Postseason Predictions (Part One)

Editor's Note - With this being the start of MLB's Postseason, #CoachJeff will be all baseball/all the time for this week's editions. Monday-Thursday devoted to October baseball. Next week, we'll resume our regular format and schedule. 

Everywhere you turn on the sports internet, you can find predictions about the MLB postseason. So, #CoachJeff shrugs and says "Why not me?"

So, without further delay, here are #CoachJeff's playoff picks for MLB's 2206 Wild Card Round.

Wildcard Round
American League
#6 White Sox at #3 Astros

The 2026 White Sox were a fun story. After three straight 100-loss seasons, they broke through in a big way in 2026. They even led the AL Central until the last days of the season.

Then you have the Houston Astros. In the modern era, the Astros always seem to be around in postseason. With all that experience, and home field, it's hard to pick against them.

#CoachJeff Says: Astros 2-0

#5 Red Sox at #4 Yankees

This is a heart vs. head pick (first of two). Two of my worst fan experiences as a Braves fan involved the Yankees as the visiting team. Thus, my friend Dave's quote applies. "My two favorite teams are the Braves and whoever is playing the Yankees." In an equally matched series, that's good enough for me.

#CoachJeff Says: Red Sox 2-1

Wildcard Round
National League
#6 Phillies at #3 Braves

This is heart vs. head pick #2 of 2. As mentioned yesterday, almost no one seems to notice the Braves have made it to the 2026 postseason. Driving around yesterday, I listened to the MLB Channel on Sirius/XM. The commentators were breaking down this series. They went into great detail discussing the Phillies' pitching, line-up, injuries, bullpen, etc. The only mention of the Braves, in passing, was the name of the starting pitcher for Game One and how the Phillies might set their line-up because of it.

The accolades for the Braves starter reminded me of when I saw Chris Sale pitch a gem earlier this season in Boston.

But back to this week, I was really indignant the Braves were not mentioned. Maybe I missed a segment? It just strikes me as the usual dismissal of flyover country. 

When I experience the kind of media bias, it really makes me want to double down and root for my team with all my heart. But then, I recall the disasters of 2022 and 2023 and, reality hits home. This was the wild card match-up no one in Braves Country wanted to see and, yet, here we are. The Braves won the division and the season series. The Phillies slid into the last playoff slot in the last hour of the last day of the season and are, thus, playing "with house money." The Braves know they simply can't lose again. Or can they? All the pressure is with them.

Taking a page from college football lore, I also remember when Florida State defeated Florida to wrap up the 1997 season as the #1 team in the land and their prize for winning that game...was a rematch with UF six weeks later. The rematch did not go well for FSU and I'm afraid it will be the same for another team of tomahawk choppers.

#CoachJeff Says: Phillies 2-1

#5 Cubs at #4 Padres

Something else I mentioned yesterday: Modern postseasons have celebrated the team that ended the regular season on a roll. Think about the Giants title in 2014, the Nationals' run in 2019 or Arizona's climb to the World Series in '22, among others. 

The Padres played out of their minds in September and basically went from being just outside the wildcard picture to standing atop the wild card field. They are hosting the Cubbies. This is the team that endured a nor'easter and then made a side trip to Tampa to end the season before traveling cross-country. Not optimal scheduling. All the odds are stacked in the Friars' favor.

#CoachJeff Says: Padres 2-0

These are short series with lots of drama and action to follow. The fun starts this afternoon at 2:15. Settle in and enjoy the ride.

And come back tomorrow to see my picks for the division round.

JG