*This article has been corrected since published.

One of the most exciting nights of baseball ever set the stage for playoff baseball. In a final gasp for post-season air, the Rays and Cardinals completed improbable playoff runs by winning their final regular season games. Almost simultaneously, the Red Sox and Braves lost their last games to finish off two of the worst choke jobs in the history of sports. Although it was a tough bit to follow, the division series matchups were up to the challenge of maintaining excitement. For only the third time in MLB history, three of the series went five games. The Tigers, Rangers, Cardinals, and Brewers all prevailed and will compete for their respective league’s pennants.

American League Championship Series

Detroit Tigers

Strengths: Star power has carried Detroit. Not very often does a team have two legitimate MVP candidates like the Tigers have in Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. Over the regular season, Cabrera hit .344 with 30 homeruns and Verlander used his overwhelming fastball to compile a league leading 24 wins. Not to mention, they have closer Jose Valverde who was perfect in 49 save opportunities.

Weaknesses: Without Cabrera and Verlander, the Tigers would be a mediocre team at best. The supporting cast is just not there. Their next best starting pitcher, Max Scherzer, has a 4.43 ERA and Victor Martinez is the only other presence in the lineup. If Cabrera has even just a minor slump, Detroit will be in trouble. If Verlander doesn’t win both his starts then count them out.

Texas Rangers

Strengths: Coming off an improbable World Series run, the Rangers have the advantage of being experienced. Their stacked lineup should thrive under pressure.  Featuring Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre, the high caliber order produced the highest batting average and the third highest run total in the league. In addition, they have a solid pitching rotation anchored by CJ Wilson and backed up by dominant relievers Mike Adams and Neftali Feliz.

Weaknesses: The Rangers have had their share of struggles in the field. They finished the season with 114 errors, the seventh most in the league.  It all started with Elvis Andrus who had more errors, 25, than any other AL shortstop.

Final Outcome: The Tigers do not have the depth to match up with the Rangers thus leaving a smaller margin of error for Detroit. Their shaky starting pitching will soon discover there are no easy outs in Texas’ lineup.  In what will probably be the least competitive series this postseason, the Rangers will handle Detroit in five games.

National League Championship Series

St. Louis Cardinals

Strengths: Thanks to pleasantly surprising years from Lance Berkman and Yadier Molina, the Cardinals have a formidable lineup which includes superstar first baseman Albert Pujols. Possibly even more importantly, St. Louis has the most momentum of any team in the postseason.  They finished September with a record of 18-8 and then went on to defeat the top seeded Phillies in the NLDS.

Weaknesses: Especially compared to the other teams remaining, the Cardinals do not have an intimidating bullpen. There’s really no go-to guy who can be relied on in crucial situations. The closer, Fernando Salas, has only one year of experience, thus raising the question of whether he can handle the pressure of October. This leaves opponents with opportunities to comeback and tack on insurance runs late in ballgames.

Milwaukee Brewers

Strengths: The Brew Crew sports a monstrous meat of the order consisting of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. The two combined for 71 homeruns over the course of the regular season, giving headaches to opposing pitching staffs.  First year Brewer, Nyjer Morgan, has provided a spark of energy to the team and has contributed with a .304 average. The pitching for Milwaukee is equally as impressive. Zach Grienke, Yovani Gallardo and Shawn Marcum head the rotation and lead the way to commanding closer John Axford.

Weaknesses: Experience is the only flaw in this seemingly perfect Brewers team. Jerry Hairston Jr. is the lone Brewer’s starter who has played in a NLCS game before this year. The mounting pressure may cause problems for the team, especially ace Zach Grienke who has anxiety issues.

Outcome: After a fight between the two teams in a regular season game and pointed comments made by Zach Grienke before this series, a rivalry seems to be brewing (pun intended) between Milwaukee and St. Louis. Expect an exciting series filled with tense moments and maybe even a brawl or two. In the end, the Brewer’s bats will prevail and eliminate the Cardinals in six games.