| Jonathan Rosenbluth. 3rd October, 2007 - 1:47 pm
 The MLB playoffs are upon us. The American League provides two intriguing match ups that seem as though they could go either way. What follows is an analysis each team’s strength and weakness and more.
YANKEES vs. INDIANS
Who to watch for:
YANKEES
This is a no brainer; Alex Rodriguez has been the backbone of the Yankees’ regular season lineup as long as he has been a Yankee, but in the playoffs he has been awful. This past off season Yankee fans were calling for Rodriguez’s head, but he was able to change their minds as he completed an MVP caliber season. If he fails to succeed in the playoffs and the Yankees exit early, New York fans will forget all about his regular season success and it will be off to the guillotine (or the Cubs?).
INDIANS
Travis Hafner, DH of the Indians, had his worst statistical season since 2004. That being said he still belted out 24 home runs and had 100 runs batted in. In the month of September Hafner batted .316 and had a .551 slugging percentage. If Hafner can keep up his hot play in October he could be the difference in a lineup that seems in need of some power in the middle.
Strengths:
YANKEES
The Yankees’ strength is undoubtedly their monster lineup. The Yankees had the best batting average, most hits, most RBI, and highest OBP in the MLB this season. When the Yankee hitters get going there is no stopping them as not even the best pitchers can beat a lineup with practically no holes. By tossing out the ‘Joba Rules’ the Yankees can now pitch Joba for as many innings as they want, when they want. This makes the Yankee bullpen as strong as ever and it will not be a big deal if Yankee starters can only last 6 innings as Luis Vizcaino, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera will be ready to come out of the pen.
INDIANS
The Indians’ strength is that they have the rare luxury of being able to throw a pair of Cy Young Award candidates at the Yankees. CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona can be nearly unhitable when they are in their groove, and if they can keep the Yankee hitters in check, their offense will most certainly respond.
Weakness:
YANKEES
The starting rotation for the Yankees has been inconsistent at the best of times. Mike Mussina was coming out of the bullpen for part of September before regaining his form. If Roger Clemens pitches game 3 of the series it will be 23 days between starts for the Rocket. No one knows what the Yankees are going to get from their starters.
INDIANS
The Indians’ starting pitching has very little playoff experience. Sabathia is the only pitcher of their top three starters to have pitched in the postseason and he has only pitched one game. If those pitchers have the jitters when coming to the mound in October and make some mistakes, this veteran Yankee lineup will capitalize.
Oddity - CC Sabathia has not pitched against the Yankees since 2004.
Overview:
The Indians’ starters have little (or no) playoff experience whereas on the other side of the diamond the Yankees have tons. Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees’ ace, has pitched in only two playoff games but does have a 2.70 ERA in those games. He has also pitched in very big regular season games. The Yankees also boast three great big game, pitching starters in Pettite, Clemens, Mussina as well as the best closer in playoff history, Mariano Rivera. While there are some questions about Pettite and Mussina’s consistency, they both ended the regular season strong. Look for the Yankees to capitalize on the Indians’ lack of experience, score early and advance to the ALCS in 4 games.
YANKEES WIN SERIES 3-1 |
