White Sox writers predict the World Series winner and MVP

Even though the writers at Southside Showdown are die-hard White Sox fans, they still know a little something about the 29 other teams in the MLB.

And, we White Sox fans have been following the playoffs – maybe not religiously – but we’ve been watching.

So, I asked the Southside Showdown team to predict the outcome of the World Series. They gave me the winning team and how many games would be played. I also asked them to predict who would be the World Series MVP.

Etheria:

• Winner: Dodgers
• Games: Seven
• MVP: Justin Turner

Matt:

• Winner: Dodgers
• Games: Six
• MVP: Clayton Kershaw

Jeff:

• Winner: Red Sox
• Games: Six
• MVP: Mookie Betts

Brevin:

• Winner: Red Sox
• Games: Five
• MVP: Chris Sale

Me:

• Winner: Dodgers
• Games: Six
• MVP: Yasiel Puig

Jeff wanted to pick Chris Sale as the MVP, but he thought it was simply too soon for the former White Sox ace to win such an honor. But, clearly, Brevin had no issue picking the lights-out lefty to take the crown and the car at the end of the series.

Looking back at early season predictions

While we’re looking at these predictions, let’s look back at our earlier predictions about the World Series. Back in April, I asked the writers who they thought would make it to the World Series and none of us were correct. But, some were close:

• Etheria predicted that the Astros and Dodgers would face each other.
• Jeff predicted the Astros and Cubs would play in the Fall Classic.
• I though the Astros and Nationals would be the last two teams standing.

No one picked the Red Sox and a few writers who are no longer on our team chose the Yankees as the AL team.

We also made a few other predictions about MLB players in general. Here’s what we thought would happen:

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• Dylan Cease should be the favorite for the AL Cy Young Award
• Ozzie Guillen speaks the whole truth about Tony La Russa

• Etheria predicted that Manny Machado would be traded to the Yankees.
• Jeff predicted that Matt Davidson would hit 30 home runs and that Yoan Moncada would join the 20-20 club.
• I predicted that JD Martinez and Bryce Harper would hit 50 home runs.

Unfortunately, none of us were correct in our predictions. Machado went to Los Angeles, but he does become a free agent as soon as the World Series is completed. Davidson hit 20 home runs. Moncada hit 17 home runs and stole 12 bases. But, on the other side of second base, Tim Anderson did join the 20-20 club.

I was way off on my Martinez and Harper predictions. But, Martinez was close to earning the AL Triple Crown, and he did become one of the most feared hitters in the league. He hit 43 home runs in the regular season, and he’s hit two so far in the postseason. On the other hand, Harper only hit 34 home runs, but he did lead the league in walks – he had 130 and 16 of them were intentional. Harper did dominate in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby – hitting 45 bombs in his home ball park.

Hopefully, the Southside Showdown writers will be better at predicting the World Series results than they did predicting 2018 season outcomes. Even though the White Sox are not in the World Series, it should prove to be entertaining with the hot pitching from Kershaw and Sale. There should be some big bombs from the power hitters on both teams and a few antics from the personalities on both teams, too.