Some Free Agent Predictions

Okay, so those Winter Meetings were very fun to follow, especially because of Twitter. Writers fighting to be the first to “tweet” rumors and signings is remarkable thing in today’s technology age.

Anyways, here is a quick review of the blockbuster NY-ARI-DET trade. Win for NY, because of Granderson makes them instantly better on paper. Win for DET, because they get some quality prospects under team control for a while, which they really needed. Loss for ARI, though their rotation will have a dominant front 3 if Webb can rebound from his injury and I think Kennedy can be a good #4 in the NL.

Now onto where I believe some of the top free agents will land this offseason.

1. P John Lackey- Mets: I think the Mets have to sign one of  Lackey/Bay/Holliday superstar free agents in order to compete in the NL East and so their isn’t an uprising in Queens ending with Omar’s head on a pike. I think pitching is a desperate need for the Mets, more so than anything else. I see Lackey getting Burnett money and signing with the Mets. Bay/Holliday will be too expensive and another top starting pitcher is too big of a need for the Mets.

2. LF Matt Holliday- Cardinals: I was very torn on this selection. I narrowed down the teams to Cards/Mets/Mariners/Red Sox/Angels/Yankees. I think the Mets get Lackey, so they won’t be able to afford Holliday. I think the M’s will spend on starting pitching rather than spend big on Holliday. I think the Red Sox get Bay back and the Yanks won’t sign another superstar this winter. At the end of the post I will write why I don’t think the Angels will sign Holliday. By process of elimination that leaves the Cards, and I think they really do want him back.

3. LF Jason Bay- Red Sox: The Sox will get either Bay or Holliday. I think they prefer Bay and think that Bay will come cheaper.

4. LF Johnny Damon- Yankees: The Granderson trade will put some pressure on Damon. I think Damon really wants to come back and have a shot at winning another championship and the Yankees want Damon back too. I think Damon gives in taking a 1-year deal for $10MM. Two years wouldn’t surprise me, neither would the Giants going hard after him.

5. DH/OF Hideki Matsui- Angels: They need a good bat and a DH, Matsui fits well for them. This isn’t the reason why I said above the Angels won’t sign Holliday.

6. C Bengie Molina- Mets: Mets need a decent bat at catcher and someone to appease the fans. So the overrated Molina fits perfectly.

7. P Ben Sheets- Yankees: Harden went for too much I think. Sheets seems to be seeking big money too, but I believe he will come down a bit on his price. I think it will be between the Yankees and Mariners for who signs Sheets, with Yanks getting edge.

8. 1B Nick Johnson- Mets: Mets need someone at first and Johnson is the best out of the FA lot.

9. P Jason Marquis- Mariners: They want pitching and if they lose out on Sheets I think they will sign Marquis. If Mets don’t get Lackey, they probably get Marquis.

10. P Joel Piniero- Phillies: They need some pitching and I don’t think they will get Halladay.

Trade:

P Roy Halladay-Angels: This is why I think Angels won’t get Holliday. They need an ace to replace Lackey and they have the prospects for the trade. I think they will ultimately win the Halladay sweeps. They will need the money they have for the extension.

(Note: I didn’t put these Free Agents in any order, nor am I saying these are the top 10 available. This is just a list of some players who have had a lot of rumors around them and me making some predictions.)

Turnpike Series Preview: Phillies vs. Yankees

Finally here it is, the Fall Classic, and what a heavyweight bout this should be. This match-up excites me more than any other World Series I have been alive for. These teams are pretty evenly matched. To break it down some I will go position for position.

Catcher

Carlos Ruiz has played well, Jorge Posada is way better. Jose Molina won’t be making appearances any more.

Edge: Yankees

First Base

Mark Teixeira might be right behind Pujols as the best first baseman in the game. However, this postseason he hasn’t really been his regular season self in the batter’s box. His slick glove has however made up for his lack of offense, saving some big runs and hits. Ryan Howard has been the A-Rod of the NL this postseason. I don’t see him stopping in the World Series, especially at Yankee Stadium.

