Rounding Third: 2012 Playoff Rankings

2012 Playoff Rankings

Playoff rankings require us to peer into a cloudy crystal ball, and predict who is going to win which series. Thus, there's a lot of volatility in the rankings, and you'll also see lesser players boosted in the rankings because they're projected to play more games.

This year is different, though - and not because of who is in the playoffs, but because of the structure of the playoffs themselves. As everyone well knows by now, there are 10 total teams in the playoffs, with the two wild cards in each league playing a one-game playoff before the Division Series begin. Thus, those two wild card teams in each league are at a significant disadvantage and have to be discounted severely in the rankings, as even in a best case scenario, the favorites in those two games are 60 percent favorites to advance and get more than just one game. And I'd argue in the NL that the margin is a lot smaller between the Braves and Cardinals - though it

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