Year in Review: Terry's Top Ten Films of 2016

It is that time of year once again.  Finally, I have found enough time to watch enough films to compile a top ten list from the year before.  My rule is I need to at least make it through the year's Best Picture nominees before I can say my top ten list is complete.

2016 was an interesting year in film.  The Oscars are no longer as white as everyone thought they were, with three Best Picture nominees featuring African-American leads as well as Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress going to African-Americans.  There were films that were throwbacks to past glory years of cinema (La La Land, Hell or High Water) while you had other films addressing very current and modern topics (Moonlight, Lion).  Comic book movies made bank at the box office, while Star Wars and Harry Potter resurfaced once again.  No matter which genre you were looking at, there was quality to be found if you looked hard enough.  This led to a compilation of films at the top of my list that are as varied as they are excellent.

Honorable Mentions

Finding Dory

(dir. by Andrew Stanton & Angus MacLane)

Swiss Army Man

(dir. by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert)

Zootopia

(dir. by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, & Rich Moore)

Hell or High Water

(dir. by David Mackenzie)

10.  Hidden Figures

(dir. by Theodore Melfi)

The first film on my list is a film that deals with a subject I love.  The Space Race is one of my favorite parts of history, and Hidden Figures discusses an otherwise untold story of a group of African American women who were essential to the work NASA did in getting men in space and on the moon.  The film was made to appeal to a family audience and so was made a little more vanilla than it could have been, but the impact is still there.  Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae have inspired performances as the three leaders of this movement.  It is a great combination of all the aspects of American history during that time: Space Race and Civil Rights movement.  I loved this film and all it stood for.

9.  Nocturnal Animals

(dir. by Tom Ford)

This fascinating film is one of those experiences that gets stuck in your head in a way you can't shake.  Amy Adams plays an art gallery owner that seems to be distracted and haunted by several things.  She is haunted by her past, which soon gets combined with being haunted by a novel sent to her by her ex-husband.  As the parallel stories of present day, flashbacks, and narrative from the novel are told, you begin to lose track of what is actually real, but I think that's the point.  All the stories seem to complement each other in this twisted thriller unravels into a fascinating piece of art worthy of Tom Ford's reputation.  Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson also provide award-worthy performances in supporting roles as a killer and the man out to find justice.

8.  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

(dir. by David Yates)

I became a late fan of the Harry Potter series, but a very quick fan.  When I heard they were starting up a spin-off series, I was about as skeptical as I was when I first heard about Harry Potter.  Spin-offs almost never go well.  However, I was amazed at what they developed.  The Harry Potter universe is as rich and fascinating as any cinematic universe that has ever been developed.  Newt Scamander's trunk of fantastic beasts just continues to explore more aspects of this universe.  What I loved most about this film is it has everything you love about Harry Potter, but it is all adults.  This is not the little kid movie that started this whole magical ride.  This is a film that starts a new era of new stories and new characters for us all to fall in love with.  I hope they never stop expanding on what this universe can be.

7.  Lion

(dir. by Garth Davis)

Dev Patel became a breakout star in 2008 with Slumdog Millionaire playing the grown-up version of a boy that had a rough childhood in India.  I loved that movie.  Last year, Dev Petel received his first Oscar nomination for playing the grown-up version of a boy that had a rough childhood in India.  I loved this movie too!  There are definitely some similarities between Slumdog Millionaire and Lion, but they are different enough to make the two experiences vastly different.  Lion is a true story about Saroo, a young boy who finds himself separated from his family and thousands of miles from home.  Eventually, he finds himself in an orphanage and gets adopted by an Australian family.  As an adult, Saroo decides to use Google Earth to try and find his way back home.  This film breaks your heart and spends the whole movie putting it back together again.  You know how it is going to end, but it doesn't make the payoff any less powerful.  Dev Petel validates that he is a quality actor that we need to see on screen much more often than we do.