Edge: Phillies

Second Base

Robinson Cano has played well and made some great plays defensively, but Chase Utley is arguably the best second baseman in the game. Utley needs to be more productive than he has been during these playoffs.

Edge: Phillies (Slightly)

Shortstop

Other than his trash talking, Jimmy Rollins hasn’t done much this post season. Jeter is Jeter and he’s even more than that during the playoffs. No question who is better here.

Edge: Yankees

Third Base

Pedro Feliz plays some stellar defense. Alex Rodriguez is playing out of his mind. Game 7, bottom 9, 2 out, I want A-Rod up over Jeter. Yeah, I said it.

Edge: Yankees (100X Over)

Left Field

Raul Ibanez has had a career year with the Phillies this season. he is a real threat. Johnny Damon has finally started to hit and woke from his postseason slumber. His experience also makes him very dangerous. Damon is more dangerous.

Edge: Yankees

Center Field

Melky Cabrera has been hitting great during the ALCS and has done very well defensively. Shane Victorino is hitting better and is one of Phillies opposing teams fear most.

Edge: Phillies

Right Field

Nick Swisher hasn’t done much this post season. Jayson Werth hasn’t been that stellar either but still better than Swisher.

Edge: Phillies

The DH will only factor in 2-4 games in this series. Yankees get the edge because Matsui is far & beyond better than any bench player for Philadelphia and better than many Phillies starters.

Starting Pitching

Cliff Lee is one of the best aces in the game and will be dominant in the World Series. Pedro Martinez starting in Yankee Stadium is great theater and I feel he will either be old Pedro owned by the Yankees in the playoffs or older Pedro who was so dominant for the Red Sox, chants will be plenty either way. Cole Hammels is a shell of his 08 self and Joe Blanton does nothing for me. Hammels is the key to the Phillies repeating.

The trouble for Lee is that he will be matched up with an equally as dominant ace, former teammate, CC Sabbathia. Andy Pettitte has shown why he has the most wins in post season history. A.J. Burnett needs to contain his Jekel & Hyde performance. Just like Hammels, Burnett’s performance(s) during this World Series could be the key to victory for the Yankees.  The big issue here is the fourth starter. Sabbathia can’t start on short rest without either having Chad Gaudin, who has pitched 1 inning since the playoffs started, start a game or have Pettitte and Burnett go on short rest. Rather than have two pitchers with past injury issues go on short rest, I would probably start Sabbathia on short rest in game 4 and have Gaudin start game 5. This gives Pettitte & Burnett ample rest and let’s Sabbathia start a Game 7 instead of Burnett. Gaudin starting a game is still a very big weakness for the Yankees this series.

The Yankees are in better shape I think because of their front three, the Phillies have only Lee and maybe Martinez. Hammels is the wild card.

Edge: Yankees

Bullpen

Brad Lidge has shown to be reliable this postseason. If I were a Phillies fan, I would still be terrified when this bullpen comes in late against this Yankees lineup. The Yank’s bullpen which has been a strong point all season has shown some weakness this postseason, especially with the bridge to Mariano Rivera. Chamberlain and Hughes have not been as reliable as everyone believed they would be during these playoffs. Rivera is Rivera though and automatically gives the Yankees the edge here no matter what. Though constant 6 out saves should worry Yankee fans. That was his undoing in that epic game 7 in the 2001 World Series.

Edge: Yankees

Manager

Joe Girardi has unquestionably done a fantastic job this year with the Yankees, regardless of some questionable over managing during this year’s ALCS. Charlie Manuel has done this already, Girardi hasn’t, bottom line.

Edge: Phillies

Phillies Key To Success: Cole Hammels- The Phillies need him to be 2008 version.

Yankees Key To Success: A.J. Burnett- With Gaudin possibly getting a start, the Yankees can’t afford to have a shaky performance from Burnett. He will need to work well with Posada, because that security blanket of personal catcher Jose Molina is gone.

Prediction: NYY Over PHI in 7 Games- A little different from Rollins’ prediction.

