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It’s playoff time in Major League Baseball. Since the adoption of a second wild card team in each league, there’s also a greater sense of urgency when the postseason begins because you have only one game to get everything right.

There are a lot of myths surrounding playoff baseball, not the least of which is this idea of momentum. We’ve seen teams with 85 wins capture a World Series, so how much forward movement did those teams really have?

What makes October baseball so special is you don’t have to be the best team to win a World Series. You just have to be the best team on a given day, three times in a five-game stretch and four times in a seven-game span. 

Before we get into the meat of playoff baseball, it’s time to examine the two games that will kick things off. Here is our look at the American League and National League Wild Card games, including the start times and predictions. 

Oakland Athletics vs. Kansas City Royals

You are going to notice a running theme throughout this particular predictions piece about starting pitching. Every year, the postseason discussion revolves around what happens on the mound but it’s never more apparent than a winner-take-all situation. 

Billy Beane made the deal for Jon Lester at the trade deadline specifically for this moment. He may have thought the A’s would be waiting to start the AL Division Series at the time, but following their brutal second half, it’s good to have that proven horse at the top of your rotation to lean on. 

Looking at Lester’s postseason stats, via MLB‘s official Twitter account, you know this moment won’t be too big for him:

Lester will also have the easier task in this game, because Kansas City’s lineup is the worst among playoff teams. The Royals are an empty offensive team, the kind that will struggle to find runs against the power pitching in October. 

The Royals did post the fourth-best batting average in baseball and were the only team to strike out less than 1,000 times, but also have the lowest slugging percentage among AL playoff teams (.376) and only had three players with more than 10 home runs. 

Kansas City manager Ned Yost is going to drive people nuts because of how frequently he gives up outs with sacrifice bunts, with Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star noting the criticism recently on Twitter:

On the other side, the Royals made the trade for James Shields in December 2012 hoping he would get an opportunity to pitch in a playoff game before leaving via free agency after this season. They will get their wish in the city’s first postseason game since 1985. 

Much like Pittsburgh last season, there’s no doubt that Kansas City and Kaufmann Stadium will be bouncing long before the first pitch is thrown. Sometimes we underestimate the power a crowd can have in baseball. It was easy to see with the Pirates last year, as Cincinnati looked overwhelmed by the stage it was on. 

However, the A’s are a playoff-tested team with one of the best playoff pitchers in baseball on the mound. They won’t be intimidated by the spectacle of Kaufmann Stadium. It also doesn’t hurt that, for all the problems after the All-Star break, they are more likely to find a three-run homer than Kansas City. 

Shields hasn’t been great at home this season with a 3.51 ERA and 108 hits allowed in 102.2 innings, so the A’s should have opportunities to score. If the game should come down to the bullpens, the A’s finished third in ERA (2.91) and batting average against (.222). Kansas City was 10th (3.30) and 11th (.235) in those categories. 

You almost want the Royals to win because it would be a great story to talk about, but from a starting pitching perspective and talent-for-talent examination, the Athletics are a better team and should come out on top. 

Prediction: A’s 4, Royals 1

San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

The National League Wild Card Game is much easier to figure out. San Francisco will start Madison Bumgarner, one of the best pitchers in baseball, while Pittsburgh will for some reason counter with Edinson Volquez. 

I recognize that Volquez‘s ERA of 3.04 looks solid and he threw 192.2 innings during the regular season, but how do you trust a pitcher in a must-win game who has 71 walks and the lowest strikeout rate of his career (6.54)?

For all the control problems he’s had this year (81 walks in 162.1 innings), Francisco Liriano would have been a much better choice for the Pirates in this game because he’s still missing a lot of bats (175 strikeouts). Unfortunately, he started Saturday and would be pitching this game on short rest.

Gerrit Cole would have been the best choice to start this game, but Clint Hurdle decided to use him on Sunday in hopes of catching St. Louis for the National League Central title. 

If you believe in observing small sample sizes, Andrew Baggarly of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area points out that Volquez has been really good late in the season:

The counter to that, via Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, is the Giants finished 14 games over .500 this season because of how they performed against right-handed pitching:

Volquez might be a changed pitcher right now, but that feeling it can all go wrong at any given moment is more present with him than even an average postseason pitcher. You can’t put your entire season on his right arm. 

Finally, as mentioned earlier, the biggest problem for Pittsburgh will be Bumgarner. The Pirates are terrible against left-handed pitching, scoring the second-fewest runs (137) and hitting the second-fewest homers (23) this season. 

