The 2017 baseball regular season was compelling as always, from Giancarlo Stanton's home run chase to Aaron Judge's emergence from unheralded rookie to superstar, and the Postseason promises an October that will live in baseball history forever. Following the Yankees' win over the Twins and Diamondbacks' win over the Rockies, just eight teams remain in the battle for the Commissioner's Trophy.

ALDS-Indians vs. Yankees

Following a wild win at home against Minnesota, the Yankees are back, and are riding an emotional high against a Cleveland team that's bent on avenging last season's collapse against Chicago. The Indians have a clear advantage in starting pitching behind Cy Young frontrunner and Corey Kluber along with Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco, however, this series could be decided between both clubs' elite bullpens. The ironman super-reliever Andrew Miller looks to shut down his former team and continue his streak of playoff invincibility alongside closer Cody Allen, while New York sends strikeout machine Dellin Betances and the flamethrowing Aroldis Chapman to the hill late in games. This series should be low-scoring, but high-quality between two of the Junior Circuit's best.

Prediction: Cleveland wins, 3-1

ALDS-Astros vs. Red Sox

This could just be Houston's year. An incredible blend of speed, incredible starting pitching, and overall star power propelled the Astros to over 100 wins this season, and a postseason rotation that features the likes of Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel is to be feared by every team in the league. Couple that with a lineup that includes MVP frontrunner Jose Altuve, as well as Carlos Correa and George Springer, and it's a tough bet to go against Houston in any series this year. Boston will lean heavily on their ace, Chris Sale, to match the Astros' elite staff, and will need production out of a lineup that has fallen off severely since last year's record-breaking pace.

Prediction: Houston wins, 3-1

NLDS-Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks

For a while, this was the year of the Dodgers. The blue side of LA was red-hot, even flirting with a pace that would break the MLB all-time regular season win record before cooling off dramatically to end off the year. However, this team still has a lot going for it, namely its depth, as projected role players such as Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger emerged into absolute stars this season, but the relative playoff inexperience of this club could hurt them going forward, so leaning on veterans such as Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, and Kenley Jansen could be critical. On the other hand, the Diamondbacks represent the dark horse this season. Much like the Indians a year ago, very few people are talking about this team heading into October, and they face a matchup in the division series that most project them to lose. However, upon closer inspection, this team has very few holes, and possess a dark horse MVP candidate in first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Paired with the emotion of Zack Greinke facing his former club in the Postseason for the first time, and you have the best series of the divisional round.

Prediction: Arizona wins, 3-2

NLDS-Nationals vs. Cubs

The defending champs are back, albeit with much less fanfare. Last year, the only reason the Cubs weren't the odds-on favorite by every stretch of the imagination was the sheer fact that they had been cursed. They were the chosen team, dominating from Spring Training to the Midsummer Classic, and despite a rough start, came out on top in the Fall Classic. This year, they struggled to even make the Postseason, and the deterioration of the starting pitching staff could hurt Chicago against one of the NL's best. Former MVP Bryce Harper has returned to the Nats, and the Nation's Capital boasts one of the most fearsome lineups in the bigs behind Ryan Zimmerman, Harper, and Trea Turner, but the real issue this team will give the Cubs is their rotation. Max Scherzer appears to be in line to defend his crown as NL Cy Young winner and claim his second straight award, while Stephen Strasburg continues to dominate at an ace level, while the Cubs' Jake Arrieta appears to have lost a step from last year's dynamism.

Prediction: Washinton wins, 3-1

ALCS-Indians vs. Astros

This could very well be one of the best championship series in recent memory, simply due to the number of stars on the field. Cleveland holds a significant edge in the most critical factors to Postseason success, namely, their bullpen, playoff experience, and their hunger for revenge, but AJ Hinch's men are a better team overall. Most managers are worth about 10 regular season games, but Terry Francona's unorthodox style of pitching changes in the Postseason have made him the best manager in the league and one of the all-time greats in October, another factor favoring Cleveland. However, despite these numerous advantages, the overall talent disparity between the teams lineups and staff could be too much to bear for Francisco Lindor and Believeland, and that's why I favor the Astros to be declared champions of their adopted American League for the first time in history.

Prediction: Houston wins, 4-3

NLCS-Nationals vs Diamondbacks

This series will come down to whether or not Arizona's offense can continue to show up, and whether or not their bullpen can hold up a lead late against a fearsome lineup. On paper, the Nationals should be the favorite, but I like the fact that Arizona is playing their best baseball of the season in September. J.D. Martinez will go down as one of the all-time great trade deadline acquisitions, as the September Player of the Month has vaulted this team to a real shot at winning the whole thing. This series could feature starters going deep into ballgames, as both clubs tend to lean on their staffs rather than their bullpens, but I think we'll see the National League pennant head to the desert for the first time since the D-Backs dramatic, walk-off World Series win in 2001 (this team has a knack for the spectacular, don't they?).

Prediction: Arizona wins, 4-2

World Series-Astros vs. Diamondbacks

This is a Fall Classic that warms the heart of the neutral fan, as the Astros try to win the first World Series in the history of the state of Texas (thanks to two indescribably hilarious collapses by the Rangers at the beginning of the decade), while the best expansion franchise in MLB history looks to bring home their first title since 2001. Yet again, on paper, Houston should win this series, and I think the transition early in the series from the hitter-friendly confines of Minute Maid Park to the massive Chase Field could prove costly for Houston, while Arizona is accustomed to playing in a pitcher's yard and will enjoy the short dimensions of Houston. Look for Taijuan Walker of the Diamondbacks to emerge as one of the Postseason's stars as he leads Arizona to the unexpected title (although this could be the most underestimated 93-win team I've ever seen). All the ingredients are right, this team has seasoned veterans, a solid staff, superstars on the offensive end, and are playing as well as any team in baseball.

Prediction: Arizona wins World Series, 4-3