Post by White Sox GM (Michael) on Aug 31, 2014 11:38:09 GMT -5
Tomorrow is the start of the postseason with the wild card rounds, and although Sunday's games haven't happened yet, the wild card teams are set.
Note: I used records assuming the scores in the current matchups will stand.
American League Wild Card Round
Detroit Tigers (183-96-15) vs. Minnesota Twins (174-102-18)
The AL playoffs begin with a match between the American League Central's second- and third-place teams.
Led by David Ortiz, Jimmy Rollins, and Brett Gardner, the Tigers ranked in the top five of all seven offensive categories this season. Surprise contributors Kevin Kiermaier and Steve Pearce have made the lineup look well-rounded. The starting rotation is not as strong, but ace Adam Wainwright leads a stingy staff that has the AL's lowest WHIP. The bullpen is perhaps the strongest part of the team. Brad Boxberger and Andrew Miller boast fantastic K/9 rates. Holds are virtually a lock and closer Sergio Romo is a good source of saves.
For years, the Twins have claimed to be underrated, and this season, Minnesota finally broke through as a pennant contender. The Twins made the playoffs on the backs of their pitching rotation, although the team has lost ace Garrett Richards for the season. Regardless, the starting staff is one of the best in the league. Jeff Samardzija and Chris Archer are good strikeout sources while maintaining low ERAs, and other starters like Chris Tillman are Dallas Keuchel are solid contributors. Led by Glen Perkins and Hector Rondon, the bullpen is similarly strong. However, the hitting is weak for a playoff team in all facets. Chase Utley was an important mid-season acquisition to strengthen the lineup which only had one other strong hitter (Hunter Pence).
Overall, there is no clear favorite to this matchup. The Twins' deep rotation will be tough to beat in the pitching categories, but the Tigers will likely come out ahead in most hitting categories. The winner faces the #1 seed Oakland Athletics.
National League Wild Card Round
Pittsburgh Pirates (178-102-14) vs. New York Mets (165-111-18)
The NL postseason begins with a matchup of the second-place finishers in the Central and East divisions, respectively.
The young Pittsburgh Pirates came on as a surprise team this season, but they are now deservedly viewed as a serious title threat. The Pirates are led by a trio of aces (Julio Teheran, Zack Greinke, and James Shields), the latter two mid-season acquisitions. After them, the rotation becomes more questionable, but the bullpen is all-around terrific. Wade Davis has emerged as a relief ace this season, and Trevor Rosenthal and Casey Janssen are two solid closers. The hitting has a few electrifying stars (Yasiel Puig and Billy Hamilton) as well as other good, complimentary hitters like Lucas Duda, Christian Yelich, and Todd Frazier.
The story of the Mets' season has been injuries. Coming into the season as an easy AL East favorite, the Mets have instead seen many of their stars spend time on the DL. However, New York still cannot be taken lightly. Michael Brantley has had a MVP-caliber season, Marlon Byrd is a good source of power, and Yadier Molina has returned from the DL. The pitching rotation may not blow you away (7th in NL in strikeouts), but it is still all-around very sound (2nd in ERA). The bullpen is nothing short of stellar - everyone has an ERA in the 2s or lower, and the team is 3rd in both holds and saves this season.
By default, the Pirates come into this matchup as the stronger team. However, since neither team is outstandingly deep and both teams have a handful of very productive players, the success of both teams will probably be predicated on how their stars play. The team that moves on will face the #1 seed Arizona Diamondbacks.
Note: I used records assuming the scores in the current matchups will stand.
American League Wild Card Round
Detroit Tigers (183-96-15) vs. Minnesota Twins (174-102-18)
The AL playoffs begin with a match between the American League Central's second- and third-place teams.
Led by David Ortiz, Jimmy Rollins, and Brett Gardner, the Tigers ranked in the top five of all seven offensive categories this season. Surprise contributors Kevin Kiermaier and Steve Pearce have made the lineup look well-rounded. The starting rotation is not as strong, but ace Adam Wainwright leads a stingy staff that has the AL's lowest WHIP. The bullpen is perhaps the strongest part of the team. Brad Boxberger and Andrew Miller boast fantastic K/9 rates. Holds are virtually a lock and closer Sergio Romo is a good source of saves.
For years, the Twins have claimed to be underrated, and this season, Minnesota finally broke through as a pennant contender. The Twins made the playoffs on the backs of their pitching rotation, although the team has lost ace Garrett Richards for the season. Regardless, the starting staff is one of the best in the league. Jeff Samardzija and Chris Archer are good strikeout sources while maintaining low ERAs, and other starters like Chris Tillman are Dallas Keuchel are solid contributors. Led by Glen Perkins and Hector Rondon, the bullpen is similarly strong. However, the hitting is weak for a playoff team in all facets. Chase Utley was an important mid-season acquisition to strengthen the lineup which only had one other strong hitter (Hunter Pence).
Overall, there is no clear favorite to this matchup. The Twins' deep rotation will be tough to beat in the pitching categories, but the Tigers will likely come out ahead in most hitting categories. The winner faces the #1 seed Oakland Athletics.
National League Wild Card Round
Pittsburgh Pirates (178-102-14) vs. New York Mets (165-111-18)
The NL postseason begins with a matchup of the second-place finishers in the Central and East divisions, respectively.
The young Pittsburgh Pirates came on as a surprise team this season, but they are now deservedly viewed as a serious title threat. The Pirates are led by a trio of aces (Julio Teheran, Zack Greinke, and James Shields), the latter two mid-season acquisitions. After them, the rotation becomes more questionable, but the bullpen is all-around terrific. Wade Davis has emerged as a relief ace this season, and Trevor Rosenthal and Casey Janssen are two solid closers. The hitting has a few electrifying stars (Yasiel Puig and Billy Hamilton) as well as other good, complimentary hitters like Lucas Duda, Christian Yelich, and Todd Frazier.
The story of the Mets' season has been injuries. Coming into the season as an easy AL East favorite, the Mets have instead seen many of their stars spend time on the DL. However, New York still cannot be taken lightly. Michael Brantley has had a MVP-caliber season, Marlon Byrd is a good source of power, and Yadier Molina has returned from the DL. The pitching rotation may not blow you away (7th in NL in strikeouts), but it is still all-around very sound (2nd in ERA). The bullpen is nothing short of stellar - everyone has an ERA in the 2s or lower, and the team is 3rd in both holds and saves this season.
By default, the Pirates come into this matchup as the stronger team. However, since neither team is outstandingly deep and both teams have a handful of very productive players, the success of both teams will probably be predicated on how their stars play. The team that moves on will face the #1 seed Arizona Diamondbacks.
