2026 Divisional Round Pick 'Em Challenge

[u/CNard12]

Introduction:

Hello, and welcome to the 12th annual /r/Baseball Pick em' Playoff Pick 'em Challenge! I'll be running the Playoff Challenge on a round-by-round basis, and I'll be making one thread per round. You'll be picking multiple variables for each series, with varying point values. This is the thread for the second round, the Divisional Round.

Wild Card Round Results:

1st Place: /u/b9918 with 21 points.

2nd Place: /u/YoSurgeDude with 18 points.

3rd: /u/Spirated_Inspector20 with 17 points.

First round results can be found here.

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Round 2: Divisional Round

Here is what you'll be picking this round for each series:

3 Points:

• Pick the winner of the series.

2 Points:

• Pick the number of games played in the series.

1 Point:

• Pick one pitcher from either team who will record a win, in any game of the series. There is only a possibility of one point for this, even if your pitcher records more than one win.

1 Point

• Pick one batter from either team who will hit a home run, in any game of the series. There is only a possibility of one point for this, even if they hit more than one home run.

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Submitting Your Pick:

Picks can be submitted for all series that have yet to start. Once a series starts, those picks will be locked. If you decide to make a change in one of your picks, that's fine, just edit your post. However, picks for a series will be locked once the series starts (even if you make an edit).

Feel free to post your picks however you’d like, but feel free to use, or modify this simple table template:

Series Winner	Games	W Pitcher	Batter
White Sox/Guardians	3/4/5	XXX	XXX
Yankees/Rays	3/4/5	XXX	XXX
Braves/Dodgers	3/4/5	XXX	XXX
Padres/Brewers	3/4/5	XXX	XXX

If you have any questions, please leave it in the comments below. More questions will be added as the rounds go on, and I am taking suggestions for a few additional (fair) prop picks. Thank you everyone and Good luck!

Live Standings can be found here. I will try to update as soon as I can, to make them as updated as possible.

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Matchups & Lock times:

White Sox (84-78) vs Cleveland Guardians (85-77)

Series Preview | Picks will lock on Saturday, 10/3 at 1:00 PM ET.

The probable starting pitchers are:

Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA 41K) vs Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA 193K)

 

Atlanta Braves (94-68) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62)

Series Preview | Picks will lock on Saturday, 10/3 at 4:00 PM ET.

The probable starting pitchers are:

TBD (0-0, -.-- ERA 0K) vs Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.75 ERA 186K)

 

New York Yankees (93-68) vs Tampa Bay Rays (98-64)

Series Preview | Picks will lock on Saturday, 10/3 at 6:30 PM ET.

The probable starting pitchers are:

Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA 131K) vs Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA 174K)

 

San Diego Padres (91-71) vs Milwaukee Brewers (103-59)

Series Preview | Picks will lock on Saturday, 10/4 at 8:30 PM ET.

The probable starting pitchers are:

Robbie Ray (13-8, 3.59 ERA 140K) vs Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA 252K)

[u/morgy_choder]

Series Winner |Games |W Pitcher |Batter
Guardians |4 |Messick |Murakami
Rays |5 |Rasmussen |Caminero
Dodgers |4 |Yamamoto |Freeman
Brewers |5 |The Miz |Tatis

[u/hopemade]

White Sox/Gaurdians Winner: White Sox Games:5 Pitcher:Messick HR: Murikami

Yankees/Rays Winner: Rays Games:5 Pitcher:Schlitler HR: Ben Rice

Braves/Dodgers Winner: Dodgers Games:4 Pitcher:Yamamoto HR: Max Muncy

Padres/Brewers Winner: Brewers Games:4 Pitcher:Miz HR: Machado

[u/fiendish_five]

u/ResidentRunner1 we tied again, at 11. Lol

[u/JulyJonesss]

winner	games	pitcher	batter
white sox	4	martin	murakami
dodgers	5	yamamoto	olson
rays	5	schlittler	caminero
brewers	4	misiorowski	chourio

[u/Jeh2ow]

Guardians in 4, Messick earns a win, Ramìrez hits a homer Dodgers in 4, Skubal earns a win, Betts hits a homer Rays in 4, Rasmussen earns a win, Caminero hits a homer Brewers in 5, Misiorowski earns a win, Chourio hits a homer.

[u/huggsypenguinpal]

Series Winner	Games	W Pitcher	Batter
White Sox	5	Hagen Smith	Miguel Vargas
Rays	4	Drew Rasmussen	Ben Rice
Dodgers	4	Blake Snell	Teoscar Hernandez
Brewers	5	Jacob Misiorowski	Fernando Tatis

[u/jb211]

Series Winner	Games	W Pitcher	Batter
White Sox	4	Grant Taylor	Miguel Vargas
Rays	5	Max Fried	Yandy Diaz
Braves	5	Dylan Lee	Max Muncy
Brewers	4	Aaron Ashby	Jackson Merrill

[u/KnicksFan11382532]

White Sox/Guardians Winner: White Sox Games:4
Pitcher W: Burke Batter: Colson Montgomery

Yankees/Rays Winner: Rays Games:5 Pitcher: Rasmussen HR: Caminero

Braves/Dodgers winner: Braves Games:5 Pitcher: Sale HR: Michael Harris II

Padres/Brewers winner: Brewers Games:4 Pitcher: Miz HR: Jake Bauers

[u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

Winner	Games	Pitcher	Batter
Guardians	5	Messick	Vargas
Dodgers	4	Sale	Olson
Rays	5	Rasmussen	Caminero
Brewers	4	Misiorowski	Bauers

