Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics
Detroit Tigers (93-69)
Overview:
The Detroit Tigers swept the New York Yankees in last year’s ALCS to get to the World Series then got swept themselves at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. In the Jim Leyland era, the Tigers have been to the World Series twice but are 1-8 in 9 games. The Tigers are hoping to get another chance and win it this time. They took care of business in the regular season by winning the division and have another very good shot at going deep into the playoffs. However, the injury to superstar Miguel Cabrera is a major issue for that quest.
Hitting:
R: 796 (2nd) AVG: .283 (1st) OBP: .346 (2nd) HR: 176 (7th)
Despite the injury late in the season, Miguel Cabrera had another monster season. The 1-5 hitters in the Tigers lineup is the best in baseball with Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Victor Martinez. Hunter has been a great offseason acquisition. However, if Cabrera is compromised in the playoffs, it is a different lineup. He is the best hitter in baseball and they need him to carry them to another World Series. Because of the injury, Cabrera is a wild card.
Pitching:
ERA: 3.61 (9th) WHIP: 1.25 (9th) K: 1,428 (1st) BB: 462 (10th)
Justin Verlander is no longer the best pitcher in baseball. His velocity has decreased and his walks are up. Nevertheless, a 3.46 ERA in the American league is more than respectable and he is still a presence. More importantly, he finished up very strong with a 2.27 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 48 Ks compared to 10 walks in September. He is pitching his best baseball heading into the postseason. The best pitcher in the American League this year has been Verlander’s teammate, Max Scherzer. After years of inconsistency, Scherzer finally put it all together going 21-3 with a 2.57 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 240 Ks compared to 56 walks. Anibal Sanchez also had a great season with a 2.57 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 202 Ks compared to 54 walks. Doug Fister is also an excellent number 4 starter. The Tiger pitchers struck out the most men in baseball. Their rotation can win them a World Series. While they had a closer problem last year when Jose Valverde imploded in the playoffs, Joaquin Benoit has pitched great this season in the role.
Oakland As (96-66)
Overview:
For a few years, it appeared that GM Billy Beane lost the advantage he needed with a small market team when he revealed his tricks in Moneyball as the big market teams adopted his analytical strategies for building a team and the As had bad teams. Nevertheless, Beane has done it again and rebuilt the As on a low budget. They were ahead of schedule last year and ended up losing in 5 games in the ALDS to the Detroit Tigers last year. They proved that season was no fluke as they backed it up with another division title, pulling away from the Texas Rangers in a close race going into September. They are looking for revenge against the Tigers in this series.
Hitting:
R: 767 (4th) AVG: .254 (14th) OBP: .327 (8th) HR: 186 (3rd)
The As really took a step forward offensively this season and had one of the best offenses in baseball. They get it done with the Moneyball way: get on base and hit a lot of homeruns. Third basemen Josh Donaldson had a breakout season hitting .301 with a .384 OBP, 24 homeruns, and 93 RBIs. However, the As have built their lineup by having a deep lineup with a lot of good hitters rather than having a couple of big sluggers. The wild card for them is Yoenis Cespedes. He had a sophomore slump batting only .240. However, he still had 26 homeruns. As he showed in the homerun derby this year when he won it despite the fact that he was not an All-Star, he has as much power as anyone and it can change a series.
Pitching:
R: 3.56 (7th) WHIP: 1.22 (3rd) K: 1,183 (23rd) BB: 428 (3rd)
The As have done it with veteran Bartolo Colon rejuvenating his career and being the ace of the staff while surrounding him with young, promising pitchers. While Colon cheated with PEDs, an 18-6 season with a 2.65 ERA and 1.15 WHIP is still impressive at his age. They have an army of young and improving pitchers in Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone, Dan Straily, and A.J. Griffin. I really like that they attack the strike zone and do not walk too many batters. Their weakness is that they are relying on an older Colon as their ace and the young pitcher are not top pitchers yet despite their continued improvement. On the other hand, the As also have a deep and effective bullpen.
Regular Seasons Series:
It was very competitive with the As winning it 4-3.
The Matchup:
Last year’s playoff series went the full five games and the As edged the Tigers in the regular season series. I expect another close series this season. Statistically, these two teams are even in every way. However, stars shine in the playoffs and the Tigers have Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Prince Fielder. Moreover, the Tigers four starters are clearly better than the As starting pitching. However, the health of Cabrera can change things drastically.
