The MLB postseason gives us a lot of chances to talk about who can give the best performances over and over until they win a title. You might not have noticed that certain teams are on the cusp of being great while others just happen to be there. I have been watching with some interest to see if these teams will expose their true potential for greatness. I believe I have found the answers, and this is who I see winning each series leading up to the World Series.

Astros or Red Sox?

The Astros can win this series if they continue the clutch hitting they seem to have had all season.

However, it has to continue for the game after game because they can get in a slump that would see them lose the series quickly. The Red Sox could surprise them, but that is not all that likely. It is more likely that young hitting will end this series well for the Astros.

Yankees or Indians?

The Indians are certainly capable of going undefeated this postseason, but they will probably drop some games to good teams like the Yankees. It is very hard for teams to go undefeated in the postseason, and it is even harder for them to look perfect. The Indians were literally perfect for over 20 games, but they only need to win a few games to win a title. Ultimately, they will beat the Yankees and end this surprise season in New York.

Cubs or Diamondbacks?

The Cubs have the hot hand, and there is no amount of offense or pitching in Arizona that can change that. There is no breaking down this series. The Cubs are the second hottest team in baseball, and they will walk right through the DBacks on their way to the NLCS.

Dodgers and Nationals

The Dodgers should run rough-shod over the Nationals like it almost means nothing.

However, The Dodgers backed into the playoffs in spectacular fashion. They looked as bad as you could look for a month, and they simply are not inspiring anyone to pick them to win the World Series. They should win this series, but they might not win it in very good fashion. Perhaps they need to get the cobwebs out before they can move on.

Why the hot hand matters

You can look at the Cubs and easily forget that they looked worse than any other reigning World Series champion to start the season. Everyone wrote them off, and now they are favorites in many people's eyes. This team could easily go back to the World Series, and you probably forgot that the Astros were not supposed to be this good right now. They merely planned to be better. The hot hand matters, and it could change everything.
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