have plenty of it. The midseason acquisition of Max Scherzer and possible MVP candidate Trea Turner has completely changed the dynamic of this Dodgers’ roster, giving them even more valuable postseason experience in a must-win scenario starting this Wednesday. Adding that to an already competent group featuring studs like 2021 wins leader Julio Urias, veteran leader Justin Turner, clutch catcher Will Smith, and resurgent outfielder AJ Pollock has only helped round out this group and paved the way for more postseason success in the future if they can find a way to get past the Cardinals in the Wild Card Game, although there is always concern regarding the one-game elimination round.

That’s all before mentioning arguably the Dodgers’ three best players with Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, and Walker Buehler. Those three players rank among the best players in the entire sport and were major contributors in the Dodgers’ quest to a 2020 World Series title, and will likely need to deliver in the postseason again if this team wants to stand alone on top at the end. The Dodgers also own one of the most underrated bullpens in all of baseball with key arms such as Joe Kelly, Blake Treinan, Alex Vesia, and Kenley Jansen, making their chances even stronger should they advance deep into the postseason. No team faces more pressure in this years postseason than the Dodgers, but no team has as much talent and poise in the biggest of moments. That makes this team a must-watch over the next month as they attempt to capture their eighth title in franchise history, adding even more hardware to one of the polished organizations in all of sports.

X-Factor Pitcher: Julio Urias

X-Factor Hitter: AJ Pollock

National League Wild Card 2: St. Louis Cardinals

Even with a new team, there is no doubt that Nolan Arenado is one of baseball’s brightest stars and still one of the best third baseman in the sport (via CBS Sports).

It takes historical feats to reach historical heights in the postseason, and the Cardinals have certainly accomplished that over the course of the 2021 regular season. Once written off as a team that had no chances of making the playoffs, St. Louis went on a ridiculous September tear that should not only have Dodger fans worried in the Wild Card Game, but all fans of playoff teams in baseball.

“The Cardinal Way” has once again vaulted this team to the postseason, and if it wasn’t for the noise over in San Francisco, manager Mike Shildt would certainly be in the race for the NL Manager of the Year. However, it helps when he has a lineup as deep and as powerful as the Cardinals have shown since the All-Star break. It is hard not to point out the obvious with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado at the top of the Cardinals’ lineup, but the team has found some serious depth in the form of other key players such as slugging outfielder Tyler O’Neill, solid infielder Tommy Edman, and potential Hall of Fame backstop Yadier Molina. At full strength and with everyone in the lineup, few lineups look as imposing for starting pitchers to handle than these 2021 Cardinals, which could be a terrifying sight for National League teams that could be on a crash course for a potential matchup with this crew.

Their lineup has been so dominant over the past two months that it is easy to glide over their pitching concerns. Of course, veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright remains at the top of the rotation and once again put together an outstanding season for St. Louis, but the depth behind him is certainly a concern. Ace Jack Flaherty is a top-end starter when healthy, but J.A. Happ, Kwang Hyun Kim, and Jon Lester may be considered the best options behind the longtime Cardinal in the rotation, but it’s not as if the Cardinals don’t also have some inconsistency issues in the bullpen with arm talent such as Alex Reyes and Giovanny Gallegos. St. Louis is a very scary team to match up with in this postseason, but one has to wonder how much more magic this team has left in store? If it’s at least a month’s worth, National League teams should pay very close attention to a team that could crash the World Series picture.

X-Factor Pitcher: Adam Wainwright

X-Factor Hitter: Tyler O’Neill

American League

American League Central Champion: Chicago White Sox

With a sensational cast of starting pitching and with an inconsistent, yet potent lineup, the White Sox are a real World Series threat in October (via ABC7 Chicago).

After years of disappointment, the White Sox are finally back in the ALDS with a chance to get back to the World Series for the first time in over a decade. Veteran manager Tony La Russa has settled this group through controversies thick and thin this season, and although they’re still a very young group, they’ll be a team to closely watch over the next few weeks.

Despite some reasonable doubts, the White Sox can sit tight knowing they have two franchise caliber players with Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson on the diamond each day. That duo remains the heart and soul of this offense, although other key figures such as Cesar Hernandez, Andrew Vaughn, Yasmani Grandal, and Yoan Moncada will have to step up in a big way this postseason. Chicago has had to dal with a ton of major injuries to this group all year long, and even though they still enter the playoffs battered and bruised, the potential is there. There is especially true for a potential star in Luis Robert, who could easily be considered a difference maker for La Russa’s squad in October. Like many teams in the AL, inconsistencies and health have set this team back more than they would like this year. But in a postseason series where everything can come down to one pitch, the White Sox have enough pop to go head-to-head with any lineup in the league.

