The trade deadline passed with the rich getting richer. The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired one of the best pitchers in the past decade, former National Max Scherzer. Did LAD’s move guarantee an NL West title? Will the Rays hang on and win the AL East? Check out after the trade deadline.

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Updated Post-Deadline 2021 MLB Postseason Predictions

AL East

• Winner: Tampa Bay Rays

The Yankees made moves to better their batting lineup. Unfortunately, the rotation didn’t get better, which is why the Rays, who had a 6 game lead over the Yankees and a 4 game lead over the Red Sox as of August 11, will win the AL East.

Wildcard: Boston Red Sox

Chris Sale is starting on Saturday agianst the Baltimore Orioles. If Sale gets his best stuff working, the Red Sox could leapfrog Tampa. Right now, we don’t know if Sale will be one-hundred percent. Even if Sale bombs, the Red Sox are just better than the Yankees. So Boston figures to grab one of the wildcards.

AL Central

• Winner: Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have built an 11-game lead over the Cleveland Indians. Chicago looks like the best, or second-best, team in the American League. Don’t be surprised if the White Sox finish the season with the best record in baseball.

AL West

• Winner: Houston Astros

Down the stretch, Houston versus Oakland for the AL West should be one of the bigger stories in Major League Baseball. As of August 11, the Stros have a 1.5 game lead over Oakland. That could change quickly, though. We’re predicting the Astros hang on and win the division. But we wouldn’t be surprised if the A’s overtake Houston.

Wildcard: Oakland A’s

One of the two top teams in the AL West, the Athletics or the Astros, will win the division. The other will grab the second wildcard. Both have a shot to win the American League. Don’t discount the A’s or the Astros no matter which squad ends up playing in the one-game postseason series.

NL East

• Winner: Atlanta Braves

As of Aug. 12, the Phillies have a half a game lead over the Braves. We must assume that Atlanta’s rotation, led by Max Fried, Ian Anderson, and Charlie Morton gets them the division title. The Phillies have played great, including Bryce Harper who bats .298 and has hit 21 home runs. But in the end, the better team, the ATL, will prevail.

NL Central

• Winner: Milwaukee Brewers

One of the reasons the Brewers are running away with the NL Central is because not only are they great at the plate, but they’ve got three starters that have ERAs less than 3.00. Freddy Peralta has a 2.26 ERA, Corbin Burnes’ ERA is 2.23, and Brandon Woodruff’s is 2.23.

NL West

• Winner: San Francisco Giants

The Giants are as consistent as it gets. San Francisco’s rotation is terrific. The bats are there, and the G-Men traded for Kris Bryant. The Giants will win the NL West and should be considered the favorite to win the World Series.

Wildcard: Los Angeles Dodgers

Scherzer’s ERA in July was 5.16. After a couple of starts in August, it’s 1.74. Whatever issues he had in July are gone. The problem? Scherzer, or Walker Buehler, can’t throw every day. Luckily for the Dodgers, Julio Urias continues to throw well and David Price is back in the fold. Unlucky for the Dodgers? Clayton Kershaw is out until at least Sep. 5. LAD should grab a wildcard. But they won’t catch San Francisco and win the division.

Wildcard: San Diego Padres

Ace Yu Darvish is 7-6 with a 3.43 ERA, which is one of the reasons the Padres are eight games behind San Francisco in the division. But San Diego has enough juice to grab a wildcard. The Padres will find it difficult to beat the Dodgers in the one-game series, though.

READ MORE: Top MLB Betting Series of the Week (August 9th, 2021)

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