Bumgarner doesn’t need extra help to succeed, especially on the road where he held opponents to a .619 OPS and 0.98 WHIP. Adding Pittsburgh’s ineptitude against southpaws into the mix only makes the Giants bigger favorites in the game. 

Prediction: Giants 5, Pirates 2

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The MLB playoff bracket may not unify the nation for three weeks like the NCAA tournament bracket does in March, but it still represents one of the most exciting times on the entire sports calendar. 

After a grueling 162-game schedule, we finally get to see rally towels in the upper deck, late-inning showdowns between bullpen specialists and superstar hitters, and visible proof of the deep breaths players take in the pressure-packed moments, thanks to the crisp October air.

Here is a look at the postseason bracket, courtesy of Cork Gaines of Business Insider:

Here is the entire 2014 playoff schedule, courtesy of MLB.com, followed by a breakdown of the Wild Card Games.

Wild Card Round Predictions

Fans may instantly recognize superstars like Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Alex Gordon and Josh Donaldson from the four wild-card rosters, but it is all about the pitching in these single-elimination, loser-goes-home playoff games.

National League

The San Francisco Giants will hit the road to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Round. Both teams finished with identical records, but the game is in Pittsburgh because the Pirates beat the Giants in four of their six head-to-head games.

Pittsburgh may just be the hottest team in baseball with 17 wins in its last 23 contests.

A large reason why the Pirates have been so hot is the pitching of Edinson Volquez, who has completely dominated since June. In fact, he sports a 1.78 ERA in his last 12 starts and hasn’t given up a run in 18 innings. He knocked his 5.71 ERA from last year down to 3.04 this season and led his team with 31 starts and 192.2 innings pitched.

He has also only given up four earned runs in his last five starts at home.

Volquez won’t be the only impressive pitcher on the mound Wednesday. Madison Bumgarner will take the hill for the Giants, and all he did this year was set a career high in wins with 18 and strikeouts with 219. He also finished with a formidable 2.98 ERA and went 11-4 on the road.

Even if Bumgarner is lights-out, the problem for the Giants may be the offense. San Francisco only scored 44 runs in the final 15 games of the season, which is not exactly the formula for success in the playoffs.

Volquez is red hot on the mound against a struggling Giants lineup. Those patterns will continue in a low-scoring affair. 

Prediction: Pirates 3, Giants 2

American League

The Kansas City Royals host the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Round in another contest that will be dominated by two of the best pitchers in the MLB.

James Shields, who has postseason experience from his days in Tampa Bay, will take the ball for the Royals with his 2.31 September ERA. He discussed the team and situation, according to Dave Skretta of The Associated Press, via Yahoo Sports:

I’ve only been here for two years, but when I got traded over here, I knew the magnitude of what this organization was headed for. And when I got here, walking around the city and talking to the fans and really relishing the 29 years, it’s a special moment.

It is a special moment that is a long time in the making, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:

Oakland, on the other hand, made the playoffs for the third straight year and will send a postseason-tested veteran to the mound Tuesday. In fact, playoff baseball is the entire reason the Athletics traded for Jon Lester in the first place, and he will take his 6-4 career record and 2.11 ERA in 11 playoff starts to the mound with him. 

The MLB and Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post pointed out why Lester could be a problem for the Royals:

Lester went 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA in last year’s World Series, so he certainly isn’t going to be intimidated by the moment in the Wild Card Round. It will mark his 12th career start in the postseason, which is in stark contrast to the inexperience on the Kansas City side.

Lester went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA against the Royals this season and will be the perfect answer to a raucous Kansas City crowd.

The prediction here is based on the matchup more so than any experience edge. Lester has been a postseason wizard in the past, and he is going up against a lineup that he absolutely dominated in 2014.

There is no reason to expect anything differently this time around. 

Prediction: Athletics 4, Royals 1

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There is certainly some truth to the idea that pitching wins championships, but a top-flight offense can go a long way in helping a team get that far. Without some offensive firepower, it’s awfully hard to reach October to begin with.

With the 10-team postseason field set and things set to kick off Tuesday night with the American League Wild Card Game between the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals, postseason baseball has officially arrived here in 2014.

What follows is a look at 10 hitters, one from each playoff-bound club, who finished out the regular season on a tear at the plate.