ALCS Preview: Angels @ Yankees

In my eyes, this is a match-up of the two best teams in all of baseball. These two teams are very evenly match and this should be a tough fought series going the distance (Though, I did same the same about the BOS-LAA series). Lousy weather this weekend could push this series back a few days, even to Monday night. Hopefully, they will be able to get the games in or the World Series might stretch into mid-November.

The Angels’ pitching staff needs to be very good this series against the best offense in the game. Lackey and Weaver need to keep up their great pitching. This series is why the Angels picked up Kazmir, for the way he pitches against the Red Sox and Yankees, though he didn’t look very good against the Sox. Joe Saunders pitching performance could be big this series. The bullpen was solid, but Fuentes doesn’t instill too much confidence in me.

The offense was productive in the ALDS, they hit well, got on base, and stole bases. Abreu was incredible and I’m sure he will want to keep going against the team that refused to re-sign him.

The Yankees’ pitching was also very good in the ALDS. Sabbathia seemed to exercise some of his old playoff demons, Pettitte was old Pettitte, and Burnett pitched well, though he needs to cut down on his walks. The big question is who starts game 4?  Sabbathia on short rest or Chad Gaudin? I go with Sabbathia since he hasn’t been overused this season and he’s one of the best aces in the game. Even though the bridge to Mariano Rivera has been shaky at times in the ALDS with Phil Hughes, Rivera has shown why he is still the best closer in the game.

The offense hasn’t played like the best offense of the year. Outside of Jeter, A-Rod and Posada, the team has struggled. Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Johnny Damon need to pick up the slack. I see A-Rod having a brilliant ALCS.

Angels Key To Success: Scott Kazmir- If he can rebound from his DS performance and pitch against the Yankees like he has in the past, this would mean big trouble for the Yankees.

Yankees Key To Success: CC Sabbathia- CC needs to be the ace in this series, he might pitch 3 times. That game 4 on short rest could be the biggest start of Sabbathia’s career.

Prediction: NYY Over LAA In 7 Games- I think this good be a classic ALCS going to the last game. Since I did have a dream last night of Nick Swisher having the game winning hit in Game 7, I’m going with the Yankees. It won’t be easy though and I wouldn’t be surprised if it went the other way.

NLCS Preview: Phillies @ Dodgers

Okay, so I seem to have been very wrong about the Dodgers, the Cards were no competition for them. I was right about the Phillies in 4, so I’m batting .500. This should be a great series. Both teams have good offenses and pitching.

The Phillies need to be on top of their game to beat these Dodgers. The starting pitching wasn’t great in the NLDS, with the exception of Cliff Lee of course. Hammels and Happ need to rebound after shaky appearances, and I don’t really trust Martinez n the playoffs. The 9th still worries me with this team.

The Phillie’s offense has been great. Six starters are hitting above .300 and only 3B Pedro Feliz is hitting below .250, sitting at .208. They are going to need to be very productive to beat the Dodgers.

The Dodgers surprised many by their dominance of St. Louis and their pitchers. More surprising was Vicente Padilla’s pitching performance. If the Dodger’s pitchers keep pitching like they have been, it puts them in good shape against a tough Phillies lineup. The offense has been pretty good, Andre Either and Rafael Furcal are each hitting .500. Manny will need to continue to be productive.

Phillies Key To Success: Closer- Yes, still the closer role. I know closers not named Mariano Rivera have had a rough post season so far, but the closer is still one of the most important positions. I’m not sold on Lidge’s 1.1 innings this October.

Dodger’s Key To Success: Manny Ramirez- I see him having a monster series and helping to carry this team to the pennant.

Prediction: LAD Over PHI In 6 Games- I think Torre is destined for another World Series trip. The Dodgers will treat the Phillies like they were named the Cardinals, though the Phillies will put up more of a fight.

Playoff Preview: Red Sox @ Angels

These two teams seem to meet every year in the ALDS. As everyone knows, the Red Sox own the Angels in the playoffs. Will this year be any different?

