MLB American League Playoff Preview
It took all 162 games of the regular season to determine the final pairings for the American League playoffs, but the opening round series are now set and play is ready to get underway starting this Wednesday afternoon.
The following is a brief preview of all four teams along with their current odds to win the AL Pennant.
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Tampa Bay Rays 12/5
Tampa Bay needed a dramatic 3-2 win over Kansas City in extra innings in their final regular season game to nail down the AL East title. The Rays ended the season with the best record in the AL at 96-66 overall. They were 49-32 at home and a league best 47-34 on the road. They finished the year ranked second in pitching with a 3.78 team ERA. Cy Young candidate David Price led the way with a 2.72 ERA and 19 wins. Tampa was ranked 13th in hitting with a .247 team batting average, but ranked third in runs scored with 802. Evan Longoria led the team with 104 RBI and Carlos Pena led in HR’s with 28.
Texas Rangers 7/2
Texas comes into this series having won six of its last 10 to finish the regular season at 90-72; winning the AL West title by nine games. The Rangers were 51-30 at home and 39-42 on the road. They were ranked third in the AL in pitching with a team ERA of 3.93. They have three strong starters in Cliff Lee (3.18 ERA), C.J Wilson (3.35 ERA), and Colby Lewis (3.72 ERA). Texas led the AL in hitting with a team batting average of .276 and ended up ranked fourth in runs scored with 787. Its lineup is powered by Vladimir Guerrero and Josh Hamilton.
Minnesota Twins 6/1
Minnesota won the AL Central with an overall record of 94-69, but enters the postseason in a bit of a slump after losing eight of its last 10 games. The Twins finished the year 53-28 at home and 41-40 on the road. Their 3.95 team ERA ranked them fifth in the AL in pitching. Carl Pavano led the staff with 17 wins and an ERA of 3.75. Minnesota was ranked third in hitting with a team batting average of .273 and ranked fifth in runs scored with .781. The lineup features Delmon Young, who led the team in hits with 170 and added 112 RBI and 21 HR’s.
New York Yankees 6/5
New York finished the regular season one game in back of Tampa and earned the Wildcard spot in the AL playoffs. While the Yankees had the second best regular season record in the league at 95-67, they too finished in a minor slump, winning just three of their last 10 games. They were 52-29 at home and 43-38 on the road. New York is ranked seventh in the AL in pitching with a team ERA of 4.06. The starting rotation is led by another CY Young candidate, C.C. Sabathia who ended the season with 21 wins and a 3.18 ERA. The Yankees are also ranked seventh in hitting with a .267 team batting average, but led the league in runs scored with 859. This all-star lineup is led by Robinson Cano, who led the team in hits with 200 and Alex Rodriguez, who led in RBI with 125.
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