Based on their September numbers and the key spot they occupy in their respective team’s lineup, these 10 players look poised to shine in the bright lights of October.

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The MLB playoffs have finally arrived after the annual 162-game gauntlet. Four of the 10 teams are in danger of only playing a 163rd game, with MLB’s expanded playoffs allowing for a high-stakes, one-game wild-card round.

For those that wish to clear their social schedule in October—and part of November—and devote their attention to America’s pastime, knowing the full playoff schedule in advance can be a huge benefit.

Here is a look at the complete playoff schedule, including information on television coverage and live streaming availability.

Live Stream Note: All games can be found online at MLB.TV for paid subscribers.

Preview

National League

The San Francisco Giants will play the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game. The winner of the one-game extravaganza, to be played Wednesday, October 1 at PNC Park, will go on to face the Washington Nationals.

Edinson Volquez has enjoyed a career revival on the banks of the Allegheny River and will take the mound against Madison Bumgarner, the undisputed ace of the Giants pitching staff.

It should be an excellent duel between pitchers. Volquez is on fire, posting a 1.08 ERA in the month of September. Bumgarner is actually a better pitcher away from San Francisco, posting a 2.22 ERA on the road and a .979 WHIP.

The Pirates indelible outfield trio of Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Josh Harrison should power them past their Bay Area foes.

Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes McCutchen, who hit 25 home runs, stole 18 bases and played Gold Glove-caliber defense, is deserving of his second consecutive NL MVP award. Cook specifically cited his ability to perform when not at full strength:

The most extraordinary part of McCutchen’s season is he hasn’t been healthy since his serious rib injury in early August. It seemed as if the season might be finished when he tore rib cartilage Aug. 3 in Arizona. McCutchen ended up on the 15-day disabled list but came off it the first day he was eligible and has been going hard since. Talk about leading by example. Talking about giving everything to the team. The injury would have finished most players for the season.

Trips to the nation’s capital won’t be pleasant for the victor, as the Nats have been one of the most consistent teams in the league this season. 

They got rare power production from the shortstop position in 2014. Ian Desmond busted through for 24 home runs and 91 RBI while playing at one of baseball’s toughest positions. First baseman Adam LaRoche had a fine year, as did Jayson Werth.

If Bryce Harper can flash some of the form that made him a tantalizing prospect at 19 years of age, the Nats will be a favorite to win it all. One way he’s looking to contribute may be on the basepaths, per Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

I talked to Jayson about some things on the bases and cleared my head up and really got pretty comfortable out there. It’s a lot better right now. I’m happy about it because we’re going to the postseason and I’m going to need to steal some bags and get that extra bag when I need to. I give a lot to Jayson for that.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will look to exact revenge against the St. Louis Cardinals, who bested the Boys in Blue in last year’s National League Championship Series. 

The Dodgers should have the edge in this one thanks to their starting pitching, so long as Hyun-jin Ryu is able to pitch to the best of his abilities. Ryu went 14-7 with a 3.38 ERA and is recovering from a sore shoulder. He made progress in a recent bullpen session.

“Everything worked pretty well,” Ryu said through an interpreter, per ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Mark Saxon. “It was a very positive result.” 

Combining the Korean star with Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher on the planet, and former Cy Young Award-winner Zack Greinke gives the Dodgers a comfortable cushion of talent that should suppress runs and allow the likes of Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig to put them over the top on offense. 

The Cardinals have a potent pitcher in Adam Wainwright to neutralize the Dodgers’ pitching threats. If he gets the nod opposite Kershaw, that contest could very well become a baseball staring contest—whichever pitcher blinks first, loses.

American League

One American League Division Series matchup is already set in stone, with the Detroit Tigers taking on the Baltimore Orioles.

The Tigers bested the Orioles in five out of their six regular-season meetings. The Motor City squad boasts one of the best one-two pitching combinations in the league in David Price and Max Scherzer. The Orioles will need to steal at least one of these games to have a chance in this one.

Luckily, Baltimore has plenty of power scattered throughout its lineup. Center fielder Adam Jones cranked out 29 home runs, and utility man Steve Pearce clubbed 21 dingers of his own.

But no Oriole struck more fear into opposing pitchers than Nelson Cruz, who racked up 40 home runs and 108 RBI on the season. His power will be key to the team’s success, especially with powerful first baseman Chris Davis out for at least the first eight games of the playoffs with a drug suspension, per Michael Kolligian of The Baltimore Sun.