Yet the White Sox will have a chance in these playoffs for as long as their excellent starting pitching trio can stay together. Although injuries have often separated this group from full strength this season, Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodon, and Lucas Giolito are a truly dominant combination in a short series, which could be a serious challenge for the opposing Astros in the ALDS. It also helps when they have another awesome trio in the bullpen featuring Craig Kimbrel, Liam Hendricks, and Michael Kopech, although recent struggles have cast some doubt late in games. La Russa has plenty of pitching options on his roster and will not be shy about turning to his ‘pen early, giving the White Sox a distinct advantage in the playoffs. But will it be enough? The American League is as close as ever, and even though they have “A” pitching, the obstacles in their path may be a lot to overcome in October.

X-Factor Pitcher: Carlos Rodon

X-Factor Hitter: Luis Robert

American League East Champion: Tampa Bay Rays

Randy Arozarena was a postseason hero in 2020, and Rays’ fans can only hope more of the same this year after some promise in the past two months (via Rays Colored Glasses).

The defending American League champions once again found a way to plow through the 2021 regular season as the clear AL East winners and 100 total wins, making them legitimate favorites entering postseason play.

So how has manager Kevin Cash found another way to do it? It helps with how incredible the Rays have been at the plate throughout the season and how durable this group has continued to be throughout 2021. This begins and ends with sluggers such as Brandon Lowe, Austin Meadows, and Yandy Diaz, who all found a way to form a very deep lineup also featuring veteran power hitter Nelson Cruz. Yet the Rays’ most important players in the lineup will unquestionably be Randy Arozarena and Wander Franco in October. Arozarena’s 2020 postseason will long live in infamy as he hopes for a repeat performance, while Franco has burst onto the scene as a dynamic hitter right away in his first season in the Major Leagues. Tampa Bay is an elite offense, and it will be very fun to watch their bats as they hope to capture their first title in franchise history.

For as explosive as their offense is, it is truly shocking to see how this team captured 100 wins with the lack of strong pitching behind them. It was a tough blow for the Rays to lose ace Tyler Glasnow so early in the season, and Tampa has attempted to respond by deploying a group of starting arms such as Michael Wacha, Ryan Yarbrough, and Shane McClanahan. None of these starters remains necessarily reliable on a game-to-game basis, but the Rays have plenty of wipeout talent in the bullpen. Cash is no stranger to turning toward the bullpen early in games, where the Rays will run out names such as Andrew Kittredge, Collin McHugh, Pete Fairbanks, and Drew Rasmussen. Tampa Bay looms as the clear favorites in the American League, but will the pressure become too much for this outcast group in the playoffs? The Rays have a lot to prove, but there is no brighter moment than the upcoming playoffs for a breakthrough organizational moment to propel the Rays to their first championship.

X-Factor Pitcher: Ryan Yarbrough

X-Factor Hitter: Wander Franco

American League West Champion: Houston Astros

Zack Greinke has plenty of postseason experience, and he will likely be called upon to lead the way at the top of the Houston rotation alongside Lance McCullers Jr. in October (via CBS Sports).

There may not be a team with a bigger target on their back in all of sports right now than the Houston Astros, who enter the 2021 Postseason as a terrifying underdog that nobody will want to match up with over the course of a series.

Manager Dusty Baker has come out of the bullpen in impressive fashion in relief of AJ Hinch over the course of his two years in Houston, and this 2021 group may have title dreams. The Astros’ core of Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Yuli Gurriel has once again been a major reason for their success this season, putting together what may have been the best offense in baseball from beginning to end. However, the Astros’ best hitter may not even come from their original core players, with Kyle Tucker putting together a prolific season at the plate from the left-hand side. Depth at the plate also arrives in the form of players such as Yordan Alvarez and Aledmys Diaz, two players coming off very strong seasons for the Astros. This lineup is still as potent as ever (cheating scandal or not) and will be as tough of a matchup as it gets for pitchers in the American League.

Pitching is where some of the Astros’ concerns may be. Lance McCullers Jr. is certainly the top starter among this team and should get the ball in a presumed Game 1 of the ALDS, but Houston has several other strong candidates such as Zack Greinke, Luis Garcia, and Framber Valdez. Houston also has a group of strong relievers who have put together solid seasons such as Ryan Pressly, Kendall Graveman, and Ryne Stanek, all of whom will get the ball in key moments in October. So where are the holes? Houston starters have had nice seasons, but will their experience outside of McCullers Jr. and Greinke be a problem in the fall? The Astros have all of the ingredients of a World Series winner if they can catch some breaks, which is a terrifying thought for many baseball fans around the world as we turn the corner into the playoffs.

X-Factor Pitcher: Luis Garcia

X-Factor Hitter: Carlos Correa

American League Wild Card 1: Boston Red Sox

No player has been more valuable for the Red Sox in 2021 than slugging third baseman Rafael Devers, as evident in the Red Sox’s final game of the season on the road in Washington (via Over the Monster).

