CommRadio's 2025 postseason predictions

162 games have come and gone for all 30 MLB teams, and for 12 of them, the new season has begun the quest for the Commissioner's Trophy.

The 2025 MLB Postseason kicked off on Tuesday with the AL and NL Wild Card Series.

With the festivities now underway, here are our predictions.

Daniel’s predictions: American League

Wild Card Series

No. 3 Cleveland Guardians defeat No. 6 Detroit Tigers, 2-1

It's truly incredible how the Tigers' downfall ended their season. A rematch of one of the ALDS matchups from last year, Detroit has all the reasons to seek revenge.

But they won’t. I can maybe see Detroit stealing one game in this series with Tarik Skubal on the mound, but I don’t see them taking any other game in this series.

The Cleveland offense has been good as of late, and also rode a hot hand into the playoffs, being 7-3 in their last 10.

No. 4 New York Yankees defeat No. 5 Boston Red Sox, 2-0

The Yankees have two delicious starters on the mound in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. Boston’s answer to Fried in Game 1 is Garrett Crochet, who will most likely receive first-place votes for the Cy Young Award with his 2.59 ERA and MLB-leading 255 strikeouts.

But Crochet will have to face the Yankees under the lights at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, which holds an entirely different atmosphere in October. Entering this series, the southpaw has only registered three innings in the postseason back when he was with the White Sox.

As for the Yankees, they have a monster hiding in plain sight in Giancarlo Stanton. While the boo birds will certainly go after Stanton during the regular season, he knows how to silence them when it matters most.

Plus, if Aaron Judge can overcome his (so far) inability to perform on the same stage as Stanton, it might be able to make up for concerns that certainly exist regarding the bullpen.

Boston has eliminated New York the last three times they’ve met in the postseason (2004, 2018, 2021). It’s time for history to change.

Division Series

No. 2 Seattle Mariners defeat No. 3 Cleveland Guardians, 3-1

They say that defense wins championships, and the best defense you can get besides your actual fielders is lights-out pitching. Seattle has that in a 1-2-3 punch of Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo and Logan Gilbert.

Woo had the best ERA of the three, a 2.94, and also had a streak of 25 games in which he lasted at least 6.0+ innings pitched. He also allowed 4+ earned runs in only six of 30 starts this season.

On the other side of the ball, the Mariners lineup has Julio Rodríguez and, of course, Cal Raleigh, who put up video game numbers this season and have earned their names in an MVP conversation against Judge.

No. 4 New York Yankees defeat No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3

It’s no secret that the Yankees struggled against the Blue Jays this season. It’s also no secret that the Yankees usually struggle against AL East teams. So how do they get through two in the first two rounds of the postseason?

Like I said earlier, baseball in the Bronx is a completely different environment. You can practically throw the regular season out. I think New York knows that Toronto thinks they’re better than them.

Ever since George Springer (allegedly) accused the umpires of trying to “give New York the division,” clearly, the water is starting to boil in Toronto.

But to Toronto’s credit, there’s a lot of damage that can be done around the field. Whether it be the usual suspects like Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk, or even others that you might not think of, like Addison Barger and Davis Schneider.

Championship Series

No. 2 Seattle Mariners defeat No. 4 New York Yankees, 4-2

Remember earlier, I mentioned history-changing? This might be an even better example of it. 24 years ago, the Seattle Mariners tied an MLB record with 116 wins in the regular season, only to be bounced in the ALCS by the Yankees in five games.

But while Boston and Toronto have that one really good starter, Seattle has three of those, as mentioned earlier. I also envision the Yankees' bullpen being somewhat fatigued at this point,t and looking how they did during the regular season.

Although the playoffs do not affect MVP ballots, it gives Raleigh at least one more chance to prove his case to the fans for why he deserves the award by sending his franchise to the World Series for the first time in its existence.

Adam’s predictions: National League

Wild Card Series

No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers defeat No. 6 Cincinnati Reds, 2-1

Regardless of what happens in this series, you have to give the Reds credit for making it this far.

Cincinnati did just enough in the last weekend of the season to grab the sixth and final National League spot and leave the New York Mets on the outside looking in.

When it comes to predicting this series, the Reds’ pitching staff will make this interesting, as well as Terry Francona being able to out-coach Dave Roberts.

In the end, I believe that the Dodgers' offense, specifically Shohei Ohtani, will come alive and do enough to send them back to the Division Series once again.

No. 5 San Diego Padres defeat No. 4 Chicago Cubs, 2-1

Even though Dan is predicting the AL side, I believe this is the hardest Wild Card series to predict.

Both teams have solid offenses and good pitching staffs, and are led by veteran managers.

However, this will be the Padres' second consecutive trip to the Postseason and third in the last four years, and it will be the Cubs’ first Postseason action since 2020.

San Diego’s experience of playing in a must-win game, and Chicago’s roster being vastly different than their 2020 squad, leads me to believe that the Padres will overcome the raucous Wrigley Field crowd and win this series.

Division Series

No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies defeat No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2

As a Phillies fan, I’ve accepted that this matchup is going to happen, and no matter how much I don’t want it, I’m ready for it.

Even if the Dodgers’ bullpen has struggled and even if they regressed, they are the defending champions and should be treated as such. I expect LA to make this interesting, but give me the Phillies.

Philadelphia won four out of its six contests with the Dodgers this year, including the night they clinched their second consecutive NL East championship.

The fans are hungry for a great Red October, and the team will be motivated after their early exit last season.

No. 5 San Diego Padres defeat No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers, 3-1

I want to buy into the Brewers' hype. I really, really do, but I can’t.

Even if it’s meant to be the year for Bob Uecker, nothing they’ve done in past Postseasons can allow me to believe in Milwaukee.

The Brewers are 2-6 in Postseason games since 2021 and haven’t won a series in that span. The Padres, meanwhile, have won three of the five series they’ve played in during that time frame.

If the Brewers lose one game at American Family Field, it could be game over when they go to a tough Petco Park environment.

Will this finally be the year Milwaukee gets over the hump? I don’t think so.

Championship Series

No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies defeat No. 5 San Diego Padres, 4-2

Time for a rematch?

The Phillies and Padres defied the odds when they faced off in the 2022 NLCS, a series that saw Philadelphia win in five games and advance to its first World Series since 2009.

That series featured some great games and moments, including the swing of Bryce Harper’s life (as the great Joe Davis described it) in the clincher.

This Padres team, in my opinion, is better than the 2022 squad, but I still believe the Phillies would win if the two faced off. Time will tell to see if these two meet for more chaos.

Adam Pietrzak is a fifth-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email app5940@psu.edu.

Daniel Studer is a fourth-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dbs5866@psu.edu.