National League Championship Series: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers(Best of 7):

With a trip to the World Series on the line, this series will be sure to impress. On behalf of both of us, we would like to apologize for our slightly inaccurate predictions in the Divisional series. Nonetheless, we get a chance to redeem ourselves while getting to watch the best baseball of the year.
Onto the National League Championship Series, a matchup that should impress. With a full seven-game series, this will truly be a test of who the better team is. The Brewers will have a little bit more rest than the Dodgers will have going into this series, thanks to the three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers are fresh off a dominant four-game series win against a young Atlanta Braves squad who I expect to be in contention for years to come. The Brewers will try to rely on their supporting cast of misfits like Erik Kratz, Jeremy Jeffress, Eric Thames, and Jesus Aguilar to lead them to a World Series birth. The Dodgers will counter with a solid yet unspectacular team led by Manny Machado and Clayton Kershaw. Now onto the hot takes…..

Jared’s Prediction: This is a very tough series to predict, so I will just drop my prediction right away and then explain: Dodgers in six. Although the Brewers have constructed a very solid team, they lack starting pitching. That, when compounded with the fact that players like Erik Kratz will have their luck run out at some point leads me to believe the Brew Crew will not come out on top in this series. Ultimately, I feel that the Dodgers’ pitching depth and hitting depth will be too much for the Brewers to handle.

Jason’s Prediction: Dodgers in seven. This wasn’t an easy prediction but Dodgers in seven. They have the deepest team in terms of position players and the biggest collection of talent. This series will be a wacky one, with some playoff classics. The Brewers have been a tremendous story to watch but their Cinderella story will fall short of a World Series appearance. The Dodgers have unfinished business and will show that to the world in this series.

American League Championship Series: Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox(Best of 7):

A rematch of the 2017 American League Division Series, in which the Astros routed the Red Sox and went on to claim the World Series Title. This year’s matchup carries a different storyline, as Mookie Betts has solidified himself as a top player in the majors, and the Astros added Gerrit Cole to an already dominant starting rotation. Ultimately, this series will come down to pitching, as both the Red Sox and Astros hitting will neutralize each other. This is where the Astros have a clear advantage, as Chris Sale seems to still be feeling some lingering signs of his late-season shoulder injury, as he was only able to manage 6.1 innings across a start and a relief appearance, not quite what you want to see from your ace. Meanwhile, the Astros have a rotation with a three-headed monster that can and will go deep into games.

Jared’s Prediction: Astros in five. Pitching beats good hitting every day, and this series is no different. The Red Sox simply were much better than the Yankees, and these pesky Astros match up quite well against the Red Sox. Much like last postseason, the Astros’ starting pitching will dominate the series. The Red Sox will be left questioning why they started David Price and Rick Porcello, as I believe those two will get torched by the Astros lineup. In my opinion, the Astros are a much better team, and they will show it in five games.

Jason’s Prediction: The defending champs look like they are on their way to defend their crown. And they will after beating Boston in six games. The Red Sox were impressive in their series win against the Yankees, but the Astros were even more impressive against the Indians. The Astros’ roster has only improved since last season adding standout starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. The series will include tons of talent and will be extremely fun to watch, but the Astros will take the series in six games.