Ben Verlander attempts to explain his brutal MLB postseason bracket
The MLB playoffs tend to be more random than every other major professional sport in North America. But they’re not as random as Ben Verlander projected the 2026 MLB postseason to be before it started. Verlander has to live down some of the horrible predictions he made. In fact, almost nothing of what he predicted came to pass. Verlander predicted […] The post Ben Verlander attempts to explain…
Ben Verlander, a baseball analyst, found himself explaining the disastrous accuracy of his MLB postseason bracket. The MLB playoffs, known for their unpredictability, were far less random than Verlander's predictions for the 2026 postseason. Numerous elements of his forecast failed to materialize. He had projected the Philadelphia Phillies to clinch the World Series, which they never even reached past the Wild Card round.
Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, according to Verlander, were destined to be eliminated in the NLDS, yet both teams are now in the NLCS. Regarding the Yankees, Verlander correctly predicted their advance to the ALDS, but failed to foresee their ultimate outcome. He believed they would reach the World Series, whereas the Tampa Bay Rays were set to sweep them.
Verlander also incorrectly anticipated the Houston Astros to reach the ALCS, a feat they failed to achieve even in the Wild Card round. During an interview on Friday, Verlander attempted to justify his "imperfect bracket". He explained that his prediction for the six-seed Phillies winning the championship was a contrarian choice, which unfortunately backfired due to the team's late-season struggles.
He emphasized that trusting a team's performance throughout a full 162-game season is a more reliable strategy than his predictions. Verlander's inaccurate predictions, with only one correct pick, have left him with a difficult situation to face, irrespective of any justifications he might provide.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
