The New York Yankees are going to square off with a very live Baltimore Orioles’ squad in the A.L.D.S. starting tomorrow. The Orioles fought the Yankees tooth and nail all season long, so I expect a good series. Here is a look at the matchups in this series:
CATCHER: 29-year old righty swinging Russell Martin had a hard time in 2012 for the Yankees. He played in 133 games for the Yankees this year and he was 89 of 422 (.211 avg, .713 OPS) with 50 runs scored, 21 homers, 53 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. Martin has played in 24 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 18 of 84 (.214 avg, .656 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 1 homer, 9 RBIs and 1 stolen base.
26-year old switch-hitting Matt Wieters had a breakthrough season for the Orioles in 2012. He played in 144 games for the Orioles this year and he was 131 of 526 (.249 avg, .764 OPS) with 67 runs scored, 23 homers, 83 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Wieters has played in only 1 game in the playoffs so far in his career and he was 0 for 4 with 2 whiffs.
EDGE: ORIOLES
FIRST BASE: 32-year old switch-hitting Mark Teixeira came back from injury right in time for the playoffs to begin. He played in 123 games for the Yankees this year and he was 113 of 451 (.251 avg, .807 OPS) with 66 runs scored, 24 homers, 84 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. But, Big Tex hasn’t been a money player in the playoffs, to say the least. He has played in 31 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 25 of 121 (.207 avg, .637 OPS) with 19 runs scored, 3 homers and 13 RBIs.
29-year old righty swinging Mark Reynolds is not a natural defensively at 1B and he has a lot of holes in his swing, but when he gets hot….he is a sight to behold due to his power. Reynolds played in 135 games for the Orioles this year and he was 101 of 457 (.221 avg, .763 OPS) with 65 runs scored, 23 homers, 69 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Reynolds has also struggled in the playoffs so far in his career, playing in 8 games in which he is 4 for 29 (.138 avg, .587 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 2 homers, 2 RBIs and 1 stolen base.
EDGE: SLIGHT FOR YANKEES
SECOND BASE: 29-year old lefty swinging Robinson Cano comes into the playoffs red hot with his bat. Cano played in 161 games for the Yankees this year and he was 196 of 627 (.313 avg, .929 OPS) with 105 runs scored, 33 homers, 94 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Cano has played in 42 games so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 42 of 163 (.258 avg, .798 OPS) with 21 runs scored, 8 homers and 29 RBIs.
28-year old righty swinging Robert Andino will likely play around half of the time in this series, starting against lefties. He played in 127 games for the Orioles this year and he was 81 of 384 (.211 avg, .588 OPS) with 41 runs scored, 7 homers, 28 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. Andino has only played in 1 playoff game so far in his career and he was 1 for 1 with 2 runs scored.
EDGE: GIGANTIC FOR THE YANKEES
SHORTSTOP: 38-year old righty swinging Derek Jeter is a true money player. He played in 159 games for the Yankees this year and he was 216 of 683 (.316 avg, .791 OPS) with 99 runs scored, 15 homers, 58 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Jeter has played in an amazing 152 games in the post-season in his career and he is 191 of 623 (.307 avg, .839 OPS) with 107 runs scored, 20 homers, 59 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.
30-year old right swinging J.J. Hardy is a very underrated player. He is a good defensive shortstop with some thunder in his stick. Hardy played in 158 games for the Orioles last year and he was 158 of 663 (.238 avg, .671 OPS) with 85 runs scored, 22 homers and 68 RBIs. He has now played in 9 games in the playoffs and he is 9 for 29 (.310 avg, .734 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 0 homers and 3 RBIs.
EDGE: YANKEES
THIRD BASE: 37-year old Alex Rodriguez had an off year as age is starting to creep up on him. He played in 122 games for the Yankees this year and he was 126 of 463 (.272 avg, .783 OPS) with 74 runs scored, 18 homers, 57 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. A-Rod has played in 68 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 69 for 249 (.277 avg, .884 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 13 homers, 41 RBIs and 8 stolen bases.
