Man vs Machine: Can a Cubs Fan Beat AI Databases? 2025 MLB Postseason Is Here!

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Key Points

• The author competes against AI models—Perplexity, Claude, ChatGPT, and Précis AI—in forecasting MLB postseason results, blending human intuition with machine learning.
• Each AI produced varied outcomes in their predictions, with some consistently accurate and others showing unexpected choices, such as ChatGPT including the Mets after their poor season.
• The series aims to explore how human judgment and AI predictions intersect during the playoffs, with live updates on performance and standings throughout the postseason.

Man vs Machine: Can a Cubs Fan Beat AI Databases? 2025 MLB Postseason Is Here!

Every company has a Chicago Cubs fan. At Précis, that’s me. 

This October, I’m kicking off our new Man vs. Machine series for the MLB postseason by putting my bracket head‑to‑head against four leading AI models — Perplexity, Claude, ChatGPT, and Précis AI. It’s a friendly, data‑driven showdown to see whether a lifetime of baseball heartbreak and hope can outduel cold algorithmic logic — or at least make it sweat.

I’ll be the human. The machines? They’re already talking a big game.

Our Man vs. Machine format pits a human enthusiast against multiple AI platforms and tracks the results as the competition unfolds, just as we did in our tennis edition.

The AI tryouts: mixed results

When I asked the models to generate their postseason picks, it wasn’t exactly a great day regarding AI hallucinations:

• Perplexity and Précis nailed the bracket entrants – every team correct out of the gate.
• Claude got bold with its path to the top, penciling in the Braves as the team to beat.
• ChatGPT refused to accept late-season reality and still had the Mets included.

Maybe they’re taking it easy on me. After all, I’m a Cubs fan.

Why Play Man vs. Machine?

Baseball fans are using AI more than ever — to weigh matchups, simulate series, and second‑guess their own gut. Major‑league front offices aren’t shy either: they’re constantly modeling probabilities and pressure moments. Our goal with Man vs. Machine isn’t to crown a permanent champion; it’s to show how human judgment and AI predictions can collide, converge, and — sometimes — completely disagree.

The Ground Rules

• The Contenders: Patrick (me) vs. Perplexity, Claude, ChatGPT, and Précis AI.
• The Measure: Round-by-round accuracy with a clear scoreboard update after each round.

I’ll share my bracket, the AIs’ brackets, and quick notes on the key calls where our picks diverge. Expect me to lean on clubhouse intangibles, recent form, and a lifetime’s worth of postseason scar tissue. Expect the AIs to lean on probabilities, historical comps, and pattern recognition. Then we’ll see who reads October better.

Your Turn

Will this postseason reward my stubborn optimism — or the models’ cool math? Drop your own picks, cheer for your favorite contender (hopefully me), and follow along as we update the leaderboard throughout the playoffs. If our tennis series taught us anything, it’s that the lead can flip fast — and the fun is in the chase.

Read: Man vs Machine: Why Human Instinct Beat the AIs in the MLB Wild Card Series 2025

Read: Man vs Machine: MLB Division Series 2025 Scoreboard Update

Read: Man vs Machine: The Yankees Were the Real Villain in MLB World Series 2025

Go Cubs. And may the best bracket win.

My MLB Postseason Picks

Perplexity MLB Postseason Picks

Wild Card: Guardians (3) vs Tigers (6); Yankees (4) vs Red Sox (5)

ALDS: Blue Jays vs Yankees; Mariners vs Guardians

ALCS: Blue Jays vs Mariners

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Wild Card: Dodgers (3) vs Reds (6); Cubs (4) vs Padres (5)

NLDS: Brewers vs Cubs; Phillies vs Dodgers

NLCS: Brewers vs Phillies

—-

World Series: Mariners vs Phillies

Claude MLB Postseason Picks

Wild Card: Guardians (3) vs Tigers (6); Yankees (4) vs Red Sox (5)

ALDS: Blue Jays vs Yankees; Mariners vs Guardians

ALCS: Blue Jays vs Mariners

—-
Wild Card: Dodgers (3) vs Reds (6); Cubs (4) vs Padres (5)

NLDS: Braves???? vs Dodgers; Phillies vs Cubs

NLCS: Dodgers vs Phillies

—-

World Series: Dodgers vs Blue Jays

ChatGPT MLB Postseason Picks

Wild Card: Guardians (3) vs Tigers (6); Yankees (4) vs Red Sox (5)

ALDS: Blue Jays vs Red Sox; Mariners vs Guardians

ALCS: Blue Jays vs Mariners

—-
Wild Card: Dodgers (3) vs Mets (6); Cubs (4) vs Padres (5)

NLDS: Brewers vs Cubs; Phillies vs Dodgers

NLCS: Brewers vs Phillies

—-

World Series: Mariners vs Phillies

Précis AI MLB Postseason Picks

Wild Card: Guardians (3) vs Tigers (6); Yankees (4) vs Red Sox (5)

ALDS: Blue Jays vs Yankees; Mariners vs Guardians

ALCS: Blue Jays vs Mariners
—-
Wild Card: Dodgers (3) vs Reds (6); Cubs (4) vs Padres (5)

NLDS: Brewers vs Cubs; Phillies vs Dodgers

NLCS: Brewers vs Phillies
—-
World Series: Blue Jays vs Phillies