Guest Post: 2012 MLB NL Playoff Predictions

The MLB playoffs are right around the corner. With the All-Star Game now in the books, the MLB season has hit that critical stretch where every game's importance feels multiplied. This is especially the case in the National League; a league where, of all teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the most frequently discussed clubs.

Looking into baseball's postseason, the biggest contrast compared to recent years is the implementation of the new Wild Card format. While in the past only one team qualified for the Wild Card slot, this year will see a one-game playoff between the top two teams that don't win their division. This new system is more forgiving on teams that start slow and perhaps catch fire later in the season.

If the season were to end today, the Wild Card playoff would see the Braves, Pirates or Reds facing off, but that game is hardly etched in stone. The Braves ended May in an absolutely miserable fashion, and they struggled to win games all throughout the month of June. Other teams are close to snagging that last slot, including the Cardinals and Dodgers. It may not matter much, though. The Reds or Pirates - whichever team doesn't win the NL Central - are both strong enough clubs that it's hard to imagine them losing. Still, a series that lasts all of one game is impossible to predict accurately, and a weaker club just might slip through.

Assuming the NL playoffs come down to the top four teams based on record, that means fans this fall will be treated to one series between the Nationals and the Reds and another between the Pirates and the Giants. It seems unlikely that the Nationals will lose to the Wild Card winner, just because they've played such solid ball all season long. Behind Ian Desmond's strong hitting and a bullpen that features Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg, the Nationals might be the most talented team player-by-player in the entire NL. At the same time, though, there's a strong chance that they'll face the Reds or Pirates - both teams that trail by just a few games right now. One team will probably slide by the time the playoffs hit, though, and it will be that weaker team who the Nationals play against.

That means that the Nationals will face off in the NL Championship Game against the Giants, the Pirates or the Reds. The Reds are a solid club, but too much of their success can be traced to rookie Zack Cozart, and that's never good for a team's chances at postseason success. The Giants have similar question marks about their ability to hold up through the rest of the season and the playoffs, meaning that the Pirates and their strong play are the most likely candidate to get a shot at the Nationals.

An NL Championship featuring the Nationals and the Pirates would be entertaining, if not just a bit surreal due to Pittsburgh's reputation for futility. A series like that could go either way, although the edge has to go to Washington for their personnel advantages. Even though both of these teams have played fantastic this season, whoever wins the NL Championship isn't likely to make it much further than that. That's not a knock on the National League as much as it is a compliment to the American League. Both the Nationals and the Pirates simply lack the batting stroke to make it past Texas, and the Yankees are too loaded with talent.

With that said, there's a reason that teams play the game. Some teams lose their edge in the postseason and others catch fire. No matter how things look in July, any NL team that qualifies for the playoffs could be adding a World Series to its resume by the end of October. The Nationals look like a lock, but if last year taught us anything, it's that no one should be surprised if a team that's been written off comes through and wins the World Series. On that note, St. Louis is only a few games out of that last Wild Card spot...
By Don Phan - Just another sports enthusiast. Be sure to check out his 2012 AL predictions.