Division Series Previews:

For a regular season that featured relatively few surprises, the postseason has started off with a bang. Closers have gone unused and used in the Wild Card games, setting up four highly anticipated match-ups.

Blue Jays/Rangers:

Round 3 figures to be a slugfest, after round 2 was literally a slugfest. Put the Rougned Odor and Jose Bautista fireworks aside and you have a very intriguing matchup. The Blue Jays, who faltered down the stretch, blowing a division lead and having to use the play in game in order to secure a playoff berth, have had an under achieving offense for most of the year. Their fate will rest on the arms of their young pitchers, most notably Aaron Sanchez, as they collectively led the AL in ERA and had a run differential of +93. The Rangers will rely on the steady bats of veterans Adrian Beltre and Carlos Beltran, and will look to prove that their league high 95 wins was no fluke, despite their absurd record in 1 run games and their marginal run differential of just +8. This one may come down to how well Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels perform.

Red Sox/ Indians:

The favorite in the AL just a few months ago figured to be the Indians, but the tides have turned on the heels of many crippling injuries, in particular to the starting rotation. The strength of the Indians will be their bullpen, and the fact that they have home field advantage. The Red Sox, meanwhile, got 22 wins out of Baseball Factory alum, Rick Porcello and an MVP caliber season out of Mookie Betts. Coupled with the magic that David Ortiz has captured in his final season, the Red Sox are the prohibitive favorite to win the AL pennant.  Cleveland must hope to steal a few wins on days that Corey Kluber starts and hope that their bullpen is up to the task of facing a deep Sox lineup, otherwise, Boston will be playing for yet another shot at the World Series.

Dodgers/Nationals:

Speaking of injuries, no team in the playoffs has been hamstrung by injury more than Washington. Losing Stephen Strasburg and Wilson Ramos do significant damage to their hopes of advancing. Further hurting matters is the fact that Bryce Harper has been plagued by what is perceived to be a shoulder issue and that Daniel Murphy had one at bat in his final 10 games because of a strained buttocks. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have Clayton Kershaw back and ready to roll. Their lefty heavy lineup has mashed pitching in the 2^nd half, and they appear ready to take the next step to the NLCS. This series may come down to how well Gio Gonzalez pitches for Washington, as LA has been historically bad at hitting left handed pitchers this season.

Giants/Cubs:

In what is the most highly anticipated Division Series in some time, the Giants will look to sustain their even year magic against a Chicago team that won 103 games. The Cubs have had historically good pitching and defense, and that will be their calling card in this series, as they look to score a run off Madison Bumgarner. The Giants, meanwhile, will ride their cast of mostly unsung heroes and attempt to march to their 3^rd NLCS in 6 years. The pitching match-ups of Cueto-Lester, Samardjiza-Hendricks and Bumgarner-Arrieta will make this series one to remember for a long time, no matter which way it goes. If the Cubs can manage to take the first two games, they may be able to put San Francisco away before Bumgarner can become a large factor in the series.