Few teams have been harder to predict over the course of the 2021 season than the Boston Red Sox, who found a way to sneak back into the playoffs on the final day of the season. Boston has not been nearly as strong in the second half of the year, but leave no doubt: the Red Sox have plenty of enough offense to be able to advance in the postseason.

There have been plenty of key contributors at the plate this season for the Red Sox, which is why they have long ranked as one of the strongest teams in baseball this season. Sadly, it looks like they’ll temporarily be without JD Martinez with an ankle sprain, applying pressure on some key guys in the lineup such as Alex Verdugo, Kike Hernández, and Bobby Dalbec for manager Alex Cora’s lineup card. However, the Red Sox are the beneficiaries of having some true superstars up and down their lineup, including slugger Kyle Schwarber, consistent shortstop Xander Bogaerts, and one of the best hitters in the American League with Rafael Devers. Yet two names stand out if the Red Sox want to get deep in this postseason: catcher Christian Vazquez and outfielder Hunter Renfroe. If those two can get going at the right time, this team could slug their way back to the Fall Classic.

Things are a little more complicated on the mound. Chris Sale, of course, returned to the team in impressive fashion and is still the ace of this squad when healthy, but 2021 AL All-Star Nate Eovaldi will get the ball in the Wild Card Game for the Red Sox. Both of those pitchers form a very strong duo at the top for the Red Sox, but the depth behind them is still a bit of a concern. In a postseason series, Boston would likely run out Nick Pavetta or Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound despite their inconsistencies this season, with help from arms such as Matt Barnes and Garrett Whitlock in the back end of the bullpen. The Red Sox have the makings, as they did entering this season, as a sleeper in this playoff field. Escaping the Wild Card will be tough, but with the winning culture running through the halls of Fenway Park in the postseasons of the past two decades, don’t be surprised if this team makes some noise in October.

X-Factor Pitcher: Garrett Whitlock

X-Factor Hitter: Kyle Schwarber

American League Wild Card 2: New York Yankees

Finally able to stay healthy for the majority of the 2021 season, Aaron Judge put together an awesome year at the plate as the leader of the New York offense (via New York Post).

This has certainly been one of the strangest seasons in recent Yankees’ history. Once written off as a playoff team, then being considered a playoff lock, and then being written off again before a solid final two weeks to end the season, manager Aaron Boone once again has his team in the postseason in what should be a wild month in New York City.

The Yankees’ inconsistencies have even been evident against their rival Wild Card opponent throughout this season, spelling concern whether or not this offense can finally explode for an extended period of time. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been as dominant as ever throughout the season and may even catch a couple of MVP votes, but the concerns behind them are real. Infielders Gio Urshela, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu have taken slight steps back this season after plenty of hype entering the year, but the addition of first baseman Anthony Rizzo has at least given this team some real life. However, former Ranger Joey Gallo and streaky catcher Gary Sanchez will be keys toward any type of sustained postseason success this October, especially with how up-and-down this lineup has been recently. The Bronx Bombers have what it takes to explode at the plate, but they’ll need to get hot right away if they want to reach their goal of a 28th championship.

New York’s puzzle gets even tougher to solve on the mound. Ace Gerrit Cole is still the top weapon in this group, but some tough moments in Fenway Park as a member of the Yankees may spell some impending doom for the Yanks. But even if the Yankees do advance, who starts alongside Cole? It looks like it may come in the form of some strange combination of Nestor Cortes Jr., Corey Kluber, or Jordan Montgomery, but New York has had issues with health and quality starts among their starting pitching this year. The Yankees still have closer Aroldis Chapman at the back of the bullpen alongside Chad Green and Wandy Peralta, but even that group has struggled to find an identity this season. New York has all the talent they need to contend, but will they put it together in time to contend for a World Series? Doubts surround the Bronx air, but never count out the winningest organization in baseball history.

X-Factor Pitcher: Nestor Cortes Jr.

X-Factor Hitter: Joey Gallo

Postseason Predictions

Few players enter the 2021 Postseason on more of a recent tear than the 2020 World Series MVP, which could be a serious boost for the Dodgers’ championship hopes (via Call to the Pen).

AL Wild Card:

#5 Boston Red Sox over #4 New York Yankees

NL Wild Card:

#4 Los Angeles Dodgers over #5 St. Louis Cardinals

American League Divisional Series:

#1 Tampa Bay Rays over #5 Boston Red Sox (5 Games)

#2 Houston Astros over #3 Chicago White Sox (4 Games)

National League Divisional Series:

#4 Los Angeles Dodgers over #1 San Francisco Giants (5 Games)

#2 Milwaukee Brewers over #3 Atlanta Braves (4 Games)

American League Championship Series:

#2 Houston Astros over #1 Tampa Bay Rays (6 Games)

National League Championship Series:

#4 Los Angeles Dodgers over #2 Milwaukee Brewers (6 Games)

World Series:

#4 Los Angeles Dodgers over #2 Houston Astros (5 Games)