6.  Silence

(dir. by Martin Scorsese)

Two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan to look for their mentor in the 1600's.  Sounds like a terrible movie that would never get made.  Oh, Martin Scorsese made it?  Nevermind, this will be a masterpiece.  And that is exactly what it is.  Scorsese is one of the greatest storytellers of our time as he brings to life this world we had no clue would be so fascinating.  Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver solidify their place with some of the best young actors working today.  Liam Neeson resurrects his career in a beautiful performance as a tortured priest.  However, this film does not get made without Scorsese.  There are few directors that draw the attention of the entire industry simply for making a film.  Scorsese is one of those directors, and Silence will go down as just another masterpiece in a career filled with them.

5.  La La Land

(dir. by Damien Chazelle)

By the time I saw La La Land, the hype had been built up to monumental levels.  I wish I had seen it without any expectations or knowing as much as I knew.  If that had happened, I am sure I would have loved it even more than I did.  This throwback to classic original movie musicals of the 50's and 60's touches a sentimental nerve in a similar way 2011's The Artist did.  Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling were perfect in their starring roles as the film dazzled through song and wonderful visual images.  It was probably the prettiest movie of the year, which is impressive considering there was a Scorsese film and a Tom Ford film.  It is one of those films that makes you happy from start to finish.  With our world where it is, having an escape like this is so needed from time to time.

4.  Deadpool

(dir. by Tim Miller)

From possibly the most innocent and feel-good movie of the year to a film that just punches you in the face.  Deadpool took advantage of the current craze of superhero movies and flipped it on its head to redefine the what the genre could be.  Ryan Reynolds is to Deadpool as Robert Downey, Jr. is to Iron Man.  He just is.  It is one of the most naturally played roles I have ever seen.  He is crass, self-deprecating, self-aware, and ridiculously entertaining.  It also redefined the genre in a similar way to Downey's first turn as Iron Man.  For someone who loves comic book movies to begin with, Deadpool is a deformed head and shoulders above the rest.

3.  Manchester by the Sea

(dir. by Kenneth Lonergan)

Like I said, this list has a wide variety of films.  With this installment, we have a film about grief, loss, and living with one's past.  Casey Affleck plays the lead, haunted by his past while trying to mourn his brother's death with his nephew.  I haven't seen many movies more real than this.  Every scene feels completely genuine as you forget you are watching actors and not people just living out their lives.  That is a testament to the performances by Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams, and Kyle Chandler.  It also shows the skill of Kenneth Lonergan, an accomplished screenwriter that picks his directed movies very carefully and sparingly (only his third directed film).  This film will have you crying one minute, laughing the next, and fascinated from start to finish.

2.  Arrival

(dir. by Denis Villeneuve)

This is a film that becomes an obsession much like the aliens become to Amy Adams.  In an era of big budget blockbusters, here you have a subtle and quiet sci-fi movie that could only be compared to the recent Christopher Nolan films.  Several spacecraft land on earth quietly and mysteriously.  The US military entrusts Louise Banks, a linguistics professor played by Adams, to find a way to communicate with the aliens and discover what they want.  The quiet intensity draws you in more and more every minute as it all builds to the ending that brings clarity to it all.  It is as shocking as it is quiet and understated.  I loved every minute of it and would have been perfectly content to name this my top film of the year.

1.  O.J.: Made in America

(dir. by Ezra Edelman)

To show just how much variety this year's top films have, my number one is an 8 hour documentary.  However, I rarely become so engrossed in something as I was in this twisted story that no one would believe unless it were true.  O.J.: Made in America tells of the meteoric rise and fall of football star and actor O.J. Simpson, including his very public trial for the murder of his wife.  However, it is so much more than just a story of one man.  It is the story of an entire race and an entire city.  Without knowing the whole story, you would never fully grasp everything that happened in this one man's life.  I watched this, like most did, as a miniseries that aired on ESPN.  It did get a limited cinematic release as one complete saga, which qualifies it as one film.  I somewhat feel like I'm cheating putting this as my top film of the year, but when it is considered as a complete 8 hour saga, nothing else even comes close to being as good as this.