The Los Angeles Angels will take on the winner of the Kansas City Royals-Oakland Athletics wild-card matchup.

It’s been a long, slow spiral into mediocrity for the A’s, who boasted one of the better run differentials in baseball history in the first half of the season and picked up a bevy of starting pitchers—Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel—only to squander the talent and limp into the playoffs.

Still, if they can find a way to recapture their early-season magic, they have as good a chance as anyone to make it all the way to the World Series.

The Royals haven’t been to the playoffs in 29 years and will be plenty motivated to ensure that it isn’t just a brief postseason sojourn. All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon is happy to give fans something to cheer about after all these years and is excited to see the atmosphere at Kauffman Stadium.

“It will be nuts, absolutely nuts,” said Gordon, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. “People have been waiting a long time for this day. Now, we’re giving them something to cheer about. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.”

The excitement for the team spilled over into football when the Kansas City Chiefs played the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football, per NFL on ESPN:

Gordon deserves a great deal of credit for the Royals’ resurgence after posting 19 home runs, 74 RBI and 34 doubles on the year.

The Angels finished with baseball’s best regular-season record at 98-64 and are likely favorites to win it all this year. Mike Trout put up an MVP-caliber season, notching 36 home runs, 111 RBI and a .939 OPS while playing killer defense.

They could also see a big boost from two injured players before the series. Pitcher Matt Shoemaker and outfielder Josh Hamilton are making progress in their respective recoveries, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times:

Matt Shoemaker said he “felt great” after a bullpen workout of 30-40 pitches on Sunday, the strongest indication yet that the Angels’ right-hander, who is recovering from a mild left rib-cage strain, will pitch in the American League division series.

And left fielder Josh Hamilton took a positive step toward returning from right rib-cage and chest injuries, swinging off a tee, hitting soft toss, throwing, running and tracking pitches from the batter’s box during Shoemaker’s bullpen session.

If these impact players can make a timely return to this Angels squad, they could very well set up a highly anticipated Freeway Series against the Dodgers—or defeat any team the NL dares to throw at them.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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What does slogging through a brutal 162-game schedule that spans the entirety of an American summer (and then some) earn you in MLB‘s expanded-playoff era?

If you’re a wild-card team, it earns you the right to play at least one more game. The San Francisco Giants will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game to decide which team moves on to the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals.

This may not be the fairest way to determine who takes another step toward a World Series crown, but it just might be the most exciting. Consider it a bonus for all the hard work as a fan of watching three-run, four-hour ballgames in the middle of an August heatwave. 

Here is all the relevant media information one needs to catch the NL Wild Card Game, followed by a quick preview.

2014 NL Wild Card Game Info: San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: October 1

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Time (ET): 8 p.m.

TV Info: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Preview

The Pirates have been in true swashbuckling form as of late, winning 19 of their last 25 games and coming within two games of upending the St. Louis Cardinals and capturing the NL Central crown. They are 4-2 against the Giants this year, and although the slate is wiped clean come playoff time, the Pirates carry a mental, home-field—and perhaps a starting pitching—edge.

Per Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Bucs will send out Edinson Volquez, one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, to the mound Wednesday night. He’s 5-0 since the start of August and posted a 1.08 ERA with a .990 WHIP in the month of September.

“If he does indeed get the ball on Wednesday it’s well-deserved and I think everybody in this room has the utmost confidence that he’s the right guy to get the ball,” said teammate Gerrit Cole, via Brink. Volquez struggled in 2013 with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, but he’s shown no signs of relapsing into bad habits.

The Giants got a nice end-of-the-season jolt from star catcher Buster Posey, who went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer in the team’s final regular-season game. He was the main source of offense for the team, crushing 22 home runs and knocking in 89 RBI.

“I was, to be honest, a little concerned with if he was healthy,” Bochy said, via Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News. “But he showed it with that swing.”

Supplementing Posey will be players like outfielder Hunter Pence, who was second to Posey on the team with 20 home runs and 74 RBI, and Mike Morse, who posted an .811 OPS (on-base plus slugging) and notched 32 doubles.

A healthy Posey will certainly solidify the Giants lineup, but as Pavlovic notes, they may need to dip into their depth if they want to make this a long postseason:

With Angel Pagan and Michael Morse hurt, the Giants will need a deep attack Wednesday and beyond, and they got contributions up and down the roster. Brandon Belt reached base twice and scored a run, continuing his stellar play over the past week. Rookies Joe Panik, Andrew Susac and Matt Duffy are all likely to see postseason action, and they combined for four hits and two RBIs.

