The two Wild Card match-ups were perfect, the exact reason why Major League Baseball add them five years ago. 

Seed: #4 in National League
Last Series: Beat #5 Colorado Rockies 11-8 in NL Wild Card Game
Next Series: vs. #1 Los Angeles Dodgers

It was a thriller in Chase Field on Wendesday night. The Arizona Diamondbacks took charge in the opening frame and never relinquished the lead. The bats proved that their line-up can be deadly when everyone is in a grove and churring out four triples is never an easy task unless your team is placing the ball well and has a lost of speed.

Jake Lamb delivered as a strong middle of the batting order bat going 4-for-5 and three runs scored. If he gets going, there could be no end in sight for opposing pitchers going through Paul Goldschmidt (36 HRs, 120 RBIs), J.D. Martinez (45 HRs, 104 RBIs in 2017), Lamb and also A.J. Pollock, who brought around two on Wednesday, right after one another. 

A concern now is their pitching. Against the Dodgers, Los Angeles will not allow a team to put up 11 runs through nine innings. Letting Colorado score eight, with four from starter Zach Greinke and four from their relievers will not get the job done. And they were some of the Diamondbacks top relievers too. 

Robbie Ray, their potential No. 2 starter, saw action in relief and will likely not start for Game 1 of the NLDS. The starter has not be announced by the publish date of this post, and it is anticipated to be Patrick Corbin (14-13, 4.03 ERA)

Seed: #3 in American League
Last Series: Bye
Next Series: vs. #2 Houston Astros

No change for the Red Sox as compared to the Wild Card Postseason Bracket, however if Arizona's starting pitching held up in their Wild Card game, Boston might be in the basement. 

After almost blowing the AL East, the Red Sox face one of the toughest teams in a full series, the Houston Astros. Closing the regular season, Houston took three of their four games from Boston.

Of all teams entering the postseason, Boston has the least momentum. They were 2-5 in their final week of the year.

The biggest thing going for the Sox is their ace Chris Sale. Winning 17 of the 32 games he started with a 2.90 ERA, he has been a difference maker for the Red Sox. If Boston were to lose their match-up with Sale, then the rest of the series will not go well. After Sale, having to rely on David Price in the postseason has never been a good decision for any team. 

They also enter with the worst batting average (.258) and home run total (168) of any team in the American League.

Seed:  #1 in National League
Last Series: Bye
Next Series: vs. #4 Arizona Diamondbacks

Now we know the Dodgers will play Arizona after their Wild Card win. Quite frankly Arizona could be the kryptonite of the Dodgers compared to all teams in the National League pennat race. 

Last season starting pitching, and namely Clayton Kershaw, struggled against loaded line-ups, which Arizona has. This season the Diamondbacks saw the Dodgers' ace twice and scored one run in 15.1 innings. 

But postseason Kershaw (4-7, 4.55 ERA) is different than regular season Kershaw (144-64, 2.36 ERA).

Ending the season nicely, Los Angeles quietly rebounded from an atrocious end of August, beginning of September stretch. From top to bottom, there is no one that has as dominant of a line-up in the league, besides arguably the Washington Nationals.

Seed: #4 in American League
Last Series: Beat #5 Minnesota Twins 8-4 in AL Wild Card Game
Next Series: vs. #1 Cleveland Indians

In the Wild Card Game, the Yankees relied on the success they have used all season to get to the next round of the MLB Postseason; the Baby Bombers and the bullpen. 

The first inning saw the Twins chase starter Luis Severino (3 ER in .1 IP) and force manager Joe Girardi to delve into his notebook for the remainder of the contest. Chad Green and David Robertston came up big to navigate the Yankees to the closing innings.

It also helps when you have three home runs comming out of your dugout by Didi Gregorius, Aaron Judge, and the young veteran Brett Gardner.

Starting in their first ALDS game is mid-season aquisition Sonny Gray and hopefully he can make it past the first inning. CC Sabathia is lined up for Game 2.

Girardi is not afraid though to go to his strong relievers early in the contest but unlike against Minnesota, Cleveland will not let you erase a 3-0 deficit in the opening frame. 

