And what, prey tell (i.e. so I don't have to give them a clickthrough) is their rationale?
Not much reasoning given --- the article is mostly just a list of each person's picks for each round. Notable excerpts:
* Rosenthal: "I just have a hunch about the Indians, nothing more, but my apologies in advance to their fans. My picks not only are always wrong, but often they are spectacularly wrong!"
* Stark: "First off, I can’t pick the Astros because nobody ever repeats in any sport except the Warriors. But even if I could, I’m all in on the Brewers right now. The road to parade floats in the 21st century runs through the bullpen. And the best bullpen in baseball these days can be found hanging out with Bernie Brewer."
* Sarris: "What do the Indians lack? They once lacked some bullpen firepower, but with Andrew Miller back and throwing 94 mph, and Brad Hand… in hand, the Indians’ bullpen has been sixth-best in baseball in the past month. They had the best rotation in baseball, and Trevor Bauer is back. They only had the seventh-best lineup this year by league- and park-adjusted numbers, but they struck out less than any team above them, and making contact is the best way to collect lotto tickets in the postseason. Francisco Lindor and José Ramírez are the best keystone in baseball, and Cleveland has cobbled together an outfield. This is the year."
* Gammons: "This is a better Astros team than last season, even if Carlos Correa’s back doesn’t come around. They now have Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Dallas Keuchel, and while that troika’s innings help the bullpen breathe, the relief is deeper and better with the additions of Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly and Josh James, all big power arms that allow Lance McCullers to be used anytime, anywhere, anyhow. Combined, Osuna, Pressly and James have a 1.69 earned run average with an 80-13 strikeout-walk ratio in 69 innings. And Alex Bregman succeeds George Springer as World Series MVP."
* Posnanski: "The Tribe has flown under the radar all season, playing well below their Pythagorean expectation, cruising to a division title while the spotlight has shined on the Yankees and Astros. But this team still has what I think is the best rotation in baseball, they have a well-rounded and athletic offense, and while their bullpen has faltered in the regular season, guys like Andrew Miller and Cody Allen are postseason stalwarts." [Note: Posnanski grew up an Indians fan in Cleveland.]
