Straight Out the Lew is a podcast run by sophomores Dylan Azcarate, Chris Cimino, and Luke Linnehan. In collaboration with The Student, they have created a biweekly column of the same name, in which they discuss and give their opinions on national sports.

Who will win the World Series and Why?

Dylan Azcarate: Houston Astros. The story of the 2021 MLB Postseason has been offense, offense, and more offense. The Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves have been the two most high powered offensive teams in the league this postseason, overpowering the stellar lineups of the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Houston Astros lack starting pitching depth, but their bullpen carried them through the ALCS against the Red Sox. Look for Houston’s bullpen and offense to lead the way in this Fall Classic as I am calling for the Houston Astros to win this one handily in five games.  

Luke Linnehan: Atlanta Braves. This clearly is a team of destiny. Even without superstar Ronald Acuna, they have beaten two very strong World Series contenders.  The Astros still have many questions around their pitching, and with the very strong lineup the Braves feature, they also have great front-end pitching that will help them get an early jumpstart in this series.

Chris Cimino: Atlanta Braves. In recent memory, there has not been a team without excellent starting pitching that has won the World Series. The Astros do not have Lance McCullers which makes their good rotation options rather slim. Framber Valdez will give them good innings, but other than that they do not have much. The Braves have experienced veteran Charlie Morton (who may pitch 3 times in the series), and two young studs in Max Fried and Ian Anderson. No one would’ve guessed it coming into October, but the Braves will be champs. 

Who is the Front Runner in the AFC?

Dylan: Buffalo Bills. On bye in week seven, the Buffalo Bills currently hold a record of 4-2. Their only losses have come to the Steelers week one in a fluke game, and to the Titans week six in a heartbreaker which saw Josh Allen come up short at the end of the game on a 4th down with one yard to go. Josh Allen is this year’s MVP so far. Throwing for 15 touchdowns and running for another two all while only throwing three interceptions through six games this year has cemented Josh Allen in the top tier of quarterbacks in the NFL. Should the Bills develop the play-action pass attack by establishing a run game with Devin Singletary and Zach Moss down the stretch, this team will be scary. Yes, giving up 34 points to the Titans in week six is concerning, but I would not say this is too noteworthy as stopping Derrick Henry this year has proven to be impossible. Look for Allen to be MVP and the Bills to be a one seed this year.

Luke: Baltimore Ravens.  Of course, they did get blown out this week by the Bengals. However, this team still has what it takes with a strong coaching staff, and they will most likely gain home field advantage in the playoffs. They have a tough division, but I trust their ability to run the ball consistently throughout the season.

Chris: Tennessee Titans. Yes, the Titans lost to the Jets, but that doesn’t change the fact that this team is currently the best team in the AFC. This has much to do with how bad the conference is. The Ravens lost to Cincinnati and Kansas City is a mess. Tennessee has an excellent, balanced offense with a quarterback who gets better year to year. The Titans defense is also getting better as we saw against the Chiefs. Mike Vrabel has had playoff success before, and he will do it again this year.