2022 Seattle Mariners and a full set of playoff predictions

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One of the best times of the sports year, just got a heck of a lot better for Seattle Mariners fans. In case you hadn’t heard, your Mariners are in the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

They are just one of the many great storylines for this postseason. The Mariners breaking the curse, going to Toronto to take on another young and up-and-coming club. You have the Yankees, desperate to break through and get past the Astros, while the Astros are trying to finally get over their world series hump and prove they’re championship material, minus the garbage cans.

In the National League, you have the great ball clubs of the NL East trying to dethrone perhaps one of the greatest teams of all time in the Dodgers, while what do Pujols, Molina, and Wainwright have in store for their last ride?

With the new format and extra teams, this is shaping up to be an all-time classic postseason. So who’s popping champagne and who’s winning a championship?

2022 MLB postseason predictions and Mariners thoughts

Wild Card Series

4 New York Mets v 5 San Diego Padres

The dilemma for the Mets is whether or not to pitch Jacob deGrom in this three-game series. When healthy, he’s unstoppable, but his health is always a question. I believe the Mets are gonna risk it and not throw him. Their gamble will pay off, but barely.

The Padres fight to the very end, and probably win this series if they had one more star bat…hmmm…

Mets in 3

3 St. Louis Cardinals v 6 Philadelphia Phillies

The Mariners aren’t the only team to break a streak. The Phillies are back in October for the first time since 2011 when they were heavy favorites before being upset by the same Cardinals they’ll face this weekend.

There’s a legitimate case to be made that the Phillies have a better roster than St. Louis, but the emotional wave and the home-field advantage for the Cards is no joke.

Goldschmidt and Arenado carry the offense, while the depth of St. Louis’s pitching holds off the 1-2 punch of Nola and Wheeler for Philly.

The ride off into the sunset plan goes another week.

Cardinals in 3

4 Toronto Blue Jays v 5 Seattle Mariners

Great hitting faces off against great pitching. That’s what this series will come down to in my opinion. While the Blue Jays have a tremendous 1-2 punch in their rotation, the Mariners can match that plus their dominant bullpen.

The Mariners have the potential and star power on the offensive side of the ball, including soon-to-be named ROY Julio Rodriguez, but it pales in comparison to the power and depth of the Toronto lineup.

This series is pretty simple in my mind. Can the Blue Jays score 4 runs or more in a game? If so, I like them to win. If not, Seattle will pull off the upset. I’ve always been told good pitching beats good hitting, so I’ll pick my first upset and say the Mariners get it done across the border.

Mariners in 2

3 Cleveland Indians v 6 Tampa Bay

The youngest team in all of baseball takes on the most unique team in baseball. The Guardians, surprise winners of the AL Central, have lost three straight playoff series going back to 2017.

Tampa Bay, another perennial contender in the American League, is looking to make a run after their disappointing ALDS exit last season. Tampa chose to tank and go for the perceived easier path through the postseason, losing 9 of their last eleven, including 5 straight. This gamble backfires on Tampa, and Cleveland continues their magical run.

Guardians in 3

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 05: Mark Canha #19 of the New York Mets is congratulated by teammate Francisco Lindor #12 in the dugout after his three run home run in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on October 05, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

League Division Series

1 Los Angeles Dodgers v 4 New York Mets

The Mets have been preparing for this moment all season. Some may even say their eyes were too fixed on LA, when they should have been more worried about their division. Because of their slip, and Atlanta’s surge, the Mets will have to take on the Dodgers a round earlier.

This mistake will be a blessing in disguise. With a rested Jacob deGrom, I expect the Mets to have their top two ace pitchers in 3 of the five potential games, a huge advantage over LA.

The Dodgers are a great team, but if they fall behind in this series, the pressure will mount. Yes, they won the Covid World Series, but there’s still that doubt lingering about their ability to finish the job in a normal setting.

I’m probably wrong, but I believe the Mets have built a roster capable of cracking the Dodgers, and they pull off the upset.

Mets in 4

2 Atlanta Braves v 3 St. Louis Cardinals

Destiny versus dynasty makes its way to the stage here in the NLDS. The Braves have been one of the best teams in baseball in the second half of the season, and I feel pretty confident in saying this year’s club is stronger than last year’s championship team. The Cardinals are trying to write a storybook ending, but you can’t forget how underrated they really are.

This series feels like an epic classic waiting to happen. Both clubs share championship DNA, but in the end, I have the defending champions surviving. A heckuva run by Pujols, Molina, and Wainwright.

Braves in 5

1 Houston Astros v 5 Seattle Mariners

The Astros begin their league championship defense against their AL West rivals. The Mariners, having been pushed around by the Astros for nearly a decade, rise up to the moment and match the Astros blow for blow. The pitching of Justin Verlander is the difference in the series, but it is clear the Mariners are coming for the crown.

Astros in 5

2 New York Yankees v 3 Cleveland Guardians

These two teams have a history of tight and intense battles in October, and that continues in 2022. While the Yankees have no answer for the former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, the Yankees and Aaron Judge simply outslug a pesky Guardians club that is a few bats short.

Yankees in 4

MIAMI, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 04: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after clinching the division against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on October 04, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) /

League Championship Series

2 Atlanta Braves v 4 New York Mets

The battle for the NL East is not over! Or that is what the Mets want you to think. After the incredible upset over the LA Dodgers, the Mets have to turn around and face their arch-nemesis. These two teams are so close, but you have to wonder how New York would handle the moment. They just slayed the LA dragon, and now they’re looking at a possible Subway Series? If there’s even the slightest slip, the Braves will jump on it.

In a tight series, I have the Braves getting just enough offense to push past the Mets and head back to the World Series for the second straight year.

Braves in 6

Matt Olson win NLCS MVP

1 Houston Astros v 2 New York Yankees

ALCS rivalry part III. The Astros and Yankees have already had two huge battles before, both ending in Yankees heartbreak. The Astros want validation, the Yanks want revenge. In this series, I see the Yankees stepping up to the moment, and stunning the Astros by taking the first two games on the road. While the Astros take game three, the Yankees don’t let the series go back to New York. The Yankees get the monkey off their backs, they’re the American League champs.

Yankees in 5

Stanton wins ALCS MVP

World Series

Atlanta Braves v New York Yankees

The dynasties of the ’90s have returned! The Yankees, with their powerful sluggers and MVP, take on the favored and defending champion Atlanta Braves.

A similar backdrop to 1996, when the Yankees usurped the throne from the defending 1995 champion Braves. Much like in 1996, the Braves win the first two games of the series, while the Yankees fight back in games 3 and 5. In the end, the Braves prove to be the complete machine, clinching the championship in their home ballpark in game 6. The Braves, with its young and dominant core, take another step in becoming the team of the 20s.

Braves in 6

Austin Riley wins WS MVP

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2022 Seattle Mariners and MLB Playoff Predictions

2022 MLB postseason predictions and Mariners thoughts

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