The Angels come into this year’s postseason with a very well balanced team that led them to having the second best record in the MLB with 97 wins. The entire rotation has been pitching great during the end of the season and look for ace John Lackey to have a big postseason. A secret weapon the Angels might have is the rejuvenated Scott Kazmir, who has looked like a completely different pitcher since coming over from Tampa Bay this summer. The Angel’s offense is what sets this Angels team away from previous year’s teams. They can play scrappy, small ball and hit homeruns and steal the base paths away, Boston’s catchers are one of the worst teams at preventing stolen bases. Brian Fuentes is nowhere near the stature of former Angel’s closer Francisco Rodriguez, that could be an issue.

The Red Sox come into this postseason with pitching as their weapon and a good offense backing them up. There is a good amount of World Series experience on this team. Though the Red Sox pitching staff isn’t as deep as everyone claimed in the beginning of the season, but the 1-2 combination of Jon Lester- Josh Beckett is one of the best and scariest in the game. It will be big for either starting catcher, Victor Martinez or Jason Varitek, to not let the Angels steal all day against them. The Boston offense isn’t as scary as previous playoff Boston teams, but it still is very dangerous with the likes of Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, and Victor Martinez.

Angels Key To Success: Scott Kazmir- If Kazmir can be the pitcher he was during last year’s playoffs with the Rays, the Angels can have dominant pitching this postseason.

Red Sox Key To Success: David Ortiz- Ortiz did have an improved season this year after being terrible at the start, though he still wasn’t the same Ortiz as in previous years. But if he can continue his clutch magic in the playoffs as he’s done so many times, the Red Sox will be in good shape.

Prediction: BOS Over LAA In 5 Games- I think this series will be a bloodbath that will go the distance. The results won’t look any different from previous postseason meetings between these two teams.

Playoff Preview: Twins @ Yankees

The New York Yankees come into the 2009 postseason as the big bad team with 103 victories. Everyone is looking for this team to fail. the Twins come in the 2009 postseason as the opposite. They are the scrappy underdog team who got hot at the right time and upset the Tigers to win the Central Division in a one-game playoff.

The Yankees’ offense is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. they have 5 players with over 20 homers and the 3-4 combination of Teixeira-Rodriguez is one of the best in the league. With Jeter and Teixeira, the Yanks have two players who will probably finish in the top 3 in the AL MVP voting. Ace C.C. Sabbathia hasn’t had the best postseason success in the past, but I see him having a big October along with playoff veteran Andy Pettitte. A.J. Burnett is a wildcard, the Yanks need him to be the pitcher he was mid-season and in late September for a deep playoff run. The bullpen is also one of the best in the game with Phil Hughes setting up the legendary Mariano Rivera.

The Twins come in hot and running on adrenaline after a tiring week and a 12 inning play-in game with the Tigers ending 20 hrs before the first pitch of the ALDS with the Yankees. The Twins have the AL MVP on the team with insanely awesome catcher, Joe Mauer. But besides Mauer and the momentum, I don’t see how this team can compete with the Yankees. Michael Cuddyer has fit in very nicely for an injured Justin Morneau, but Morneau will be missed for these playoffs. The starting pitching is also in shambles. Rookie Brian Duensing takes on ace C.C. Sabbathia for his first start at Yankee Stadium in game 1 of the ALDS, talk about pressure. You then have Carl” The DL” Pavano starting game 2 in Yankee Stadium, which I’m sure the packed crowd won’t be very hostile. The Twins best pitcher will only be able to start one game in this series, and it won’t be until game 3 in the Metrodome.

Yankees Key To Success: A.J. Burnett- He has to show up as the pitcher he was signed to be and has been during July. He better win with his personal catcher Jose Molina, or Jorge Posada might cause some ruckus and won’t be silent about it.

Twins Key To Success: Momentum- They need to ride this momentum all the way through the playoffs, similar to how the 2007 Rockies did.

Prediction: NYY Over MIN In 4 Games- If the Yankees lose this series, it will be more to a total collapse by the Yankees than the Twins overpowering them. I’ll give the Twins game 3 with Baker on the mound and in the tough, loud Metrodome.