What If...: 8 Team Playoff

Over the years I have written several articles speculating ways the NCAA can improve how it treats college football's highest level.  I have looked at 16 team playoffs, Super Conferences, and creating a new division for the Power 5 conferences.  I even wrote an article simply giving the NCAA 5 ideas how they can fix everything.  Over the last 3 years, an attempt has been made to fix many of the issues with the start of the College Football Playoff.  However, there are still many more things they can do to perfect the system, including expand the playoff.

First, everyone looks at strength of schedule in the college football resumes.  Some schools schedule FCS cakewalks, and some schools refuse to play road games (Bama, I'm looking at you), and some schools schedule a tough group of games and get penalized for extra losses at the end of the season.  I mentioned this in my previous article, and I think it is still needed.  The NCAA needs to set rules on schedules.  Here are a couple rules that would help level the playing field.

1.  FCS schools can be scheduled as preseason games only.

I understand the concept of scheduling FCS schools.  I understand that some of the FCS programs rely on the dues they are paid to play these games.  They can no longer count as a part of the regular schedule.  Schedule them as preseason games in August.  Everyone would love this!  It would allow college football to be relevant much earlier, everyone would get a preview of what their team looks like, and the teams would get a chance to have a true game before they counted.

2.  Regulate what the non-conference schedule has to be.

Along with no more FCS schools, there needs to be regulations on what the non-conference schedule must be.  Power 5 schools play 9 conference games and 3 non-conference games.  Of those 3 non-conference games, two of them must be against Power 5 opponents, and one of them against a Group of 5 opponent.  One of the Power 5 games is at home, while one is away.  The Group of 5 games alternate year to year between home and away.  Neutral site non-conference games will alternate as counting as a home or away game.  This will level out the playing field with every team being forced to have the same non-conference schedule.  Washington was held back this year by their weak non-conference schedule (even though they played a Power 5 school ... okay, it was Rutgers ... but Rutgers is in the same division as Michigan, Penn St., and Ohio St.).  On the other side, Alabama hasn't played a true road non-conference game since 2011.  That would no longer be allowed either.

3.  The non-conference schedule must be completed before conference games start.

The SEC has been notorious for manipulating their schedule to make it as easy as possible.  For example, I'm going to pick on Alabama once again.  The reason is because they make it so easy.  Every season since 2008, Alabama has scheduled an FCS opponent as their second-to-last game before the Iron Bowl.  Most of the other conferences start their season with their entire non-conference schedule, and then only play conference games the rest of the way.  Not only should it be regulated who you play in non-conference, but it should be regulated when you play your non-conference.  All non-conference games should be played before conference play starts.


Those are my rule proposals to help level the playing field when it comes to schedule.  Now let's talk about this playoff.  I was a big supporter of a 16 team playoff for awhile.  However, once the 6 BCS conference shrunk to the Power 5, and once the College Football Playoff was established, my opinion was adapted.  Although the current CFP is a step in the right direction, there is still much more that can be done, and 2016 is the perfect example to prove me right.  Here are the main flaws with the current system and why an 8 team playoff would be better.

1.  The math doesn't add up.

How can the NCAA claim to have a "Power 5" conference division and yet only allow four teams into the playoff.  In the 3 years of the CFP, the Big 12 has been left out twice, while the Pac 12 was left out last year.  If you have 5 conferences, you should have at least 5 playoff spots.  Either that, or keep the 4 team playoff and make it a Power 4 conferences.