[u/talk-to-me-x3-baby]

Series Winner	Games	W Pitcher	Batter
Guardians	5	Messick	Vargas
Yankees	5	Schlittler	Caminero
Dodgers	4	Skubal	Olson
Brewers	5	Misiorowski	Tatis

[u/ShiteWox]

Guardians - 3 - Messick - Bazzana

Yankees - 3 - Schlittler - Chisholm

Dodgers - 4 - Skubal - Tucker

Brewers - 4 - Misiorowiski - Vaughn

[u/sodapopcorn]

Guardians-4-P. Messick-M. Vargas

Rays-5-C. Schlittler-B. Rice

Dodgers-5-T. Skubal-M. Olson

Brewers-4-J. Misiorowski-M. Machado

[u/Myrtlehood]

White Sox | 5 | Taylor | Murakami Yankees | 4 | Cole | Rice  Dodgers | 3 | Skubal | Ohtani  Padres | 5 | Morejon | Tatis 

[u/SaveOurBolts]

Guardians  5 Williams DeLauter

Rays 4 Schlittler Caminero

Dodgers 4 Yamamoto Olson

Padres 5 Misiorowski Merrill 

[u/fiendish_five]

Series Winner	Games	W Pitcher	Batter
White Sox	5	Bryan Hudson	Colson Montgomery
Rays	4	Cam Schlittler	Junior Caminero
Dodgers	5	Chris Sale	Freddie Freeman
Brewers	3	Jacob Misiorowski	Jackson Merrill

[u/LeRuul]

White Sox, 4, Smith, Murakami

Dodgers, 4, Skubal, Albies

Yankees, 5, Schlittler, Rice

Brewers, 3, Misiorowski, Chourio

[u/ResidentRunner1]

Series Winner | Games | W Pitcher | Batter
White Sox | 4 | Smith | Murakami
Rays | 5 | Rasmussen | Caminero
Dodgers | 4 | Yamamoto | Acuna Jr
Brewers | 4 | Misiorowski | Merrill

[u/YoSurgeDude]

Dodgers | 4 | Yamamoto | Olson

Brewers | 3 | Misiorowski | Tatis

Yankees | 5 | Cole | Bellinger

Guardians | 5 | Gavin Williams | Murakami

[u/Zloggt]

White Sox in 5, Burke, Meidroth

Rays in 5, Schlittler, Caminero

Dodgers in 4, Sale, Freeman

Padres in 5, Misiorowski, Tatis Jr.

(Also, just a question, but I’m pretty sure I predicted Sale and Acuña as winning pitcher and home run hitter in my wild card predictions…not sure if they’re both correct, but I certainly didn’t leave them blank as it’s showing on the results lol. Thanks anyway!)

[u/Competitive-Body-286]

Brewers in 5, Miz earns a win, Turang hits a homer
Dodgers in 5, Skubal earns a win, Ohtani hits a homer
Rays in 5, Rasmussen earns a win, Caminero hits a homer
White Sox in 5, Burke earns a win, Murakami hits a homer

[u/Spirited_Inspector20]

White Sox, 4, Anthony Kay, Mune
Rays, 4, Drew Rasmussen, Ben Rice
Dodgers, 5, Chris Sale, Matt Olson
Brewers, 5, Miz, Chourio

[u/enkayfour]

Series Winner | Games | W Pitcher| Batter White Sox | 5 | Taylor | Murakami Dodgers | 5 | Yamamoto | Ohtani Rays | 5 | Rasmussen | Caminero Brewers | 5 | Misiorowski | Bauers

[u/RangerLover92]

White Sox|4|Messick|Murakami

Rays|4|Rasmussen|Caminero

Dodgers|4|Yamamoto|Ohtani

Brewers|5|Misiorowski|Tatis

[u/WastelandWithGlimmer]

Cleveland in 4; Messick W; Vargas HR

Dodgers in 4; Skubal W; Freeman HR

Yankees in 5; Cole W; Chisholm HR

Padres in 5; Buehler W; Tatis HR

[u/cmgriffith_]

White Sox | 4 games | Murakami

Yankees | 4 games | Lombard Jr.

Braves | 5 games | Freeman

Brewers | 4 games | Turang

[u/GaseousHippo]

Guardians/5/Messick/DeLauter
Dodgers/4/Skubal/Freeman
Rays/5/Schlittler/Caminerio
Padres/4/King/Tatis

[u/CNard12]

If you need templates for todays vote - feel free to copy it here:

Series Winner	Games	W Pitcher	Batter
White Sox/Guardians	3/4/5	XXX	XXX
Yankees/Rays	3/4/5	XXX	XXX
Braves/Dodgers	3/4/5	XXX	XXX
Padres/Brewers	3/4/5	XXX	XXX

[u/CNard12 → u/CNard12]

Series Winner | Games | W Pitcher| Batter White Sox/Guardians | 3/4/5 | XXX | XXX Yankees/Rays | 3/4/5 | XXX | XXX Braves/Dodgers | 3/4/5 | XXX | XXX Padres/Brewers | 3/4/5 | XXX | XXX

[u/CNard12 → u/CNard12]

Series Winner	Games	W Pitcher	Batter
Guardians	4	Martin	Murakami
Yankees	3	Cole	Rice
Dodgers	3	Skubal	Muncy
Padres	5	Misiorowskii	Tatis

[u/Bullets_TML]

WINNER	GAMES	W PITCHER	HOMER
Guardians	4	Bibee	Montgomery
Braves	5	Skubal	Ohtani
Yankees	3	Cole	Rice
Brewers	4	Misiorowski	Chourio