Playoff Preview: Rockies @ Phillies

The Rockies have had an incredible run since firing Clint Hurdle and being 10 games under .500 earlier in the year to hiring Jim Tracy and finishing 22 games above .500. However, they will have their hands full with the reigning World Champions Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies have the high powered offense with Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, & Shane Victorino. They also have one of the best 1-2 punches in their starting rotation with Cole Hammels and Cliff Lee. J.A Happ also waiting later in the series is pretty scary. A big question is whether Hammels can be as clutch and as great as he was last postseason after struggling somewhat this season. Closer (or ex-closer) Brad Lidge shouldn’t come anywhere near a 9th inning during this postseason. The biggest weakness on this Phillies team may be that they don’t have a dependable closer like all the other playoff teams have.

The Rockies power their way into October, coming in as the surprise team to win the Wild Card for the second time in the past three years. After they traded Matt Holliday during last offseason, I never believed the Rockies had a chance. Though this Rockies team’s offense isn’t as awesome as the 2007 version, it’s still a good one. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki powers this team along with outfielder Brad Hawpe and veteran Todd Helton. The Rockies pitching might be their strength. Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis have been great for the Rox this season, and Aaron Cook has been pitching well also. At least trading Holliday has paid off somewhat this season with getting dependable closer Huston Street, which gives them an edge over the Phillies at that position.

Phillies Key To Success: Closer-Last year Brad Lidge was as much as a sure thing in the 9th inning as any closer. This year, not so much. Not having a good closer in October is very dangerous.

Rockies Key To Success: Ubaldo Jimenez- He has to be the ace the Rockies need him to be to compete with the Phillies pitching staff.

Prediction: PHI Over COL In 4 Games- I think the superior Phillies offense and starting pitching will be overpower the Rockies.

Playoff Preview: Cardinals @ Dodgers

Best time of the year starts tonight. With the play-in game between the Tigers and Twins, it’s officially playoff baseball time.The Cardinals-Dodgers match-up is probably the second most intriguing series in both league’s divisional series, behind the Angels-Red Sox series.

I do belive that the Cardinals-Dodgers DS contains the two best teams in the National League.

The Cardinals are a huge threat to the Dodgers, especially in a 5-game series, with their frontline starters. Possibly seeing Carpenter & Wainwright twice in a series is terrifying, unless you’re a Cardinals fan of course. The Cardinals will need their starters to be top notch, because the Cardinal’s offense isn’t as good as the Dodger’s. Though, The Cards have the best 3-4 right now with Pujols-Holliday. Having Joel Pinero as the game 3 starter is also very solid. With Ryan Franklin closing out games, the Cardinal’s pitching is in very good shape.

The Dodgers might be the most well rounded team in the game. Their front four of Chad Billingsley, Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, and Hiroki Kuroda are all having solid years. They might not have the two front aces as the Cardinals do, but the pitching is still very good. If they can contain the Pujols-Holliday duo, the pitching might be able to dominate the weak bottom of the Cardinal’s lineup.

The Dodger’s offense needs to keep being balanced and productive in the playoffs. The Dodgers will need Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and especially Manny Ramirez to step up against the powerful Cardinals pitching.

The manager battle between future Hall-of-Famers Joe Torre and Tony La Russa is also very intriguing. The postseason experience between these two is astonishing.

Cardinals Key To Success: Carpenter & Wainwright- If they can keep up their Cy Young worthy pitching, the Cardinals could breeze to the World Series on their backs ala the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Dodgers Key To Success: Manny Ramirez- Since coming back from his PED suspension, Manny really hasn’t been Manny offensively. The Dodgers will need Manny to be his old self to have that serious weapon on offense like the Cardinals do with Albert Pujols.

Prediction: STL Over LAD in 5 games- I think the Cardinal’s starting pitching will be too much to handle for the Dodgers in a short series.

How To Fix The Mets 2010

Mets fans have suffered through a miserable 2009 campaign. (Photo Courtesy: NYTimes.com)

Don’t think I have to go into detail on how bad the 2009 season was for the New York Mets, or how bad it’s been the last 2 years. This off-season, the Mets will have to make some drastic changes. Below I will make a rough outline on who the Mets should target this winter, mostly from the free agent market. I will assume a few things. First, the Mets want to be competitive next season and won’t stand pat with their team or fire sale. Second, The Wilpons, despite their Madoff losses, will spend some money. Third, contracts will be similar to last year’s FA market. Now let’s get started:

GM & Manager- I know Minaya and Manuel aren’t going anywhere, they should be though. I think the Wilpons will keep them around solely so they won’t have to pay the remaining salary on their contracts if they get let go. Minaya needs to go and so does Manuel. The Mets’ should look at if Bobby Valentine would be interested in coming back to NY to manage since he is no longer wanted in Japan. They won’t though, and unfortunately, Minaya & Manuel are here to stay.