2.  It's hard to win a conference, and it should be rewarded.

This is the first year a team made the CFP without winning their conference championship.  Now, with Ohio St.'s play and resume, I doubt anyone would have much of an argument that they don't belong.  However, this means that for the first time, two conference champions were left out.  I don't think the NCAA and the CFP truly appreciate how hard it is to emerge out of a conference as the champion.  Regardless how strong your conference is, the natural rivalries that develop when you play a team every season make anything possible during conference play.  Washington almost lost to Arizona, Clemson almost lost to NC State, Michigan lost to Iowa.  All three of those are considered inferior opponents this season.  In fact, only two Power 5 schools this season were able to navigate their conference schedule unblemished: Alabama and Oklahoma.  Penn St. and Oklahoma deserve a shot at the championship simply because they won their conference.

3.  Half of the FBS schools have no chance of winning the National Championship.

This was my main argument for a 16 team playoff.  How can you claim to have an FBS division when half of your teams have no shot to win the championship.  Western Michigan did everything they were supposed to do this season.  They scheduled a tough non-conference with two Big 10 teams.  Then they ran the table, finishing 13-0 with a conference championship.  Their final ranking by the CFP committee was 15th.  The CFP made a step in the right direction by guaranteeing a spot in a New Years 6 bowl game for the best Group of 5 team, but they deserve a shot at the whole thing.  When you have a subjective judging method, there will always be bias involved towards the big brands and away from those not traditionally elite.  Many analysts were even saying Washington's spot in the playoff would be nowhere near as disputed as it was if it had been a school like USC fighting for that spot with the same resume.  There needs to be a little more objectivity in the system.


Let's talk about how an 8 team playoff would work and why it would be better.  First, it would truly reward a great season no matter who were.  Power 5 conference champions would be guaranteed a spot.  There would also be a guaranteed spot for the best of the Group of 5.  Many people claim that expanding it to 8 would make the regular season less exciting.  Well, those same people said the same thing about expanding it to 4.  The reality is it is more exciting when more teams are in contention.  This year, Bedlem decided a conference champion.  What if it was for a guaranteed playoff birth?  Few were paying attention to Florida winning their division in the SEC.  What if that win got them into a play-in game for the playoff?  It wouldn't lessen the excitement of the regular season.  It would make it more exciting simply because more games would matter.

Let's talk logistics.  The system would not have to change much.  The playoff would start two weeks after the conference championships (when the bowl season starts).  The first round of the playoffs would take place at the home of the higher ranked team.  There would be 4 of the New Years 6 bowl games set aside.  Two of these games would act as semifinals like they do now.  The other two bowl games would include the losers from the first round of the playoff.  This way everyone still gets the bowl game experience, as well as having two weeks to prepare.  The 8 team field would include the Power 5 conference champions, the best of the Group of 5, and two Wild Cards.  The job of the committee would then be to choose the two Wild Card teams and seed the 8 teams.  Here is how it would look this year, and I dare you to tell me this wouldn't be more exciting than what we have.  Talk about a quadruple header!

Quarterfinals

# 8 Western Michigan at # 1 Alabama

The Broncos deserve a shot.  They wouldn't have much of a shot, but let them play Bama and see if they belong.

# 5 Penn St. at # 4 Washington

Do you want to know which one belongs in the Top 4?  Let them play and find out!

# 7 Oklahoma at # 2 Clemson

Most people would claim that these are the two worst conferences in the Power 5 right now.  This would be a fascinating matchup that I would love to see.

# 6 Michigan at # 3 Ohio St.

You would almost want to have a rule saying no inter-conference games in the quarterfinals, but would anyone argue with a rematch of the best game this season?


All of that in one Saturday.  How exciting would that be!  If these truly are the best four teams, then they would prove it by winning.  In the past, I have called it Holiday Madness because it would recreate some of the magic basketball finds in March.  What makes 2016 the best year so far to do something like this is there are truly 7 teams (8 if you include Western Michigan) that have a legitimate claim to one of the four spots.  So let's make enough spots for them all!