The new faces in the lineup and the lack of reams of data on their preferences may affect the Pirates, who have utilized shifts nearly 300 more times this season than the other NL playoff teams, according to ESPN Insider (subscription required) Scott Spratt.

It will be interesting to see if the team can pick its spots behind Volquez and save a run or two in this contest, but with one game deciding its playoff fate, it could opt for a more conservative and balanced approach.

Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who finished the season with an 18-10 record and 2.98 ERA, will do his best to limit the Bucs in this contest, per a report from ESPN.com. 

The Pirates are in remarkable shape for this late in the season and the health of their squad, especially their star trio in the outfield, may prove to be the difference in this contest. Josh Harrison, Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen have caused pitchers plenty of fits on the year with their all-around hitting acumen.

Bumgarner is a fine pitcher and will be a worthy test for the Bucs, but things seem to be going in the Pirates direction. Then again, it’s just one game, and anything can happen.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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If Major League Baseball’s postseason means one thing, it’s the opportunity to pick the winner of each series and determine ahead of time which team will be crowned World Series champs.

OK, the actual results matter too, but that doesn’t make predictions any less fun. Which is why you’re inexplicably drawn by the lure of finding out how everything is (possibly maybe perhaps) going to play out, even if Tuesday merely marks the official start of the 2014 playoffs as the Kansas City Royals host the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Game at 8 p.m. ET on TBS.

With unforeseen injuries and unexpected player performances bound to alter the landscape at any time, a lot can change between now and the night the new champions are raising the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of October.

But if you’d rather have the (potential) results before then, you’ve come to the right place. What follows is one guess as to how everything will unfold between now and the start of the World Series on Oct. 21.

And sure, trying to figure out how the Fall Classic will go this far in advance might seem silly, but we’ll give that a shot too.

After all, our last set of predictions turned out to be on point, so who knows?

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The picture of the 2014 MLB playoffs is set—at least for now. Two single-elimination wild-card games are still to be played to determine the final matchups in the divisional series.

A reeling Oakland Athletics team had to fight off a slump down the stretch just to earn the right to play in the Wild Card Round, where they will visit the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Pirates will then play host to the San Francisco Giants in Wednesday’s showcase.

Here is a closer look at the schedule, when and where to catch the commencement of the postseason and predictions as to which clubs will advance.

Oakland Athletics vs. Kansas City Royals

Neither starting pitcher has lost in this season’s series. Athletics star Jon Lester was 3-0 in three starts with a 2.61 ERA, while James Shields was 1-0 against Oakland in two appearances.

The Royals clearly got the better end of things in the regular season with a 5-2 head-to-head advantage, but that can almost be tossed out the window in this win-or-go-home scenario.

A considerable amount of pressure is on for Kansas City to deliver the win. Otherwise, it will be only a temporary playoff foray that’s been long awaited as it is, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe:

With the importance of starting pitching that tends to come out in the postseason, it would be a shame to see Oakland bow out with the likes of newcomers in Lester and Jeff Samardzija on the roster. Lester appears ready to rise to the occasion after helping the Boston Red Sox win the World Series last year:

The A’s also have superior bats and more long-ball hitters that can change the game quickly. This anecdote from ESPN Stats & Info shows how generally inept the Royals are on offense in key categories:

However, the edge on the basepaths goes to Kansas City, who racked up an American League-best 153 stolen bases in the regular season. If the Royals can get the home Kauffman Stadium crowd into the game early, small-ball tactics may allow the hosts to pull off what should be viewed as an upset.

Lester should be able to keep KC’s multitude of runners in check, thanks in part to his southpaw delivery and tendency to dominate on the big stage.

This should be a gritty, hard-fought, low-scoring battle that sees the A’s edge it out, earning the right to face the Los Angeles Angels.

Prediction: Athletics 4, Royals 3

San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

These teams are as evenly matched as can be on paper, with identical 88-74 records, similar offensive production and team ERAs separated by just .03.

Madison Bumgarner gets the nod for San Francisco, while Edinson Volquez will be on the bump to start for Pittsburgh on Wednesday at PNC Park. Bumgarner stepped up to win 18 games, which was key, since Tim Lincecum posted a 4.74 ERA and Matt Cain was sidelined for the season in July.

