The 2026 MLB playoffs are officially here, and eight teams are left standing. With the Wild Card Series wrapped up, the four teams who earned those sweet byes are joining the fight, and man, are the League Division Series about to kick off this Saturday. We’ve got some absolute bangers coming our way: Yankees vs. Rays, White Sox vs. Guardians, Padres vs. Brewers, and Braves vs. Dodgers. Our pals over at CBS Sports have thrown their hats in the ring with some expert predictions, and let me tell you, some of these picks are wild.
Guardians vs. White Sox: Power vs. Pitching, and a Whole Lotta Drama
This series, with the Guardians at -140 favorites and the White Sox at +120, has everyone split right down the middle, and you can see why. Mike Axisa thinks the Cleveland Guardians are gonna roll, taking it in three games. He’s looking at that No. 2 seed bye for Cleveland and thinking the White Sox pitching depth is just stretched too thin. Axisa’s betting on Parker Messick and Gavin Williams being a killer top two for the Guardians, backed by an excellent bullpen. Scoring runs is always the question for Cleveland, but he thinks they’ll scratch enough against a tired White Sox staff, even if the games end up closer than a sweep suggests.
But then Julian McWilliams steps up with the upset pick, giving it to the White Sox in five. He’s not wrong about Cleveland’s pitching making things tough, but Chicago? They’ve got the power to change a game with one swing. These teams know each other inside out, so you know this series is going to be tight. McWilliams is all in on Chicago’s offense making the difference. Dayn Perry agrees, also picking the White Sox in five. Perry says it’s a tough call because these clubs look so evenly matched. But in the playoffs, power tends to rule. The White Sox ranked fifth in MLB with a massive 211 home runs during the regular season, while the Guardians were way down at 27th with just 162. That power gap, even out-homering them on the road, is what Perry thinks tips the scales. Matt Snyder is also buying into the White Sox, seeing them win in four. He’s got White Sox “vibes” against that strong Guardians’ pitching staff, and he’s just not buying anything about Cleveland’s offense. Snyder believes the White Sox’s power will carry them, and they’ll find just enough pitching with that deep bullpen, making Hagen Smith and Grant Taylor names you’ll want to remember.
Dodgers Poised to Roll Over Tired Braves
Over in the National League, the Braves vs. Dodgers series has a different vibe, with the Dodgers as heavy favorites at -230, and the Braves at +190. Mike Axisa is clearly on the Dodgers’ bandwagon here, picking them to advance. His reasoning is pretty straightforward: the Braves are looking tired and undermanned coming into this, while the Dodgers are rested and, for the most part, healthy. That Dodgers rotation feels like an enormous advantage right now. Axisa even points out that Chris Sale coming out of the bullpen in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series might mean some fatigue when he gets his Game 2 start. The Dodgers are just set up to make a deep run.
So, get ready, baseball fans. The League Division Series kick off this Saturday, and if the experts are this divided, we’re in for some absolute nail-biters. Keep your eyes on that White Sox offense, because their power just might be the surprise of the postseason.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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