MLB 2016: Season in Review & Postseason Predictions

The longest grind of the sports year has come to an end as game 162 was played in the baseball season.  (Well, game 161 for four teams for a variety of reasons.)  As always, the season was a wild ride, and now we gear up for some incredible postseason baseball where anything can happen.  Let's stop and take a look at the season that was, how my preseason predictions fared, and what to expect from the Fall Classic.

AL East

My Preseason Predictions

1.  Toronto Blue Jays*

2.  Boston Red Sox

3.  Tampa Bay Rays

4.  Baltimore Orioles

5.  New York Yankees

Final 2016 Standings

1.  Boston Red Sox*

2.  Baltimore Orioles*

3.  Toronto Blue Jays*

4.  New York Yankees

5.  Tampa Bay Rays

I knew the Red Sox would be back, but I didn't know just how good they would be or that David Ortiz would be historic in his final season.  The Orioles constantly surprise as Buck Showalter proves once again to be one of the best managers in baseball.  One of the biggest surprises of the season was Mark Trumbo leading the league in home runs.  Toronto was able to sneak their way into the playoffs.  I had predicted a division title for the Blue Jays, but some injuries held them back.  At least my World Series prediction is still in tact!  I knew the New York Yankees were taking steps back with Chapman being traded (BOLD PREDICTION FULFILLED) along with Miller, Teixeira retiring, and A-Rod being forced into retirement.  What I didn't predict is how quickly the kids would come out and play like everyone expects Yankees to play.  The Tampa Bay Rays didn't have much going for them entering the season, however they always seem to surprise.  Not this year, as they found themselves in the cellar.

AL Central

My Preseason Predictions

1.  Detroit Tigers*

2.  Kansas City Royals*

3.  Minnesota Twins

4.  Cleveland Indians

5.  Chicago White Sox

Final 2016 Standings

1.  Cleveland Indians*

2.  Detroit Tigers

3.  Kansas City Royals

4.  Chicago White Sox

5.  Minnesota Twins

I completely underestimated the Indians.  Not only did the pitching dominate, but the offense was able to produce without Michael Brantley.  The Tigers came up just short as they weren't eliminated until the last day.  They are looking older and older.  Their window might be closed.  The Royals incredible run comes to an end in 2016 as injuries derailed their season over and over.  The White Sox started hot but quickly faded to the back of the division.  Robin Ventura leaving (BOLD PREDICTION FULFILLED) might be a sign of the rebuilding that should have started several years ago.  The Twins were the biggest disappointment of the season as they almost made the playoffs in 2015 only end the season as the only team with 100 losses.

AL East

My Preseason Predictions

1.  Houston Astros*

2.  Texas Rangers*

3.  Seattle Mariners

4.  Los Angeles Angels

5.  Oakland A's

Final 2016 Standings

1.  Texas Rangers*

2.  Seattle Mariners

3.  Houston Astros

4.  Los Angeles Angels

5.  Oakland A's

I had the Rangers in the playoffs as a Wild Card, but they showed that last year was no fluke as they dominated the division once again.  The Mariners surprised as they took their rebuilt roster to the doorstep of the playoffs.  Coming up short extends the Mariners' streak without a playoff berth to 15 seasons, the longest active streak in baseball.  The Astros had a bit of a regression this season after a surprising postseason run last year.  Watch for them to come storming back in 2017.  The Angels still have the best player in the world, but they are wasting his prime years as they have no support for him.  Oakland ended the year in full rebuild mode, getting rid of most of their Opening Day roster (BOLD PREDICTION FULFILLED).

