This has been quite a year in the major leagues. Three teams won over 100 games this season with the Dodgers leading the way at 104-58, followed by the Indians at 102-60, and the Astros at 101-61. There were 6,105 homers hit this season, a major league record, surpassing the record of 5,693 set in 2000. There were also 39,854 strikeouts, most ever, surpassing the mark of 38,982, set last season.

The stars will be out. Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), Chris Sale (Red Sox), Bryce Harper (Nationals), Jose Altuve (Astros), and Andrew Miller (Indians) among other stellar players. The Red Sox’ Sale, who struck out 308 hitters this season, was the first American League pitcher to strike out 300 in 18 years. Altuve, of the Astros, hit .346 this season. He was a hitting machine at 2nd base. The Dodgers’ Kershaw, despite going on the DL for a while in August, won 18 games and posted a 2.31 ERA with 202 strikeouts against just 30 walks, a 7:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Harper had an injury issue at the end of the season but came back and will be ready for the postseason for the  Nationals. He hit .319 with 29 homers and 87 Ribeyes while missing over a month at the end of the season with the injury. He had an MVP season despite the injury and came back at the end of the season and is ready for the postseason. Miller was hurt later in the season, but was incredibly stellar for the Indians out of the pen last season in middle relief and can be un-hittable. The Red Sox now have David Price coming out of the pen and Price has been electric throwing 8 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out 13 since returning from an elbow injury. He’ll be a factor for the BoSox, like he was for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, his first season in the majors, when he played a big part in leading the Rays to the World Series, where they lost to the Phillies in 6 games. There are some superb bullpens and hitters like Aaron Judge of the Yankees, who crushed  52 out of the yard this season as a rookie, the most ever by a rookie,  second only to the Miami Marlins’ awesome Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 59. Judge is a long ball machine. At 6’7″, 282,  he’s built like a Sherman Tank and can flat out destroy a baseball. The Yankees are dangerous.

And you surely can’t forget the defending world series champion Chicago Cubs. They played super baseball in the second half of the season. The remarkable duo of Kris Bryant (.295, 29 hrs,73 RBIs) and Anthony Rizzo (.273, 32, 109) have the Cubs right in the thick of repeating for a title, which would be the first time that’s happened since the Yankees did it during the 1998-2000 seasons.

Here are 2017 predictions for what will be a spectacular postseason.

AL Wild Card, 7 PM CT, Tuesday, ESPN

Yankees 4, Twins 3

NL Wild Card, Wednesday, 7 PM CT, TBS

Dbacks 5, Rockies 4

American League Division Series

Indians over Yankees in 5

Astros over Red Sox in 5 

Should be 2 really terrific series.

NLDS

Dodgers over Dbacks in 4

Nationals over Cubsin 5

American League Championship Series

Indians over Astros in 7

 National League Championship Series

Dodgers over Nationals in 7

Two very hard fought series with 4 elite teams featuring massive competitiveness and talent. It will make for some epic drama.

2017 World Series, FOX will televise

Joe Buck and Smoltzie on the call

The Indians, with extraordinary starter Corey Kluber, who was 18-4, with 2.25 ERA, 265 K’s against 36 walks, an 8:1 K-walk ratio, versus Kershaw and the phenomenal Dodgers, will be a superb fall classic. I like Cleveland, shortstop Francisco Lindor, who hit 33 home runs this season, Kluber,  Miller, closer Cody Allen and the Indians to edge out the Dodgers and capture Cleveland’s first World Series championship since 1948. I predicted Cleveland over the Cubs before the season started. The Indians won 22 in a row this season from August 24th to Septemeber 15th. I’ll stick with the Believeland Indians over the LA Dodgers. 

Indians over Dodgers in 6

Game 6, Indians win 2-1

Kluber, Miller and Allen barely out-pitch Kershaw and the Dodgers arms while containing the Dodgers’ arsenal of hitters.

World Series MVP: Corey Kluber

Postseason Hype Vid, performed by Silence, courtesy of

Youtube