Originally Posted by allenciox
Should be an interesting matchup between the Puppies and the Southpaws
In this case, it is the classic matchup of a powerhouse defense versus a powerhouse offense. The Puppies have good pitching, yes, led by their Ace Cisco Carlos, but what really sets them apart is the elite fielding they bring to bear. They led both leagues this year in runs against (by a whopping 58 runs!), defensive efficiency, and starter ERA. With Francisco LIndor at Short (DEF=103) and Aparicio at Second (DEF=128) there aren't many balls that make their way through that infield, and if a runner does get on base, they will likely be doubled up. In the outfield, Maddox in center (def=103), Mookie Betts in right (def=103), and Bonds in left (def=96) guarantees that line drives from the opposition aren't going to fare any better than ground balls. Their defense combined for a whopping +55.4 ZR rating this season.
On the other side of the, err, plate.... we have the Southpaws. As their name might suggest, you don't need to worry about platooning against them, just send up a lineup of all righties. Keep in mind, though, when you are playing in their park, it is definitely set up to favor left-handed hitters, some of the best of which play for this Southpaw team. The top two batting averages in both league belongs to the Southpaws (1B Carew .352, CF Ashburn .344), and the third highest BA in the NC did as well (LF Erstad .321). The team led the NC in BA (.298), OBA (.355), and runs scored (864). But their defense, while not quite the caliber of Palolo, was no slouch either, being second in the league (behind Palolo) in era and runs allowed. They were first in the league in both hitting WAR and pitching WAR. And, just before the last game of the season, they acquired free agent Arky Vaughan (97), who will be playing 3B. The team's owner explained that never before had this team spent so much on a single player, with the cost at almost 50k. We hope he will be worth the investment in future seasons. However, we aren't quite sure what to do with him in the playoffs, as he has always been a SS and never been trained at 3B. I guess we will figure it out as we go along.
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