20-year old righty swinging Manny Machado is as cool as the other side of the pillow. He played in 51 games for the O’s this year and he was 50 for 191 (.262 avg, .739 OPS) with 24 runs scored, 7 homers, 26 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. Machado has played in 1 playoff game so far in his career and he is 1 for 3 (.333 avg, .667 OPS) with 1 RBI.
EDGE: YANKEES
LEFT FIELD: 38-year old lefty swinging Ichiro Suzuki really poured it on late this year for the Yankees. He played in 162 games overall this year for the Mariners and Yankees in which he was 178 of 629 (.283 avg, .696 OPS) with 77 runs scored, 9 homers, 55 RBIs and 29 stolen bases. Ichiro has played in 10 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 16 for 38 (.421 avg, .962 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 0 homers, 3 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.
30-year old lefty swinging Nate McLouth was quite a find for the Orioles. He played in 89 games for the Orioles and Pirates this year in which he was 64 of 266 (.241 avg, .694 OPS) with 39 runs scored, 7 homers, 20 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. McLouth has played in 4 games so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 2 for 6 (.333 avg, .619 OPS) with 1 run scored, 2 RBIs and 1 stolen base.
EDGE: YANKEES
CENTER FIELD: 31-year old lefty swinging Curtis Granderson is a key power source for the Yankees. He played in 160 games for the Yankees this year and he was 138 of 596 (.232 avg, .811 OPS) with 102 runs scored, 43 homers, 106 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. He has played in 27 games in the playoffs for the Yankees and he is 27 of 101 (.267 avg, .910 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 5 homers, 16 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.
27-year old righty swinging Adam Jones is one of the stars for the Orioles. He is a good defender and a very solid hitter. Jones played in 162 games for the Orioles this year and he was 186 of 648 (.287 avg, .839 OPS) with 103 runs scored, 32 homers, 82 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Jones has played in 1 playoff game so far in his career and he is 0 for 3 with 1 RBI.
EDGE: EVEN
RIGHT FIELD: 31-year old switch-hitting Nick Swisher had another solid year for the Yankees in 2012. Swisher played in 148 games for the Yankees this year and he was 146 of 537 (.272 avg, .837 OPS) with 75 runs scored, 24 homers, 93 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. But, Swisher has been pathetic so far in his career in the playoffs. Swisher has played in 38 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 21 of 124 (.169 avg, .617 OPS) with 16 runs scored, 4 homers and 6 RBIs.
26-year old lefty swinging Chris Davis is not a good defensive player, but boy can he swing a bat with power. Davis played in 139 games for the Orioles this year and he was 139 of 515 (.270 avg, .827 OPS) with 75 runs scored, 33 homers, 85 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. Davis has only played in one playoff game so far in his career and he was 1 for 4 with 3 whiffs.
EDGE: SLIGHT FOR ORIOLES
DESIGNATED HITTER: 40-year old lefty swinging Raul Ibanez will likely get most of the ABs at DH for the Yankees in this series. He played in 130 games for the Yankees in 2012 and he was 92 of 384 (.240 avg, .761 OPS) with 50 runs scored, 19 homers, 62 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. He has played in 36 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 27 of 117 (.231 avg, .656 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 3 homers and 17 RBIs.
42-year old lefty swinging Jim Thome still has a lot of power. He played in 58 games for the Phillies and Orioles this year and he was 41 of 163 (.252 avg, .786 OPS) with 17 runs scored, 8 homers and 25 RBIs. Thome has played in 68 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 48 of 220 (.218 avg, .791 OPS) with 35 runs scored, 17 homers and 37 RBIs.
