Postseason Preview: American League
September 24, 2018
Cleveland Indians (99-62) — New York Mets (79-83)
vs.
If not for the Indians' domination of the American League, this would be a fantastic matchup: great offense against great pitching
The Indians absolutely routed the American League this season. Their .615 winning percentage was the second highest in the four major leagues. The offense's 906 runs led the league by 74 — over 8 percent.
Yet their opponent, the New York Mets, led the league in runs against. And while they lost 14 of their 24 matchups against the Indians, they lost those games by a margin of two runs or fewer.
Will the Mets' rotation, led by Noah Snydergaard (17-12, 2.95) and Jacob deGrom (6-8, 2.79), be a match for the Indians' offense in a seven-game series?
The Indians have four batters who hit above .300, and three hitters who crushed over 30 home runs.
Moreover, the Mets had a losing record this season -- but so did most teams in the American League. Most of the wins went to the Indians.
Regardless of the result, it will be a fun series for fans of both teams — and baseball generally.
Prediction: Indians win in 5.
Seattle Mariners (91-70) — Arizona Diamondbacks (86-75)
Mariners closer Edwin Diaz led the AL in saves with 40.
Yet another pitching-versus-batting matchup in the AL. The Mariners were second in the league in runs against, while the Diamondbacks were second in runs for.
Although the Diamondbacks were not as absolutely unfair to opposing pitchers as the Indians' batters, Paul Goldschmidt crushed 40 home runs and had an OPS nearing 1.000.
Can one batter, though, beat a team that shut down its opponents regularly? That depends on the Diamondbacks' rotation.
The Mariners are led by James Paxton (19-7, 3.58) and Chris Sambol (11-10, 3.59). Not superb pitchers, but definitely good enough to win games.
The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, are led by Zach Grienke (1-2, 5.22) and Zack Godley (13-10, 5.87). Again, they are not superb pitchers. In fact, they might not be good enough to hold their opponents to fewer runs than their own team.
Although the Diamondbacks have a killer offense, it's centered in mainly one person. Their lack of depth extends to their starting rotation, where there is no true shut-down pitcher.
Prediction: Mariners sweep.
AL Final Standings:
