Using numberFire's Power Rankings to Predict the 2016 World Series Champion

Championship Series

Boston Red Sox over Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays got through to the ALCS by defeating numberFire's 12th- and 16th-ranked teams, respectively, in the first two rounds. They don't quite get that luxury against the Red Sox, and it's enough to send Boston to their fourth World Series in the past 13 years.

The Red Sox finished the regular season atop the power rankings among AL teams with a 1.29 nERD. The Indians were second at 0.93, and the Blue Jays third at 0.83. Because of this, the Red Sox enter the playoffs with 19.2% odds of winning it all. With a league-leading 113 wRC+ and the 11th-ranked pitching staff in terms of SIERA, it's hard to blame the algorithms for slobbering all over Big Papi's compadres.

Chicago Cubs over Washington Nationals

This isn't about the Nationals, who ended the regular season with the third-highest nERD in the league. It's all about their opponents, and it's just not a fair fight given the injuries the Nationals have suffered.

Not only are the Nats likely without Stephen Strasburg, who will miss at least the first round, but their offense has taken blow after blow recently. Wilson Ramos is out for the year with a torn ACL, and both Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper missed time down the stretch because of dings and dents. A fully-healthy group of Nationals would be an interesting unit against the Cubs, but as things stand right now, the Cubs are headed to their first World Series since 1945.