Playoff Predictions: National League Edition

National League Division Series

Cincinnati Reds v. Philadelphia Phillies

Why the Reds will win:

-Bullpen. The Reds relievers go four deep at least. Aroldis Chapman, Arthur Rhodes, Nick Masset and closer Francisco Cordero all had good numbers this year and give the Reds a lot of options in late game situations. Dusty Baker can play match-ups well with the lefties in this bullpen as well.
-They do not give outs away. The Reds had the highest fielding percentage in the majors, tied with the Padres. They also had the lowest National League error count at 72. In the infield, Orlando Cabrera had 11 at shortstop, but Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen, and Joey Votto had just 16 errors total. Their infield is airtight and will not give the Phillies chances that they do not earn.

Why the Reds won't win:

-Inexperience. Their roster is very young, with minimal playoff experience among their star players (Bruce, Phillips, Votto). The pitching staff is also very inexperienced, with only Bronson Arroyo having started a postseason game in his career. Facing an experienced team like the Phillies could expose that inexperience.

Why the Phillies will win:
-Pitching. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. When Hamels is considered a teams third best pitcher, that is bad news for anyone who runs across them--especially in a five game series where it only takes three wins to take the series. The Phillies staff had the lowest total of walks in the NL this year, with just 416. They will make the Reds earn their runs in this series.
-They have been here before. The Phillies are becoming a postseason staple over the last few years. Most of the players on their roster have been here before, and have won in October before. Especially on the offensive side, the Phillies roster is heavy-laden with playoff experience.

Why the Phillies won't win:
-Injuries. It does not look like Placido Polanco will make an appearance in this series, and Jimmy Rollins is not at 100%. Chase Utley also spent time on the DL this year. They have the firepower with guys like Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth to put up runs, but a healthy Rollins would be a big plus for the Phillies, as would having Polanco in the lineup.

Who will win: Phillies in four.


Atlanta Braves v. San Francisco Giants

Why the Braves will win:
-Pitching. The Braves pitching has carried them all season, without it, there is no way they are in the playoffs. With Derek Lowe pitching well of late, Tim Hudson coming off a solid season, and Tommy Hanson holding his own, the Braves have a good starting three. The bullpen also features numerous hard-throwing arms, including closer Billy Wagner.
-Bobby Cox. In the Hall-of-Fame managers final season, there is no greater motivation for this team to win. He also may have pulled off his best managerial job yet by getting this club to the postseason.

Why the Braves won't win:

-Injuries, injuries, injuries. The Braves are without future Hall-of-Famer Chipper Jones, All-Star second baseman Martin Prado, and starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens. Losing one of those players, especially Jones or Prado, is enough to dent a teams playoff chances, but all three is a lot to overcome. Then Kris Medlen and Eric O'Flaherty are both out of the season as well. The Braves' other major concern is where will runs come from in their lineup without Jones and Prado.

Why the Giants will win:

-Starting pitching. Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Jonathan Sanchez all won at least 13 games, with sub-3.50 ERA's. They form a tough trio, particularly with two-time Cy Young winner Lincecum opening the series. The whole pitching staff led the majors this year with a 3.36 ERA, and Brian Wilson tied a franchise record for saves in a season. The staff also led the majors in strikeouts, but at the same time, walked a lot of batters and the Braves batters led the NL in walks. That could be a key in this series.
-This team is hot and has played in a difficult stretch run. The Giants final series with the Padres had the feel of a playoff series, because it practically was. They already have been in the postseason mindset for a little while now. That should have them prepared for the pressure of the playoffs now.

Why the Giants won't win:
-Similar to the Reds, the Giants lack substantial playoff experience. Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand both bring in some experience, as does Juan Uribe, but other than that, none of these guys have been there before. Rookie catcher Buster Posey is a phenomenal player, and a future superstar, but he will have a lot of pressure on him hitting out of the clean-up slot and handling the pitching staff in this series. The Giants also lack team speed, as they tied for last in the majors with 55 stolen bases and they grounded in an NL-leading 158 double plays.

Who will win: Braves in five.


National League Championship Series 

Atlanta Braves v. Philadelphia Phillies
-The Phillies are the best team in the National League at this point, and the winner of their series with the Reds is the likely NL champion. The Phillies just have a leg up on the Braves in experience, hitting, and have had the Braves number for most of the year--especially in the late season.

Who will win: Phillies in five.