MLB Playoffs 2015: Breaking Down the Updated World Series Bracket

With MLB's Wild Card Round in the books, the playoffs will kick off in a more traditional sense Thursday as just eight teams remain in contention for a World Series berth.

Both the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs kept their hopes alive by winning wild-card games, but things won't get any easier as both the American and National Leagues are stacked with quality teams that are all capable of making a deep run.

Now that the divisional series are officially set, here is a look at the updated bracket, as well as a rundown of predictions for how each series in the ALDS and NLDS will play out.

Updated MLB Playoff Bracket (via Sports Illustrated)

MLB Divisional Series Predictions

Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are back in the playoffs for the first time since 1993 after winning the AL East, and they will meet the AL West champion Rangers in the ALDS.

Toronto just missed out on the American League's top seed with 93 wins, but it was remarkable in the second half of the season and has built plenty of momentum since acquiring the likes of starting pitcher David Price, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Ben Revere at the trade deadline.

The Jays' lineup is stacked with Tulo, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, and they finally have a bona-fide ace in the form of Price.

Getting a leg up on Texas in Game 1 won't be easy, though, since Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo shut down the Jays during the regular season, according to ESPN's Adnan Virk:

Toronto has a better all-around team, though, and it won the season series over Texas, per TSN's StatsCentre:

It wouldn't be wise to totally sleep on the Rangers since they have an impressive lineup in their own right featuring Comeback Player of the Year candidate Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo.

In addition to that, Texas boasts a starting pitcher with big-time postseason experience in trade-deadline acquisition Cole Hamels.

Even so, Toronto's overall collection of talent will be enough to move on to the ALCS.

Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals

The Royals earned the right to play the AL's wild-card representative by posting the best record in the league, but based on how the season series went between Kansas City and the Astros, that may not turn out to be an advantage.

Houston shut out the New York Yankees 3-0 in the AL Wild Card Round thanks to a gem from ace Dallas Keuchel, which sets up an intriguing matchup between the reigning AL champs and one of 2015's most surprising teams.

As pointed out by Grant Brisbee of the McCovey Chronicles, this matchup is one that looked inconceivable just a few, short years ago:

The Astros made many statements this season, but among the biggest was their success against the Royals, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

The playoffs are a different animal, though, and Houston is at a bit of a disadvantage since it can't use Keuchel again until Game 3. That means Collin McHugh and Scott Kazmir will start the first two games of the series.

KC will counter with Yordano Ventura and Johnny Cueto, so there are certainly some question marks on the Royals' end, but the experience they gained in the postseason last year could prove to be invaluable.

Houston is an extremely young team without much playoff experience, but it can certainly mash with the best of them due to a lineup that includes Jose Altuve, Evan Gattis, Carlos Correa, Carlos Gomez, Chris Carter and more.

The Royals aren't quite as powerful, however, they can hold their own with Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Kendrys Morales and Mike Moustakas.

What truly sets the teams apart, though, is their bullpens. The relief pitching of Wade Davis, Greg Holland and Kelvin Herrera helped push Kansas City to the World Series last year, and while Holland is out, the Royals still have plenty of firepower.

The Astros will compete for a title in the very near future, but they'll learn that they aren't quite ready when they meet KC in the ALDS.

New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Pitching usually seems to be the difference maker come playoff time, and it is likely that no series will be decided by what happens on the mound more so than the clash between the Mets and Dodgers in the NLDS.

L.A. will send out the dynamic duo of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the first two contests of the series, while New York will counter with Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. All of them are dynamic arms, but Kershaw and Greinke have a huge advantage in terms of being familiar with the postseason stage.

Despite that, the brash, young Syndergaard has the utmost confidence that the Mets will find a way to win the series, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post:

If they do, it will likely be due to the advantage they'll have on the bump in Games 3 and 4 with Matt Harvey and Steven Matz likely going up against Brett Anderson and Alex Wood respectively.

The Dodgers probably have the upper hand in terms of hitting, though, with the likes of Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford playing significant roles.

If the Mets are going to win this series, they'll need their improved hitting since the trade deadline to carry on with David Wright, Lucas Duda, Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson carrying their weight in particular.

Due to how even the teams appear to be on paper, David Lennon of New York Newsday is expecting a series that goes the distance:

Both teams will have the option of using their top pitchers multiple times on short rest if need be, and that is a significant factor in favor of the Dodgers.

Los Angeles pays Kershaw and Greinke the big bucks for situations like this, and they'll come through when the games matter most.

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cubs and Cardinals are two of the fiercest rivals in the history of baseball, and for the first time ever, they will meet in the playoffs when they clash in the NLDS.

St. Louis led the NL Central for essentially the entire season, but the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cubs were always on their tail as they finished with the three best records in MLB. Unfortunately for the Bucs, they ran into the Cubbies and ace Jake Arrieta in the Wild Card Round.

Chicago won that game 4-0 and earned the right to take on the Cards. Although St. Louis did manage to win the season series, the Cubs enjoyed more success against the Cardinals as the year went on, according to Chris Regnier of KTVI:

The Cardinals catch a break in that Arrieta likely won't start until Game 3, but Chicago may still have the pitching advantage as postseason veteran Jon Lester will face John Lackey in Game 1. Nothing has been determined beyond that, but the Cubs have a great opportunity to seize a 1-0 lead.

In terms of playoff experience as a whole, St. Louis has a big edge since it is seemingly always in contention. With that said, the Cubs are a young, exciting team that has defied expectations.

Slugger Kyle Schwarber realizes that and believes they have what it takes to keep their Cinderella season going, per MLB.com's Carrie Muskat:

Other young hitters such as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Starlin Castro must rise to the occasion in order to make that happen.

The Cardinals will counter with veterans such as Matt Holliday, Jhonny Peralta and Matt Carpenter, which should make for an interesting dichotomy.

Perhaps the biggest question mark is the status of Cards catcher Yadier Molina. He has been out of action with a thumb injury for the past few weeks, and while he is expected to try to play, he may not be the same player.

Because of that, the Cubs will pull off the upset and establish themselves as the NL favorites in the process.

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