5 Pitchers who are Best Equipped to Handle the Pressures of October

Pitching is one of the toughest jobs in professional sports, especially in the MLB playoffs of October.  Intense focus is absolutely vital and a single bad fastball left hanging over the plate can easily ruin a team’s entire World Series hopes.  As pitching often decides these playoff encounters, lets take a quick look at who figures to play a prominent role in the proceedings and is most equipped to handle the pressures that will come in these cold, mentally draining late season starts.

1. Clayton Kershaw – There’s no denying that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kershaw is the ultimate ace pitcher this year and is a sure bet to win the NL Cy Young Award. But having won the award twice in his young career already, I think he wants to add a World Series ring to his resume!  Fortunately, his 1.78 ERA is best in the bigs and his postseason display last year eased the pain from his previous October outings of several years back, when he struggled mightily.  Surrounded by great talent, Kershaw should ride a wave of momentum into a championship.
2. Max Scherzer – Often held back in the shadows of the Detroit Tigers’ ace pitcher Justin Verlander, Scherzer has quietly become the best #2 pitcher in baseball and currently holds a decent 3.13 ERA. In recent playoff years, he has pitched tremendously well, though he certainly will need to step up now following the injury to Verlander.  A lot of the Tigers’ hopes now rest on his arm but he definitely has the capabilities to get them far and finally take over the leadership role of this team!
3. Jon Lester – A hero for the Boston Red Sox championship year in 2013 behind a postseason ERA of 1.56, Lester jumped ship to the Oakland Athletics several weeks ago and will have another great shot at a title once again. A heroic story following his recovery from lymphoma, Lester has battled adversity far beyond the mound, and he has the proof of a successful career that continues to improve with strong strikeouts.  He looks to be at home in Oakland and could lead a stunning playoff run at his new club.
4. Adam Wainwright – With a strong 2.34 ERA with the St. Louis Cardinals, Wainwright is having his best year. Having been with the team for his whole career, the pitcher has found a home and has come into his own in recent years.  Numerous playoff trips have proven largely successful for Wainwright and he figures to have another strong outing in 2014.  The Cardinals have been a great team recently and could certainly claim the World Series should this pitcher dominate.
5. David Price – A player who has certainly struggled in the postseason with the Tampa Bay Rays, Price hopes to benefit from the new surroundings in Detroit with the Tigers. His season has been quite good with a 3.21 ERA but his issue will be mental.  I’m hoping that a change of teams is exactly what his career needed.  The Rays were never going to win, but the Tigers have far more talent and opportunity.  If Price can perform to his potential this October, Detroit just might end up as World Series champions!

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The MLB Playoffs Begin: Who Will Win the 2013 World Series

Now that the silliness of all the tiebreaker/1-game playoff nonsense is over, the Divisional Series of the MLB Playoffs are poised to begin.  8 of baseball’s finest clubs will be going head to head throughout the month of October to determine who will be the next World Series champions.  Will it be the upstart Los Angeles Dodgers, who seemingly bought their ticket to the playoffs with big-name acquisitions?  Or could the small-market Pittsburgh Pirates continue on a legendary run that has defied all logic this entire season?  Or perhaps the Detroit Tigers could finally win it all, after looking woeful in last season’s 4-game sweep against the San Francisco Giants in the Series?

Predicting the winner of this tournament is really a tough feat.  All the clubs involved have had sensational years (each with their own heartwarming tale), and each and every one of them could logically take the title.  The games in October are won by heroics; the bottom of the 9^th home run that carries a team from the brink of elimination, the incredible complete-game pitching display by a team’s 3^rd starter, the bit-part player who pinch hits to spark a big inning, or the costly error that befuddles an entire team into disarray.  Anything can happen during October baseball, and that’s why it is so darn fun!  It also makes predicting the champion a challenging endeavor.

But anyways, I’ll give my prediction for this year’s MLB champions based on a hunch alone, and my full confidence lies in the Tampa Bay Rays.  Through their late season heroics, the Rays have now conquered two 1-game series with dominating pitching, brilliant base running, and a hard-hitting lineup full of key players.

Since pitching wins championships, let’s start with the Rays’ pitching staff.  David Price is an ace. Alex Cobb is a rising star.  Matt Moore and Chris Archer are fully capable of starting playoff games.  Therefore, their starters will do fine.  In the bullpen, they are strong as well and capped off with closer Fernando Rodney, whose tilted hat brings an element of style to the end of Rays’ games.

The hitters on the team are excellent as well, and the team gets RBI support all the way down the lineup.  Evan Longoria is the star player and can hit a fair bit of home runs.  American League Rookie of the Year candidate Wil Myers hits near .300 and can help put guys aboard.  Defensively, the team is wonderful.  They made the second fewest errors in the Major Leagues and will certainly support their more-than-capable pitching staff.

Basically stated, this team has all the tools needed to win baseball games. But so do basically all the other teams in the playoffs, so what sets the Rays apart?  I like the fact that they have been here before, and their past failures will have made them extra-hungry.  Also, this is the first season that they really do have a great squad in every position, meaning that they will be able to compete against the best.  Also, the post-season began roughly a month ago for the Rays, as the AL Wildcard race went down to the wire, and the team persevered and is now on a roll.  Heading into October, the hottest team is usually the one that wins it all!

