American League Matchups
Detroit Tigers vs. Baltimore Orioles
The Tigers are only two years removed from a World Series thrashing at the hands of the Giants, but this time, they return to the playoffs with arguably the best arms factory in all of baseball.
Manager Brad Ausmus will have a tough time selecting which four guys he wants starting from his arsenal of weapons, but ultimately the four-man rotation should look something like this: the past three AL Cy Young Award winners in Max Scherzer, David Price, Justin Verlander and a vastly improved Rick Porcello.
The Orioles, meanwhile, have a solid pitching staff held intact by the likes of Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez, but their true strength lies in their potent offense. The O’s ranked sixth in the league in total offense this year, scoring a whopping 209 home runs as a team. Of those 209 bombs, Nelson Cruz, Chris Davis, and Adam Jones were responsible for 94. Baltimore will go as far as their offense takes them in this series.
The Verdict: Detroit seems to have Baltimore figured out, winning five out of six regular season games against the O’s this season. Additionally, it’s hard to argue against a team with reigning MVP Miguel Cabrera and three former Cy Young Winners. Detroit Wins 3-2.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Kansas City Royals
There hasn’t been a hotter team than the Angels in all of baseball. After a neck and neck divisional race with Oakland, the Halos completely pulled away (helped by a sudden A’s collapse) and nearly won 100 games this year. That being said, regular season achievements don’t matter in the playoffs and the Angels will have to be on their guard against whichever Wild Card team they play.
If it’s the Royals, expect a balanced attack with electric pitching and a serviceable offense. Don’t expect Kansas City to attempt to outmuscle the likes of the surprising Matt Shoemaker and perennial playoff stalwart Jered Weaver, though. The Royals don’t have a single player on their roster that eclipsed 20 home runs this year (Alex Gordon was the closest with 19). Nonetheless, KC’s starting pitching trio of James Shields, Jason Vargas, and Yordano Ventura should give their offense a chance no matter what.
If it’s the A’s, rivalry plays a huge factor here. The A’s are out for blood after surrendering their gaping lead in the AL West and will relish the chance to boot their southern neighbors out of the postseason. Financially speaking, this is a classic example of a David vs. Goliath scenario. Crafty A’s general manager Billy Beane would love to prove that money is not his object by having his $83 million payroll team knock off the team that invested $240 million into Albert Pujols (and have a $155 million payroll this year). Enticing matchups between the A’s duo of Samardzija/Lester and Angels’ hurlers Weaver/Shoemaker will make this series a fun one to watch.
The Verdict: The Angels simply have too much star power for Kansas City to handle and should be able to swiftly defeat them with home field advantage. If history indicates anything, the Angels shouldn’t take any team lightly, as they haven’t made a World Series appearance since 2002.Angels Win 3-1.
National League
St.Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Surprise, surprise, the Cardinals and Dodgers meet once again in the playoffs. Dodgers owner Magic Johnson was edged by a bird yet again after his billion dollar investment Dodgers dropped the NLCS 4-2 to St. Louis last year. This time, expect things to be vastly different. It’s easy to overrate the Dodgers in any situation, but they’ve looked more poised than ever this season. St. Louis is always bound to surprise in any playoff scenario, but this might be the year the Dodgers finally take the next step. It’s hard to see the Cards getting past Cy Young favorite Clayton Kershaw (21-3, 1.77 ERA), especially given catcher Yadier Molina’s injury bitten year.
The Verdict: Los Angeles has invested an exorbitant amount of money into this team and will finally reap the fruits of their spending spree. St. Louis has proved they’re a different team in the playoffs (winning the World Series in 2011 and appearing in it last year), but the Dodgers will pull through. If anything else, they’ll do it for longtime broadcaster Vin Scully. Dodgers win 3-2.
Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants/ Pittsburgh Pirates
Hats off to the Nationals for finally circumventing their annual midseason choke to make the playoffs (as a number one seed, no less.) It’s been a long time coming for the Nationals, who always have a contending team that never gets to show its merit past September. It won’t be easy regardless of which team they face, as Pittsburgh and San Francisco have every reason to believe they belong in the World Series. San Francisco, as you might recall, won it all in 2010 and 2012. (If patterns suggest anything, they’re a lock to win it all in 2014.) The Buccos are probably just happy to be in the playoffs after a shaky start and are playing for all of Pittsburgh, a city without a World Series since 1979. Regardless of who wins the Wild Card matchup, defeating Washington’s top ranked pitching staff will be a hefty task.
The Verdict: Washington may be inexperienced, but they are the best team overall of the three teams listed. San Francisco might get farther than Pittsburgh, but at the end of the day the Nationals should at least make it past the first round.
If PIT…Nationals Win 3-1
If SF…. Nationals Win 3-2.
Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin.guinta@spartans.ut.edu