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The MLB playoffs are finally upon us and the ALDS and NLDS matchups are locked in after the Wild Card games took place. In one super intriguing ALDS series, the Chicago White Sox will take on the Houston Astros.
Chicago took care of the AL Central this year in convincing fashion as they steamrolled into the MLB playoffs. The Astros had to create some separation from the likes of the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics throughout the year but, they ended up claiming the AL West.
It should be an incredible back-and-forth series to get things going in the MLB playoffs. Here are three bold predictions for the White Sox – Astros ALDS series.
This series will feature the most offense in any of the ALDS or NLDS series'
While both teams feature plenty of top tier pitching that they'll bring to the table in this series, the offenses for the White Sox and Astros are next level and have been for most of the year. That trend should continue in the MLB playoffs.
The core in Houston is well established and everyone knows the names of Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley and Alex Bregman by now. The same can be said for the White Sox with Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert.
With not a lot of weaknesses in either lineup, this series will produce the most fireworks of any divisional series in terms of runs scored on a per game basis.
Milwaukee and Atlanta screams low scoring given the three-headed monster the Brewers have and with Charlie Morton pacing the way for the Braves in their series to kick off the MLB playoffs.
San Francisco and Los Angeles will be a classic series as the NL West rivals tee off. The Giants' offense has been stout all year but good luck against Walker Buehler, Max Scherzer and Julio Urias.
Boston and Tampa Bay could come close to the offensive numbers that will be seen in the Astros – White Sox series but that will only be the case if the Red Sox bullpen bubbles over.
The pitching and the bullpens are both solid in Chicago and Houston. The offenses are just flat out better and have shown that to be the case throughout the season.
Young stars will own the spotlight
Names like Jose Abreu for the White Sox and Carlos Correa for the Astros will show up and show out, per the usual. In this series though, on the grandest of all stages, the young stars will actually own the spotlight.
For the White Sox, that means Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert becoming household names for MLB fans as they display their raw power and tape measure worthy home runs. For the Astros, it consists of names like Kyle Tucker and Jordan Alvarez, both of whom have had a taste of the MLB playoffs already in their careers.
There's no doubting that the big name players will have their moments as they usually do, but the young stars that will help prop these organizations for years to come will display why in this series. When watching Jimenez and Robert throughout the season, it's easy to notice that both embrace the spotlight. It could not have been more evident than in the Field of Dreams Game against the New York Yankees. They both embrace the crunch time moments.
With Tucker and Alvarez, both have dipped their toes into the postseason before and will be more suited this time around to settle in and provide for Houston's offense. There's no better time than the MLB playoffs to make a name for yourself and these young stars will set out to do just that.
White Sox will win the series
This might not seem bold but the Astros have been the model of consistency in the playoffs in recent seasons. Last year when the Minnesota Twins were the next big thing in the MLB playoffs, the Astros swept them out of the postseason in the ALDS. This year, it's the White Sox. However, it will be Chicago who gets the last laugh.
Carlos Rodon's availability is a big question mark for the White Sox but even if he can't give it a full-go, a rotation featuring Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease is pretty dang good.
The bullpen has flamethrowers all around with Craig Kimbrel, Liam Hendriks, Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet. And the offense has been referenced enough to know that they are legitimate.
It won't be walk through the park for the White Sox but this feels more like their year to make a World Series push through the MLB playoffs especially with the effort they put in at the MLB Trade Deadline despite having control of the AL Central.
The expectations were sky high for the White Sox entering this season and they have lived up to the hype so far. Taking out the Astros is the next step.