The turnaround Volquez has had is particularly impressive, as he posted a career-low 3.07 ERA this year. And that came after seeing his ERA balloon to 5.71 in 2013.

The Associated Press’ Will Graves credited Pirates pitching coach Ray Serage in helping Volquez get back on track:

So who has the edge in this matchup of capable hurlers? Ken Laird of TribLIVE Radio in Pittsburgh points out how several key Pirates contributors have had success against Bumgarner:

Pittsburgh is led by the likes of reigning National League MVP Andrew McCutchen in center field, whose presence as a franchise cornerstone has helped turn the organization around.

ESPN analyst Buster Olney highlighted how much of a tear McCutchen has been on in helping drive the Pirates more prominently into the postseason picture:

McCutchen hasn’t matched up quite as well with Bumgarner, yet he’s been able to hit anything in front of him over the past month. The superstar center fielder is the tone-setter and likely won’t be denied, especially playing at home.

Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review noticed how well Pittsburgh began to hold down opponents toward the end of the year, too:

Although the Giants are entering with more momentum on the strength of two wins over San Diego, Pittsburgh will bounce back and pull off the victory. This Pirates nucleus was in this wild-card situation last season and defeated Cincinnati 6-2. Now they can press further and gain confidence by knocking off a recent World Series champion.

It will be a tall task to advance further for whichever club moves on, as they’ll have to negotiate the best team in the NL in the Washington Nationals. If the Pirates’ relievers can continue their strong form, perhaps Pittsburgh is in for a surprise run.

Prediction: Pirates 6, Giants 4

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And so it is down to 10. Also, 250. Ten, as in the number of teams left alive as we enter the 2014 MLB postseason. And 250, as in the number of players (give or take) who will step onto the October stage.

Two of those teams and a handful of those players will meet in the World Series in less than a month. Either the American League or National League will prove its supremacy. 

Until then, it’s fun to ask: Who has the most star power? Of the five NL and five AL squads that will tussle for the Commissioner’s Trophy, who boasts the brightest wattage, the highest skill level, the most intriguing matchups? 

Let’s take a look. We’ll begin by creating a starting lineup and pitching rotation comprised of each league’s top players (leaving out the DH). To qualify, a player must have made the bulk of his starts at the position in question.

We’ll then analyze which talent-laden group owns the edge and which matchups will be the most enjoyable to watch.

Seems like an entertaining enough diversion while we wait for the games to start for real, right?

The Lineups

American League

1B Miguel Cabrera, DET (honorable mention: Albert Pujols, LAA)

2B Ian Kinsler, DET (Howie Kendrick, LAA)

3B Josh Donaldson, OAK (David Freese, LAA)

SS Alcides Escobar, KC (J.J. Hardy, BAL)

LF Alex Gordon, KC (J.D. Martinez, DET)

CF Mike Trout, LAA (Adam Jones, BAL)

RF Torii Hunter, DET ( Kole Calhoun, LAA)

C Salvador Perez, KC (Derek Norris, OAK)

Pitching rotation: Jon Lester, OAK; Max Scherzer, DET; James Shields, KC; David Price, DET; Sonny Gray, OAK

National League

1B Adrian Gonzalez, LAD (honorable mention: Adam LaRoche, WSH)

2B Neil Walker, PIT (Dee Gordon, LAD)

3B Josh Harrison, PIT (Anthony Rendon, WSH)

SS Ian Desmond, WSH (Hanley Ramirez, LAD)

LF  Starling Marte, PIT (Matt Holliday, STL)

CF Andrew McCutchen, PIT (Denard Span, WSH)

RF Yasiel Puig, LAD (Hunter Pence, SF)

C Buster Posey, SF (Russell Martin, PIT)

Pitching rotation: Clayton Kershaw, LAD; Adam Wainwright, STL; Jordan Zimmerman, WSH; Doug Fister, WSH; Madison Bumgarner, SF

Who’s Got the Edge?

There are superstars in both groups, no question. Trout, Cabrera, McCutchen, Puig—these are some of the biggest household names in baseball, familiar to the casual fan or the person on the street. They’re the players and personalities who will draw attention no matter what.

What about statistically? Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, is an imperfect measure of a player’s value, but as a quick and easy metric, it’ll do. 

Of the players listed above, Trout leads the way with an 7.8 WAR, per FanGraphs. McCutchen is second at 6.8. The only others on the list to crack the top ten among MLB position players are Donaldson (6.4), Gordon (6.6) and Rendon (6.6).