Prediction:
Toss Up. Tigers in 5 if Miguel Cabrera is healthy and provides a presence even if he does not have a monster series.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
Tampa Bay Rays (92-71)
Overview:
It was a close race for the AL East until the Rays went into a swoon at the beginning of September and the Red Sox pulled away from them. However, the Rays have rebounded and is one of the hottest teams in baseball winning 15 of their last 20 games and beating a team that was on a 7 game win streak, Texas Rangers, and another team on a 10 game win streak, Cleveland Indians, in back to back elimination games en route to the ALCS. The Rays have top starters and a much improved offense. They are legitimate contenders to win it all.
Hitting:
R: 700 (11th) BA: .257 (12th) OBP: .329 (4th) HR: 165 (11th)
The Rays are a different offense when Evan Longoria is healthy and a presence in the middle of the lineup. Rookie Wil Myers was a great acquisition in the offseason and has made a significant impact forming a 1-2 punch with Longoria. Ben Zobrist is underrated and continues to be an excellent hitter year over year. The wild card in this offense is Delmon Young. He raises his game in the playoffs. I have seen him destroy the Yankees in the last two postseasons. In the Wild Card game against the Indians, Young put the Rays ahead with another postseason homerun.
Pitching:
ERA: 3.74 (12th) WHIP: 1.23 (5th) K: 1,310 (3rd) BB: 482 (15th)
Ace and reigning Cy Young winner David Price struggled mightily at beginning of the season. However, he rebounded in a big way to have another big season. He was completely dominant against the Texas Rangers in the elimination game to break the tie for the second wild card. Alex Cobb broke out this season and established himself as the second best pitcher on the staff and a rising ace. Matt Moore and Chris Archer are also a couple of rising aces that pitched great this season. Moore is the Game 1 starter and can be as dominant as anyone. His one negative is too many walks. Nevertheless, the Rays already have a rotation that is ready to win them a World Series. While closer Fernando Rodney struggled at the beginning of the season after a historic 2012, he rebounded nicely. Rodney and setup man Joel Peralta form an excellent back of the pen.
Boston Red Sox (97-65)
Overview:
The Red Sox went from last to first within a season. They cleaned up the atmosphere in their clubhouse by getting rid of the problems and bringing in character guys like Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster, and Mike Napoli to go with their core of Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, and Jacoby Ellsbury. The return of former pitching coach John Farrell to manage the team has been a great hire as he has completely turned the pitching staff around.
Hitting:
R: 853 (1st) AVG: .277 AVG (2nd) OBP: .349 (1st) HR: 178 (6th)
The Red Sox have built a deep lineup. Each hitter gives a tough at bat and works the pitcher. It is an unrelenting lineup and there are no easy outs. Accordingly, they have the highest team on base percentage in baseball. Additionally, they cash in on those runners on base as they hit a lot of homeruns. Especially in Fenway Park, this lineup is devastating. The one weakness is that it strikes out a lot which could be a problem in the playoffs against the top pitchers in the league. The wild card is Mike Napoli. He strikes out a lot (187 Ks this season) but is a game breaker with a ton of power.
Pitching:
ERA: 3.79 (14th) WHIP: 1.30 (15th) K: 1,294 (7th) BB: 524 (7th)
John Farrell really made his presence felt. Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, and even John Lackey had rebound seasons. Buchholz was limited to 108.1 innings due to injury but pitched like an ace when he was healthy going 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Jake Peavy was also a very good midseason trade for the Red Sox. However, I do not think the Red Sox have a sure ace that other teams do. In addition, their pitching staff walks too many batters. Their offense can slug them through a series but they will need Buchholz and Lester to come up big in the playoffs if they want to win the World Series. Offseason acquisition Koji Uehara had a monster season taking over as closer after both Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan were lost for the season. Uehara’s stats are ridiculous with a 1.09 ERA and 0.57 WHIP. The playoffs are always a different animal with amplified pressre. It should be interesting to see if Uehara can continue his dominance.
Regular Seasons Series:
The Red Sox won decisively 12-7.
The Matchup:
Despite the regular season series, I will always take the better pitching in a short playoff series. The Rays have the much better starting pitching. While the Red Sox beat up Alex Cobb and Chris Archer, Matt Moore and David Price dominated the Red Sox lineup this season and could pitch in at least 3 out of the 5 games. On the other hand, Lester, Lackey, and Peavy were not great against the Rays. Buchholz dominated the Rays and did not give up a single run to them this season. However, he is still recovering from his latest injury and is only pitching in one game this series.
Prediction:
Rays in 4. However, I think Lester will pitch the Red Sox to the next round if it comes down to a Game 5 in Boston.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.