EDGE: EVEN
BENCHES: The Yankees used to always have a rock solid bench. The 2012 version has a couple of decent players on it, but it’s not outstanding by any means. 35-year old righty swinging outfielder Andruw Jones will likely draw starts at DH against lefty starting pitcher. Jones played in 94 games for the Yankees this year and he was 46 of 233 (.197 avg, .701 OPS) with 27 runs scored, 14 homers and 34 RBIs. Jones has played in 76 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 65 of 238 (.273 avg, .796 OPS) with 43 runs scored, 10 homers, 34 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. 34-year old lefty swinging 3B/1B Eric Chavez could draw starts at either corner spot on the infield in this series, which would open up the DH slot for A-Rod or Teixeira. Chavez played in 113 games for the Yankees this year and he was 78 for 278 (.281 avg, .845 OPS) with 36 runs scored, 16 homers and 37 RBIs. Chavez has played in 28 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 24 of 109 (.220 avg, .634 OPS) with 11 runs scored, 3 homers, 12 RBIs and 1 stolen base. 30-year old righty swinging catcher Chris Stewart is a good defender, but not much of a hitter. Stewart played in 55 games for the Yankees this year and he was 34 of 141 (.241 avg, .611 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 1 homer, 13 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. 25-year old righty swinging infielder Eduardo Nunez has exhibited an iron glove for the Yankees this year. He has played in 38 games for the Yankees this year and he was 26 of 89 (.292 avg, .723 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 1 homer, 13 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. Nunez has played in 1 game in the playoffs, not getting to bat, but he did steal a base. 29-year old lefty swinging Brett Gardner could make the playoffs’ roster as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. He played in 16 games for the Yankees this year and he was 10 for 31 (.323 avg, .804 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 3 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. Gardner has played in 28 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 14 for 57 (.246 avg, .553 OPS) with 8 runs scored, 7 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.
The only guy the Orioles are likely to play a lot off the bench is 26-year old lefty swinging Ryan Flaherty. He will likely platoon at 2B with Robert Andino. Flaherty played in 77 games for the Orioles this year and he was 33 of 153 (.216 avg, .617 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 6 homers, 19 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He has played in 1 playoff game so far in his career and he was 1 for 3 (.333 avg, .667 OPS). 34-year old lefty swinging Endy Chavez could work as a pinch runner and defensive replacement in this series. Chavez played in 64 games for the Orioles this year and he was 32 of 158 (.203 avg, .515 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 2 homers, 12 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. He has also played in 16 games so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 8 for 40 (.200 avg, .450 OPS) with 2 runs scored. 36-year old righty swinging outfielder Lew Ford will also be on hand for the O’s in this series. He played in 25 games for the Orioles this year and he was 13 of 71 (.183 avg, .609 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 3 homers, 4 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Ford has played in 6 post-season games so far in his career and he is 3 for 12 (.250 avg, .690 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs and 1 stolen base. 28-year old righty swinging catcher Taylor Teagarden probably isn’t going to get off the bench in this series unless Matt Wieters gets injured. He played in 22 games for the O’s this year and he was 9 for 57 (.158 avg, .542 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 2 homers and 9 RBIs.
EDGE: YANKEES
STARTING PITCHING: The Yankees’ starting pitchers for this series have not had much success in the playoffs to say the least. 32-year old lefty C.C. Sabathia will be the #1 guy for the Yankees. He started 28 games for the Yankees in 2012 and he was 15-6 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He has pitched in 16 games (15 starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 7-4 with a 4.81 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. 37-year old righty Hiroki Kuroda turned in a fine 2012 season for the Yankees. He started 33 games for the Yankees in 2012 and he was 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Kuroda has started 3 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 2-1 with a 5.27 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. 40-year old lefty Andy Pettitte is the graybeard of this bunch. He started 12 games for the Yankees this year and he was 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Pettitte has pitched in 42 games (all starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 19-10 with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. 26-year old righty Phil Hughes had a nice bounce back season for the Yankees in 2012. Hughes started 32 games for the Yankees in 2012 and he was 16-13 with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Hughes has pitched in 16 games (3 starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.
The Orioles starting rotation only has six career starts in the post-season. 30-year old righty Jason Hammel is going to start off as the O’s #1 starter in this series. He started 20 games for the Orioles this year and he was 8-6 with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He has started 1 game in the post-season in his career so far and he is 0-0 with a 9.82 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP. 27-year old lefty Wei-Yin Chen will likely be #2 in line for the Orioles. He started 32 games for the Orioles in 2012 and he was 12-11 with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. 24-year old righty Chris Tillman will likely be #3 in line for the Orioles. He pitched in 15 games (all starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 9-3 with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. 31-year old lefty Joe Saunders will be #4 in line for the O’s. He started 28 games for the Orioles and D-Backs this year and he was 9-13 with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Saunders has started 5 games in the playoffs in his career so far and he is 1-1 with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP.