Seed: #2 in National League
Last Series: Bye
Next Series: vs. #3 Chicago Cubs

Some worrying news out of the nation's capital during the Wild Card Round of the postseason: Max Scherzer will not start in Game 1 and may not see action until Game 3 of the series.

Compounding the fact this is a best-of-five series as opposed to the typical best-of-seven, this could be problematic for the Nationals without their top guy on the mound. His impact could potentially be only one game. 

Stephen Strasburg is the Game 1 starter on Friday and is a more than formidable No. 1 option. After all, he could easily be the top guy on roughly 90 percent of all major-league rosters. 

The Nationals are a team that is way more than their 2016 (and could repeat in 2017) Cy Young pitcher. But this is never a problem you want to have at this point in the season. 

Now is the time for Washington to get the first playoff series win off of their back, but they haven't been in a must win game in nearly a month. 

Seed: #3 in National League
Last Series: Bye
Next Series: vs. #2 Washington Nationals

Kyle Hendricks gets the nod for Game 1 for the Cubs and fortunately for Chicago the Nationals will not have their ace Max Scherzer as their No. 1 starter. This only provides momentary relief and may just push back the inevitable. 

This season has not been like the historic 2016 that the Cubs rode to a World Series title. There was no 17+ game lead. The drought is no longer a motivating factor. Yet this team is pretty dangerous once again.

Overlooked by many because they were the last division winner to clinch a postseason, the Cubs are rolling heading into October. As defending World Series champions, the team enters the postseason 15-4 in their last 19 games.

Unlike the Indians, Astros, Nationals, and Dodgers, this team was forced to continue to win up until the final week. They also have managed to wiggle in a weekend of rest for some of their starters.

Kris Bryant (.295, 73 RBIs) and Anthony Rizzo (32 HRs, 109 RBIs) continue to be the main stars. Though just like last year, there will be no easy spots in the batting order.

Each year balancing rest and momentum are debated from the top teams heading to their first series. Right now the Cubs have both and not many teams can say that.

Seed: #2 in American League
Last Series: Bye
Next Series: vs. #3 Boston Red Sox

Houston gave the Indians a run for their money at the end of the season battling for home field in the American League. Keep in mind, the Astros finished a game behind Cleveland for the top seed in the AL without a 22-game winning streak.

All season long, Houston was the class of the league. Not because the Astros dominated the AL, but rather because they dominated their division. Against AL West opponents, the division champion was 50-26, the best of any team against their division in baseball. Playing all other teams, not in their division in the American League, Houston is 36-30. That is the eighth best of all playoff teams against their respective league competition.

Their No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers are undeniable in Justin Verlander (15-8, 3.36 in 2017), who joined late in the year, and Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90 ERA). They are followed by Brad Peacock (13-2, 3.00 ERA). After that there is a significant drop-off in their pitchers.

If Game 4 is an elimination game for Houston, I would not at all be surprised to see them push up either Verlander or Keuchel on short rest.

The bats though can bail out their pitching. Four starters are above .300 and the team’s average is .282.

Seed: #1 in American League
Last Series: Bye
Next Series: vs. #4 New York Yankees.

Yeah the Indians would have rather faced the Twins than the red-hot Yankees but there should be no worries in their upcoming ALDS match-up. They clearly have better starters and the Indians can match the Yankees blow-for-blow down the order. Oh and they are the only team in the postseason that has a comparable bullpen. 

There are many reasons for the Indians to be considered the favorite to win the World Series this year. By far, they are the hottest team in the majors with a 22-game winning streak and winning 33 of their last 37.

This streak is even coming with players being able to rotate their rest to end the season. Lonnie Chisenhall (53 RBIs in 82 games) is primed to comeback, after a right calf injury and gives Cleveland another lefty bat in their line-up.

Their starting pitching rotation doesn’t even make the top five in terms of firepower of the playoff teams, but they find ways to win every day. This is reminiscent of last year’s run, except they are better this time around. 

Trevor Bauer (17-9, 4.19 ERA), the Game 1 starter, Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.25 ERA), the Game 2 starter, and the rest of the starting pitchers are having better performances than 2016.

On the American League side there is no other team that can match the playoff experience of the AL Central champions. The Indians are hot at the perfect time, or perhaps was it was too early?