The 2015 MLB Playoffs get underway on Tuesday night and wrap up on Wednesday. It’s the beginning of a wild October ride; one the Astros, Yankees, Cubs and Pirates will all hope to stick around and join. Only two teams can move on to the next round, though, so let’s take a look at both matchups and see which teams are likely to stay alive in the chase for the 2015 World Series.

Houston Astros @ New York Yankees

The upstart Astros weren’t supposed to be in this situation. On one hand they were supposed to have their division wrapped up and this should have been an all-or-nothing position the hated Texas Rangers would be in. On the other hand, Houston maybe wasn’t supposed to be in the MLB playoff picture at all. But they are here, and now Dallas Keuchel will lead the Astros into Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, trying to spin the ball the way he does at home (where he hasn’t lost yet). Doing that on the road against the heavy bats of the Yanks is beyond easier said than done, of course, which is why there is speculation the Astros will be one and done tonight.

Then again, what the Astros have still might be better than New York, even though they’re on the road. Masahiro Tanaka is supposed to be an elite arm that guides New York’s suspect offense through the fire, but he’s fading fast down the stretch and now may be under too much pressure with too much on the lines. If Tanaka can’t keep things together, this could very well be a battle of the bats in what otherwise would come off as a pitcher’s duel. Of course, with anything close to a pitcher’s duel going down in home run central (Yankee Stadium), this game grows increasingly more difficult to call.

The kicker here is Keuchel. He’s not great on three day’s rest and he’s even worse on the road. Make that road game at Yankee Stadium and it’s tough to love him and the Astros to move on.

Pick: Yankees 4, Astros 3

Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Thought the first MLB wild card playoff game was tough to call? Try Jake Arrieta versus Gerrit Cole on for size. Both of these MLB playoff games could easily be pitcher’s duels, but this one yields fewer chances and monster smashes and the quality of pitching should be at a higher level from top to bottom, as well. Oddly enough, this game is easier to call.

The reality is this: there should be even less scoring in Wednesday’s game. Elite pitching can rule the playoffs and while it sometimes does not (here’s to looking at you, Kershaw), it feels like it just might in this showdown. This is really all about Arrieta, who has won three of four games against these Pirates and carries the stronger odds to come through in the clutch. Cole has wins under his belt and an ERA below 3.0 on the year and he’s also had success against a good Cubs offense that tends to K a ton. He’s also at home.

However, there isn’t much to hate about Arrieta here, and with such an evenly matched showdown, he has to get the slightest of nods.

Pick: Cubs 2, Pirates 1

Think these games go down differently? Tell us in the comments below!

Kris Bryant got a lot accomplished during his rookie 2015 MLB season. He got to participate in the 2015 MLB Home Run Derby, he helped get the Chicago Cubs to a wild card playoff showdown with the hated Pittsburgh Pirates and even ended up pacing all of baseball in jersey sales.

The second little tidbit is probably the most important, but leading MLB jersey sales is pretty impressive. It’s not a major shock, either, considering the Cubs are a widely loved baseball team and turned into a very solid team this season. Bryant is also one of the game’s top young players, as he made quite an impression in his first season with 26 home runs and a solid .275 batting average. Not bad for the kid’s first season.

While the logic is there for Kris Bryant to take the top spit in MLB jersey sales in 2015, it was still a mild surprise to see a rookie out last the likes of Clayton Kershaw (4th), Mike Trout (5th) and even Bryce Harper (6th). Bryant even edged out teammate Anthony Rizzo (8th) who also appeared in the Home Run Derby and even blaster more homers (31) on the season.

Kudos to Bryant for a strong season, and even more props considering the Cubs are still playing. That being said, Bryant was far from the only surprise on the top-20 list revealed by MLB.com, as a few names could have you thinking a ton of people just happened to order the same set of custom baseball uniforms.

Names like Yadier Molina and David Wright are pretty big surprises to make the top 20 best selling MLB jersey list, especially since that leaves out popular mashers like Chris Davis and Jose Bautista, along with elite arms such as David Price, Chris Sale and Max Scherzer.

Surprised Kris Bryant’s jersey took the top spot during the regular season? Blown away over who didn’t make the cut? Tell us about it in the comments below!