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Tom Verducci's playoff previews: Breaking down postseason field
Will the Royals' playoff stay be a short one? Can the A's bounce back from their second-half slump? Which of the Los Angeles teams has a better chance of reaching the World Series? Who is the sleeper pick of the postseason, and who has been overrated going into October? Tom Verducci answers all those questions and more in his individual team previews.
• Expert analysis, previews for each of the 10 playoff teams
Baltimore Orioles
• BRADLEY: Orioles bring power, late-inning magic to postseason
Detroit Tigers
• JAFFE: Tigers place hope in trio of aces, dangerous lineup
Kansas City Royals
• REITER: Drought is over, but Royals face long odds in playoffs
Los Angeles Angels
• KEITH: Can baseball's best player bring a championship to L.A.?
Los Angeles Dodgers
• JAFFE: With Kershaw in lead, Dodgers look strong for October
Oakland Athletics
• REITER: Athletics' moribund offense must wake up for playoffs
Pittsburgh Pirates
• CHEN: Is last year's underdog ready to take the next step?
San Francisco Giants
• CORCORAN: As second wild card, Giants' road is a tough one
St. Louis Cardinals
• CORCORAN: Defending NL champions look vulnerable this time
Washington Nationals
• CHEN: Featuring stacked rotation, Nationals look like NL favorites
Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.