NL East

My Preseason Predictions

1.  New York Mets*

2.  Washington Nationals

3.  Miami Marlins

4.  Atlanta Braves

5.  Philadelphia Phillies

Final 2016 Standings

1.  Washington Nationals*

2.  New York Mets*

3.  Miami Marlins

4.  Philadelphia Phillies

5.  Atlanta Braves

I knew Dusty Baker would be a difference maker for the Nationals, however I didn't know he would be this much of a difference maker.  He turned this team back into an elite squad in one year.  The Mets somehow made it back into the playoffs even though their insane pitching rotation is a mess.  The Marlins had a positive season pointing in the right direction for the future until this last week.  The sudden and tragic passing of superstar Jose Fernandez not only came to define their season, but it has the potential to define every season for the next decade as his absence will be felt for years to come.  (Next year's All Star Game in Miami will be tough without #16 there...)  The Phillies seem to be progressing well in their rebuild as it looks like they might be an impact team sooner than was expected.  The Braves started about as bad as possible, however they ended the season on a positive note and should be riding some good momentum into their new SunTrust Park in 2017.

NL Central

My Preseason Predictions

1.  Chicago Cubs*

2.  Pittsburgh Pirates*

3.  St. Louis Cardinals

4.  Cincinnati Reds

5.  Milwaukee Brewers

Final 2016 Standings

1.  Chicago Cubs*

2.  St. Louis Cardinals

3.  Pittsburgh Pirates

4.  Milwaukee Brewers

5.  Cincinnati Reds

I knew the Cubs were going to be good.  I had no idea they were going to be this good.  I correctly predicted that the Cardinals were finally going to miss the playoffs.  They just needed too many pieces to fall into place.  The Pirates were disappointing this season and are now talking about entertaining trade offers for superstar Andrew McCutchen.  The Brewers are in rebuild mode after trading Jonathan Lucroy to the Rangers (BOLD PREDICTION FULFILLED).  The Reds are stuck somewhere between rebuilding and being stuck with big veteran contracts.  They might not have bottomed out yet.

NL West

My Preseason Predictions

1.  San Francisco Giants*

2.  Los Angeles Dodgers*

3.  Arizona Diamondbacks

4.  Colorado Rockies

5.  San Diego Padres

Final 2016 Standings

1.  Los Angeles Dodgers*

2.  San Francisco Giants*

3.  Colorado Rockies

4.  Arizona Diamondbacks

5.  San Diego Padres

The Dodgers impressed this season under rookie manager Dave Roberts.  Even with an extended injury to Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers dominated.  (I was so close on my prediction with the Dodgers, but no one wanted Yasiel Puig so he wasn't traded.)  I had the Giants winning the division, which they might have done if they didn't go through one of the most inexplicable second half collapses in recent memory.  They still snuck in to the postseason though so watch out.  The Rockies are showing they are very close to being a contender in this division.  (Again, SO close on my prediction, but they chose to keep CarGo.)  The Diamondbacks proved that their season was over before it started when AJ Pollock went down the weekend before Opening Day.  It also didn't help to have disappointing seasons from their two biggest offseason acquisitions: Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller.  The Padres are trying to be relevant, but their front office is proving to be a little inadequate.

Season Awards

AL Manager of the Year

1.  Terry Francona

2.  John Farrell

3.  Buck Showalter

Showalter seems to do more with less every season.  John Farrell turned around the Red Sox with aging superstars, a resurgence of Hanley Ramirez at first base, and Pablo Sandoval spending the whole season on the DL.  However, nothing beats what Terry Francona has done in Cleveland.  He is one of the best coaches of the 21st century.

NL Manager of the Year

1.  Dusty Baker

2.  Dave Roberts

3.  Joe Maddon

Joe Maddon might end up winning this as he somehow exceeded the highest expectations on any team in recent memory.  Rookie manager Dave Roberts took a dumpster fire in the Dodgers and won the division despite having a piecemeal starting rotation all season.  However, Dusty Baker showed that old school baseball people still have a place in the new school of sabermetrics.  His work with the Nationals was incredible this season.