But, again, WAR isn’t the final word. Look at those lineups, position by position. The AL probably has the edge at a few spots, but they’re all close. Even in center field, where you’d think Trout would be a shoo-in, the NL counters with its own five-tool stud in McCutchen.

The NL, meanwhile, owns a clear advantage in right field (Puig over Hunter) and catcher (Posey over Perez).

Then there are the arms. Good as the AL’s hurlers are—and they’re plenty good—we’ll take Kershaw and Wainwright over Lester and Scherzer.

The back end of the NL’s rotation is also ridiculously loaded. Zimmerman, fresh off his season-ending no-hitter, is backed by his teammate Fister, who may have had an even better year, and Bumgarner, the San Francisco Giants’ tough-as-nails lefty. 

It’s close, but we’re giving this to the NL on both skill and star power.

The Marquee Matchups

Let’s start with the NLDS showdown between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1 of that series will feature what MLB.com‘s Stephen Pianovich correctly called, “One of the best playoff pitching matchups you could possibly imagine.”

Kershaw was unquestionably the most dominant pitcher in baseball this season, finishing with a 1.77 ERA and striking out 239 in 198.1 innings.

Wainwright, though, has the October pedigree. While Kershaw has struggled at times in the playoffs, posting a 4.23 ERA in nine appearances, Wainwright’s postseason line is sterling: 2.53 ERA, 0.990 WHIP, 67.2 IP, 76 SO.

And the Cy Young-caliber foils could meet twice if the series goes deep. 

Over in the AL, maybe the most intriguing early matchup is the AL Wild Card Game. That pits Jon Lester, another postseason-tested ace, against the Kansas City Royals, the least postseason-tested team in baseball.

Lester owns a 2.11 ERA in 13 playoff appearances, which is exactly 13 more playoff appearances than the Royals have made since 1985. Kansas City may be a Cinderella story, but its unhappy ending could come quickly at the hands of Oakland’s hired gun.

“That’s what we got him for,” A’s manager Bob Melvin told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. “That’s why the rotation was set up the way it was. That’s why you have a guy like that. When he takes the mound, the team’s going to feel awfully good about their chances.”

Looking forward, if the A’s do get past K.C., they’d meet the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, the club they grappled with in the AL West for much of the season before the Halos pulled away.

And speaking of California rivalries, the 2014 playoffs might give us the first-ever (ever!) postseason clash between the Dodgers and Giants.

For this matchup to occur, the Giants will need to get past the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card Game and then defeat the loaded Nationals in the NLDS. The Dodgers would have to dispatch St. Louis.

If it happens, though, oh boy.

It’s impossible to overstate how big that series would be for those old rivals, who have followed each other across a continent and traded blows for more than a century. Imagine popping the cork off a 125-year-old bottle of champagne, and you’ve got some idea.

So we’ll give a slight edge to the NL in the matchup department, too, even if some of these scenarios never play out.

Mostly, this has all the makings of a star-studded, action-packed postseason. Bring it on.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The 162-game regular season is gone. The 2014 MLB playoffs are here. Rejoice baseball fans.

The first two playoff matchups are just around the corner, and the do-or-die atmosphere that comes with a one-game Wild Card Round is sure to make these two contests even more intense.

In the American League, you’ve got the Oakland Athletics looking to exercise the demons of their 2013 American League Division Series exit, while the Kansas City Royals are making their return to the postseason for the first time since 1985, snapping the longest postseason drought in the four major sports.

As Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star points out, that distinction now belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays:

Over in the senior circuit, the Pittsburgh Pirates are participating in their second straight Wild Card Game against the San Francisco Giants, who are making their fourth postseason appearance in the last five years.

So who will win these matchups, and whose postseason stay will last just one game?

American League Wild Card

First on the docket is Kansas City and Oakland on Tuesday night.

This one will feature on heck of a pitching matchup with the Royals’ James Shields squaring off against Jon Lester, according to Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star:

Both starters are among the AL’s elite, and both are known as workhorses. This year, however, Lester’s numbers point to an advantage for Oakland in this matchup:

When it comes to the two pitchers in the postseason, the big southpaw has the edge as well:

The man they call “Big Game James” told MLB.com that he’s ready to go and would have been confident regardless of Kansas City’s opponent after Game 162:

In terms of the two teams at the plate, the Royals hold the edge in team batting average, but Oakland finished out front in other important offensive categories:

Finally when it comes to the two teams’ bullpens, Oakland once again has the better numbers:

It’s important to remember, though, that Kansas City did end up finishing ahead of the A’s in the standings, earning themselves home-field advantage for this crucial do-or-die game. 