Catcher- Big need for the Mets. Brian Schneider will not be re-signed, but there is not a lot on the market here. Bengie Molina should be the #1 target, but only if it’s for a decent price. After that it’s not very good. Ivan Rodriguez & Rod Barajas would be next on the list, though Texas wants to re-sign Pudge. If Molina or Pudge can’t be signed, rookie Josh Thole might be the best option to start and any veteran to back-up. Of course there could be a trade made, but I’m mostly looking at fixing the team through free agency.

First Base- Another major need for the Mets. Carlos Delgado shouldn’t be re-signed, unless options fall through and he can be brought back for a low price. I don’t know if Daniel Murphy is the answer either. Nick Johnson would be a good target that could fit in nicely for the Mets, but his health and eroding defense is a major concern. Adam LaRoche might be a better choice than Johnson, he is putting up some good numbers for Atlanta, hitting .283 with 25 homers. Prince Fielder’s name will probably be all over the winter trade rumor mill for many teams, and he would obviously be the best option for the Mets if they could get him. Another option would be trading for Nationals’ left fielder Adam Dunn and moving him to 1B, though Dunn’s defense is terrible. The Mets need a good power hitter at first, because they need to up their power numbers next season to compete.

Second Base- Luis Castillo is having a great 2009 and has an immovable contract, he’s not going anywhere.

Shortstop- Jose Reyes is a great SS and is an important part of the core of this team, when healthy.

Third Base- Like Reyes, David Wright is part of the core of the team and the face of the Franchise. However, his decreased power numbers and strikeouts are disconcerting.

Outfield- This is where the options are plentiful in the FA market. Center fielder Carlos Beltran stays put under center, as he is still one of the best and just as important to the team as Wright or Reyes.  Ray’s Carl Crawford has a $10 million option, which the Rays would be crazy not to pick up. But, the Rays might pick up the option to trade Crawford. if that is the case, the Mets should do whatever they can to acquire him. Crawford should be target #1. If not Crawford, Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are obvious targets for LF. Jeff Francoeur is nice in RF, but there are many options if the Mets want to put someone with better numbers there. Bobby Abreu, Vlad Guerrero and Xavier Nady will be available. But, Abreu and Guerrero are aging players. There health issues with Nady and Guerrero too. Gary Sheffield wouldn’t be a bad option to be re-signed and being a pinch hitter.

Starting Pitching- The biggest problem area for the Mets in my opinion. I saw this as a glaring weakness for 2009, even if the staff was fully healthy. I don’t care how much Oliver Perez will make, he wouldn’t have a spot in my rotation on any team. Johan Santana is the obvious ace, after that there is much need for improvement. I would keep John Maine and Mike Pelfrey to fill out my number 4 & 5 spots respectively. John Lackey is an obvious target. A 1-2 of Santana and Lackey would give the Mets one of the best in the MLB, which would definitely compete with the Phillies’ 1-2 of Hammels- Lee. However, if Lackey isn’t re-signed by the Angels, something could be wrong there.

Justin Duchscherer is another great option to look at, as is Jason Marquis, who has already expressed interest to playing in New York. Taking a flier on Ben Sheets or Erik Bedard has definite upside, at the right price. I would be weary on pitchers Randy Wolf, Joel Pineiro and Rich Harden. Wolf might be having a career year. With Pineiro, any pitcher that was bad before going to St.Louis scares me when they leave, look at Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan. I feel it’s more the Cardinal pitching coach Dave Duncan effect than anything else. Rich Harden could be a great pick-up if he can return to his old self and stay healthy, but I think his best days are behind him.

