The 2026 MLB playoffs are down to eight teams, and the four teams that earned byes are ready to join the fun. The League Division Series kick off on Saturday with Yankees vs. As such, your CBS Sports MLB experts are here to predict how each of the best-of-five series will go.
Below are picks from our MLB writers for every Wild Card Series, plus odds for each series from DraftKings. (Series odds: White Sox +120, Guardians -140) Axisa: What a great draw for Cleveland as the No. 2 seed. They got a Wild Card Series bye and will take on a White Sox team that is pushing the limits of its pitching depth. Parker Messick and Gavin Williams are a very strong top two and the bullpen is excellent as well.
That's always the question with the Guardians. I think they'll scratch together enough offense against a tired White Sox staff, and win three games that are closer than my sweep prediction suggests. Pick: Guardians in 3 McWilliams: Give me the upset.
Cleveland has the pitching to make things difficult, but Chicago has the power to change a game with one swing. These teams know each other extremely well, and I expect another tight series. I'm banking on Chicago's offense to make the difference.
Pick: White Sox in 5 Perry: Tough call, as these clubs seem pretty evenly matched right now. Power tends to rule in the playoffs, and the White Sox have more of it. During the regular season, the Sox ranked fifth in MLB with 211 home runs, while the Guards were 27th with 162.
For what it's worth, Chicago also out-homered them in road games. The power gap will make the difference in this one. Pick: White Sox in 5 Snyder: I buy the White Sox vibes here against the strong Guardians' pitching staff.
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