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MLB American League Wildcard Race Coming Down to the Wire

 The addition of one more team gaining entry to the MLB postseason, and the creation of a 1-game playoff game between the now 2 wildcard teams has increased the interest in the baseball standings heading down the stretch in the season. The American League currently has 6 teams that all realistically have a shot at claiming one of these 2 wildcard places to earn a spot in that enticing lone game, with the entire season on the line. Who will take part in this game to determine the AL wildcard team? We take a look at all the contenders:

Texas Rangers – The Rangers have become perennial disappointers, though they have put together several impressive seasons based on wins and losses alone, including this season. But last year the Rangers crumbled in the last week to give up a division lead and ended up losing in the 1-game playoff, and the events over this final month look to again be the Rangers’ undoing this year. After looking safe and cozy atop the AL West for much of the season, the Rangers are falling apart. Although they still have an ace pitcher in Yu Darvish, the team clearly cannot produce when they need to, and I think they need to look at manager Ron Washington for answers why.

Tampa Bay Rays – This young, small-market team has grown used to having a winning team, having made the playoffs quite often in the tricky AL East division. They have all the necessary tools to win including good pitching and hitting, led by guys like Evan Longoria, David Price, and James Loney. Although they have entered a small slump over the last week, they are a team that has been widely expected to make the playoffs.

New York Yankees – The circus in New York continues, and the team still has a shot at making the playoffs, despite all the injuries and drama surrounding the team. Alex Rodriguez is hitting well amidst his suspension appeal and the team is loaded with proven veterans. However, their pitchers haven’t been up to par, and this could be the team’s undoing in 2013. They still have 3 games to make up but with roughly 13 games left, anything is possible.

Baltimore Orioles – Last year was a surprise success for the Orioles, and many have expected similar things this year, especially as they have been in contention for a while. Chris Davis is leading the majors with 50 home runs while decent pitching has left the team competitive. The Orioles are hanging in there and although they have been playing rather average as of late, they could benefit from last season’s experience to reach the MLB playoffs.

Cleveland Indians – This team has been boosted by new manager Terry Francona and his World Series winning experience. While no single player has really taken on the load, the offensive production has been a real team effort, with 8 players having surpassed 10 home runs on the year. Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez have led the pitching quite well, and the team has been winning close games. The Indians have been hanging around all year, and have finally avoided a late-season plunge, but they will need to kick it into high gear heading down the stretch.

Kansas City Royals – Often an afterthought in baseball due to their abysmal history, the Royals haven’t made the postseason in 27 years. In mid-summer the Royals were several games below .500, and we once again assumed they would fall apart. But we have been wrong, and the Royals current hot streak has put them just a few games out of the AL wildcard race. Eric Hosmer looks to be a rising star while James Shields has finally provided the team with some decent pitching. The teams that succeed are usually the ones that get hot right at this time of year. Could the Royals be up for some October heroics?

So which 2 teams will emerge from all this confusion to actually earn a spot in the 1-game postseason decider, and who will win it? I have my money on the Indians and Rays battling it out for the AL wildcard, and the Indians winning it in walk-off fashion 10-9.

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With MLB Trade Deadline Approaching, Who is Ready to Contend for the 2013 World Series?

The MLB trade deadline is just several days away so contending baseball teams are scrambling in order to get that final piece of the roster puzzle that will help them contend for the 2013 World Series.  However, even with all the trades, there is still a realization that this is pretty much the team you’ve got, and how the season will pan out depends largely on the players already on the roster.  Several teams have come together in the last few weeks and should figure to contend this year.  Here are my 5 World Series favorites:

1.  Boston Red Sox – The team is currently ahead of the jam-packed AL East, and will be in a dogfight for their post-season lives, but the Red Sox are starting to play with passion.  As anyone who witnessed David Ortiz attack a dugout telephone can attest to, the madness sprung a surge, and Ortiz went 4-4 the next day.  Additionally, the Red Sox have solid hitters in Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and decent pitching.  Jon Lester and John Lackey are formidable while if the injured Clay Buchholz can return and build off of his 1.71 ERA before his injury, the Red Sox may just have all the ingredients for a World Series run.

2.  Los AngelesDodgers – This team has all the talent and is getting really hot.  Since early June they are 26-6, while bats have come alive and pitching has been incredible.  Yasiel Puig injected a bit of passion into this team, while other hitters like Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez have also worked magic.  With a starting pitching tandem of Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers are the best team in the league.  Will they keep up the heat through October and win the World Series?  Perhaps, but there will certainly be more tests along the way!

3.  Detroit Tigers – Although the Cleveland Indians are breathing down their necks in the AL Central, the Tigers are the premier team in this division as usual.  Miguel Cabrera is one of the league’s best hitters and is already approaching 100 RBI on the season.  Other hitters like Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter, and Johnny Peralta add both power and consistency to the lineup.  Pitcher Max Scherzer is having an incredible year while Justin Verlander has also been dominant.  The Tigers are built to win now, and will be quite hungry come the MLB Playoffs.

4.  Tampa Bay Rays – Not supposed to be anything special, the Rays are on the move.  With players emerging from all over the place to produce, the team is hot on the Red Sox’s AL East heels and could nab the division or a wildcard spot.  Their team doesn’t look special, but players like Matt Moore, David Price, James Loney, and Kelly Johnson are producing and giving the team wins.  Youngster Wil Myers has been superb, and suddenly the Rays are back in contention.  They could claim this division and do more if Evan Longoria can re-discover his bat!

5.  St. LouisCardinals – One of the most successful teams in recent years, the Cardinals are facing a tough race against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds in the competitive NL Central.  I presume that the Cardinals will edge out through their recent experience and October heroics.  The team is loaded with unspectacular and unflashy, yet very talented players.  Their hitting power from Yadier Molina, Carlos Beltran, and Allen Craig is formidable while their stable of pitchers is great top to bottom and features Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, and newcomer Shelby Miller.  The Cardinals have been regulars in recent MLB Postseasons, and I expect them to be another team fully capable of lifting the 2013 World Series.

 

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