I know this plan would take quite a bit of money and the Wilpons seem to be holding their checkbook tightly these days, but they will need to spend to compete seriously next year.

Divisional Series Match-ups Preview

I know there is still roughly 30 games left in the schedule, but it’s fun to look ahead to the playoffs. With very few close races left (NL Wild Card, AL Wild Card & AL Central kind of) it easy to see how the match-ups will play out.

ALDS

Detroit Tigers (AL Cent W) @ New York Yankees (AL East W)

While I’m sure the Yankees and their fans rather see the Tigers in the first round than the Red Sox or Angels, this series can go two ways. It will either be a close hardly fought series or a complete blow out by the Yankees. In a 5-game series having two dominant pitchers is all you need to win, and great pitching seems to always trump great offenses come playoff time. The Tigers have two aces ready to go, Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson. The Yankees have some question marks in their starting rotation. Sabbathia has looked every bit the ace he was signed to be, but he doesn’t have a great playoff record. Burnett seems to lost his way recently. Yankee 90’s dynasty pitcher Andy Pettitte has been incredible in the 2nd half and has more playoff experience than any other starting pitcher on both teams combined, he seems to be the only sure thing. If the Yankee pitchers show up and even provide decent outings while their offensive stays productive, it should be an easy series win for the Yankees. If not, it could be 2006 all over again.

Boston Redsox (AL WC  W) @ Los Angeles Angels (AL West W)

These two teams seem to meet every year in the ALDS. I see this going to the wire and being a 5-game bloodbath, which is always exciting to watch. Both teams have had major starting pitching issues this season. The Angels had the tragic death of Nick Adenhart and numerous injuries to the rotation. The Red Sox, once thought to be very deep pitching wise,  has turned anemic. They dealt with injuries, the failed experiments with John Smotz and Brad Penny, and the recent struggles with staff ace Josh Beckett. To win the Red Sox need to have Beckett straighted out or else it will be a quick exit for the Sox. The Angels staff is now healthy, but they need the other pitchers behind ace John Lackey to step up and pitch as good as they have been lately.  Unfortunately for the Angels, the Red Sox seem to own the Angels come October.

NLDS

The NL match-ups are a little harder to figure out because of the teams still involved in the wild card and the Cardinals and Dodgers being close for best record in the NL. For arguments sake (and because I will do a full preview before the playoffs start) I will go with my predictions for the season. I believe the Cardinals will own best record in the NL and either Colorado or San Francisco with the Wild Card (no disrespect Atlanta and Florida).

SF Giants/ COL Rockies (NL WC W) @ St.Lous Cardinals (NL Cent W)

This should be a short series regardless of the wild card winner. More than any other team the Cardinals have taken most advantage of mid-season acquisitions bolstering their team with the trades of Mark DeRosa, Matt Holliday and the signing of John Smoltz. The Cards have arguably the best 1-2 punch for pitching in the MLB with Adam Wainwright and my NL Cy Young pick, Chris Carpenter. Also, arguably the best 3-4 hitters in MLB with potential NL MVP Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. The Giants are my personal pick to get the Wild Card. The Giants have an almost as good 1-2 pitching punch as the Cards with last year’s Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. The problem lays with the Giants offense, which isn’t very intimidating. Offense might be the key to this series because great pitching performances is almost guaranteed.

The Rockies are a bit more of a balanced team than the Giants, as they have both good pitching and a good offense. The offense might be better than the Cardinals all around, but their pitching is not. The Giants might have the best chance to force this series to 5 games.

Philadelphia Phillies (NL East W) @ Los Angeles Dodgers(NL West W)

This should be a fun series to watch. The Phillies with their pitching acquisitions have almost as good a 1-2 punch as any other rotation in baseball, with their aces Cole Hammels and Cliff Lee. That’s if Hammels has returned to last year’s form after a sub-par beginning of the season. The Phillies lineup is also scary good. The Dodgers have a good rotation and a very productive lineup. I would take the Phillies’ aces over the Dodgers pitchers though. It will be very interesting to see the World Champions battle the media’s 2009 World Series favorite since May. I definitely see this series going to 5 games.

Can’t wait for October.