AL Cy Young

1.  Aaron Sanchez

2.  Rick Porcello

3.  JA Happ

The Blue Jays had several pitchers step up and have career years.  JA Happ returned to Toronto and won 20 games, a rare feat in today's game.  Boston's Rick Porcello finally seemed to put everything together as he led the league in wins with 22.  However, Aaron Sanchez was the most impressive pitcher in the AL this season.  Toronto's young ace was even held back due to an innings limit, but still posted some impressive numbers.

NL Cy Young

1.  Kyle Hendricks

2.  Madison Bumgarner

3.  Jon Lester

Jon Lester showed that he is still the elite starter he was in Boston.  He definitely had more in the tank than many gave him credit for.  Madison Bumgarner once again had an elite season, which makes many teams nervous as they enter the postseason.  However, for the second year in a row, the best pitcher in the National League is a Cubs pitchers nobody knew before the season.  Kyle Hendricks had an unbelievable year that overshadowed what Lester did as well as last year's Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta.

AL MVP

1.  David Ortiz

2.  Mike Trout

3.  Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano went from the most disappointing season of his career in 2015 to career highs in many stats in 2016.  He kept coming up big in the right spots, playing his best baseball in September while his team tried to make the postseason.  The best player on the planet, no matter how bad his team is, is still Mike Trout.  He just keeps getting better.  However, this season belonged to David Ortiz.  He played his best when it was his last.  Look for him to try and be the first DH to win MVP.

NL MVP

1.  Kris Bryant

2.  Daniel Murphy

3.  Nolan Arenado

One of these days, Nolan Arenado will be recognized for how great he really is.  He led the league in home runs and RBI's this season while playing Gold Glove caliber third base.  Daniel Murphy followed up his amazing postseason last year with an MVP caliber season this year for the Nationals.  However, when in doubt, the MVP is the best player on the best team.  The Cubs were by far the best team, and Kris Bryant was by far their best player.  Look for him to win the award in his sophomore season.

Playoff Predictions

Wild Card Round

Blue Jays def. Orioles

Giants def. Mets

The Blue Jays have waited all season to get back in this position after 2015's postseason.  The game is in Toronto, which is one of the craziest venues in all of baseball.  Toronto will win.  The NL Wild Card game will be a classic.  Noah Syndergaard, the only healthy ace for the Mets, is on the mound against the possibly the best postseason pitcher of all time in Madison Bumgarner.  Look for the Mets to be MadBummed.

Divisional Series

Blue Jays def. Rangers

Red Sox def. Indians

Giants def. Cubs

Nationals def. Dodgers

The first matchup is an epic rematch from last year.  There is no way the Blue Jays let the Rangers beat them again.  The Red Sox just have too much firepower for an injury-plagued Indians team.  The Cubs are the team everyone is looking to as the favorite, but the Giants have been there before many times and feature the rotation with the proven pedigree.  I said in my preseason predictions that the Cubs would dominate the regular season, but their pitching would run out of steam in the playoffs.  I'm holding to it.  The most intriguing matchup might be the Nats and the Dodgers.  Both teams finally played how everyone thought they could.  I give the edge to the team with the more experienced manager.

Championship Series

Blue Jays def. Red Sox

Giants def. Nationals

The storybook ending for David Ortiz would be to go out on top with a ring.  However, I really think this is the right time for the Blue Jays.  Their pitching is outstanding with Happ, Sanchez, and Marcus Stroman.  They might have the best lineup in the league.  It would be an upset, but I think it's time for the Blue Jays to get back to the World Series.  In the National League, it's Dusty Baker's Nationals going up against his former team in the Giants.  Bumgarner, Cueto, and Samardzija can shut down any lineup.  They know how to peak in the playoffs, and I don't see anything different happening this time around.

World Series

Giants def. Blue Jays

Why not go with my original prediction!  I predicted Giants over Blue Jays back before the season started, and I am going to stick to my guns.  After all, it is an even numbered year.  Besides that, the Giants just know how to get it done in the playoffs.  It will be a fun series, but look for a similar result to what we are used to seeing.

World Series MVP

Madison Bumgarner