Oakland also stumbled into the postseason, posting a record of 10-16 in the month of September, compared to Kansas City’s 15-12 mark, which should dissuade the notion that this one should be a win for Oakland.

Ultimately, this one should be as close as the final standings—in which these teams were separated by just a game—indicate.

Prediction: Oakland may be struggling heading into the one-game playoff in Kansas City, but with Lester being so dominant in the postseason, and the slight edge they hold offensively and in the bullpen, Oakland should advance to play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Oakland 3, Kansas City 1

National League Wild Card

Just one night after the first matchup, it will be the National League’s turn to shine.

The Wild Card matchup between the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates should also be a tight one.

This one will see the Pirates’ Edinson Volquez face off with the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner:

When it comes to these two starters, Bumgarner has to be favored to help his team into the NLDS.

With all due respect to Volquez, this is his first real standout season since 2008, while Bumgarner has developed into a legitimate staff ace over the course of the past few years.

Across the board, the southpaw has been better than Volquez this season:

The fact that Bumgarner also has a respectable postseason ERA of 3.79 and WHIP of 1.23, while Volquez only has one playoff appearance in which he gave up four earned runs in just 1.2 innings also points to the Giants holding a big advantage.

Pittsburgh will need its offense to play its best ball and take advantage of the few opportunities that Bumgarner may concede.

They’ll also need all the support they can get from the “blacked out” crowd:

Prediction: Starting pitching is the name of the game in the postseason, and Bumgarner gives the Giants too big of an edge to pick against them.

San Francisco Giants 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Regardless of your opinion of the two-team Wild Card format, it provides an incredible amount of excitement and intensity.

With the AL’s participants separated by just a game and the NL’s two clubs having identical 88-74 records, this season’s sudden-death matchups should be incredible affairs.

Jon Reid is a correspondent for Bleacher Report. Follow him on twitter @JonReidCSM.

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You’re a fan without a nation. 

The 2014 MLB Playoff field is set, and while you mourn your beloved New York Yankees from your home probably nowhere near New York, you need a surrogate team. Well, the Washington Nationals bandwagon is accepting applications, and no other franchise makes a better case for your temporary affection. 

The single biggest selling point for Washington isn’t its National League-best 96-66 record, but the way in which those 96 games were won. 

And the only way to truly understand the grit that defines the Nationals is to take an uncomfortable trip down memory lane.

The Nationals don’t play with a chip on their shoulder, they carry around a family-sized bag that they picked up from a 2013 season that can only be qualified as an abject failure.

Washington was coming off a 2012 campaign that saw them earn the best record in baseball, and the core of that season’s roster was still intact for 2013. But the Nationals under-performed from the get go, finding themselves in the conversation for “baseball’s most disappointing team,” according to an article by SportingNews’s Justin McGuire that year. 

The individual parts were a disappointment – i.e. Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg – and their sum was a disappointment. 

It is for that reason that Washington is taking nothing for granted this year, and it’s made the Nationals the most fun team in baseball to watch. And from top to bottom, every member of Washington’s roster wants to win every game. 

And they want it bad.

In a season that spans 162 games across five-plus months, two distinct moments during the summer of 2014 can be pointed to as evidence of that spirit. 

In middle-to-late August, Washington matched its franchise-record win streak of 10 games. 

That’s not the impressive part. 

Half of those games were won in walk-off fashion. The Washington Post’s Neil Greenberg calculated the likelihood of a run like that to be around 0.0977 percent. 

That’s the kind of season 2014 has been for Washington. The Nationals are extremely talented, and they’ve won the games they’re supposed to win, which should have been good for six or seven of those 10 games. 

The remaining wins in the streak? Baseball giveth and baseball taketh away, and the Nationals have made good on the former this year.

The other instance that encapsulated what Washington has been able to do this year fell on the very last day of the season.

Jordan Zimmerman’s no-hitter in game No. 162 of the year saw him exercise complete dominance over helpless Marlins hitters, until the very last out. 

Steven Souza Jr. took over in left field before the start of the ninth inning, making just his 21st big-league appearance of the season, and made arguably the catch of the season to preserve the first no-hitter in franchise history.

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