EDGE: YANKEES
CLOSER: 32-year old righty Rafael Soriano stepped right in for an injured Mariano Rivera and the Yankees didn’t miss a beat. Soriano pitched in 69 games (0 starts) for the Yankees this year and he was 2-1 with 42 saves, a 2.66 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He has pitched in 6 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 0-1 with 1 save, a 4.70 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP.
29-year old righty Jim Johnson turned in a career year for the Orioles in 2012. Johnson pitched in 71 games (0 starts) for the Orioles in 2012 and he was 2-1 with 51 saves, a 2.49 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He has pitched in 1 game (0 starts) in the playoffs and he is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP.
EDGE: EVEN
RIGHTY RELIEVERS: The Yankees certainly are not lacking for live arms out of the pen. 27-year old David Robertson will be the set-up man in this series. He pitched in 65 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 2-7 with 2 saves, a 2.67 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He has pitched in 13 games (0 starts) for the Yankees in the playoffs and he is 2-0 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. 25-year old David Phelps will also likely have a key role for the Yankees in this series. He pitched in 33 games (11 starts) for the Yankees this year and he was 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. 26-year old side-arming Cody Eppley gives the Yankees a different look when he comes into the game. He pitched in 59 games (0 starts) for the Yankees this year and he was 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. 27-year old Joba Chamberlain is back to throwing heat for the Yankees. He worked in 22 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. He has pitched in 15 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP. 25-year old Ivan Nova will likely be the long man in the pen. He pitched in 28 games (all starts) for the Yankees in 2012 and he was 12-8 with a 5.02 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. He has pitched in 2 games (1 start) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.
The Baltimore Orioles are well stocked in solid relievers from the right side. 27-year old Pedro Strop has been the Orioles’ set-up man this year. He pitched in 70 games (0 starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 5-2 with 3 saves, a 2.44 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. 29-year old side-arming Darren O’Day gives batters a different look. He pitched in 69 games (0 starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. He has also pitched in 12 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs and he is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. 34-year old Luis Ayala also has a funky delivery that’s hard to pick up. He pitched in 66 games (0 starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 5-5 with 1 save, a 2.64 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Ayala has pitched in 2 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP. 28-year old righty Miguel Gonzalez is likely go be moved to the pen for this series due to the return of Jason Hammel. Gonzalez pitched in 18 games (15 starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 9-4 with a 3.25 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. 25-year old Steve Johnson will likely round out the pen from the right side for the O’s. He pitched in 12 games (4 starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP.
EDGE: EVEN
LEFTY RELIEVERS: 28-year old Boone Logan is a flamethrower. He pitched in 80 games (0 starts) for the Yankees this year and he was 7-2 with 1 save, a 3.74 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. Logan has pitched in 8 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. 31-year old Clay Rapada is a situational pitcher. He pitched in 70 games (0 starts) for the Yankees this year and he was 3-0 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He has pitched in 3 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 6.00 WHIP.
27-year old Troy Patton had a breakout year for the Orioles in 2012. Patton pitched in 54 games (0 starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 1-0 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. 25-year old Brian Matusz will also be in the pen for the Orioles. He pitched in 34 games (16 starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 6-10 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. The Orioles will likely only use Matusz as a situational pitcher like they did last night in his first playoff game, when he pitched to one batter who he whiffed.
EDGE: EVEN
MANAGERS: Joe Girardi led the Yankees to a 95-67 record (58.6%) in 2012. He has a 18-11 (62.1%) record in the post-season as a major league manager and helped them win the World Series in 2009.
Buck Showalter has led the Orioles on an amazing journey this year, as they went 93-69 (57.4%) during the regular season. He is 4-6 (40%) in the post-season so far in his career.
EDGE: EVEN
PREDICTION: I think the Yankees are going to out class the Orioles in this series and beat them in four games.
