Frozenprince
Banned
Alright gents, you ready? Here we Go!
Probable Start Times
Wild Card Play-in games:
When: October 6th, 8PM
Who: Houston Astros @ New York Yankees
Where: ESPN, MLB.tv blackouts apply
Probable starters: Dallas Keuchel/Masahiro Tanaka
Lineups:
Synopsis: Both teams come into the playoffs dragging and scrapping themselves across the finish line. Both lost large divisional leads over the course of the final two months, both struggled with sub-par starting pitching down the stretch and both had trouble getting on base. The Astro's are probably healthier at this point and have the best positional depth, Chris Carter is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now after five months of futility beforehand, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are all-star level players with questions defensively but probably the best pure bats in the series. The real difference maker here is if George Springer can make plus contact and use Yankee Stadium to his benefit, a pure hitters ballpark should play well for his ability to pull the ball to left center. Where the real difference maker will rest is their beleagered BP, which has blown several leads late and every attempt to patch it having failed. Stalwart CP Luke Gregerson the lone brightspot for the majority of the year.
On the opposite end of that spectrum you have a team with arguably the best and deepest BP in the majors this year, built with tall, lanky power arms designed to overpower opposing hitters before they get their timing down. The line-up construction of the Yankees is built around it's lead-off hitters in Ells and Gardner, if either struggle, the offense doesn't click and begins to revolve around the power bat. Rookie slugger Greg Bird (que the gif) has been a revelation at first. With exceptional power (especially at home) and a passable glove. His ability with the bat projects to be the difference maker for the Yankees.
Ultimately, this will be a battle of starting pitching, with Keuchel in the running for the CY and Tanaka finishing strong down the stretch. Tanaka has struggled with keeping the ball down and his HR totals have shot up as a result, his splitter is still the most devastating K pitch in baseball when it's on. Keuchel doesn't have overpowering stuff, but gets by using exceptional command and control, it's not smoke and mirrors though, he's a legitimate ace.
MLBGAF's opinions on the game:
Start times while I make this prettier.
Probable Start Times
Wild Card Play-in games:
When: October 6th, 8PM
Who: Houston Astros @ New York Yankees
Where: ESPN, MLB.tv blackouts apply
Probable starters: Dallas Keuchel/Masahiro Tanaka
Lineups:
Synopsis: Both teams come into the playoffs dragging and scrapping themselves across the finish line. Both lost large divisional leads over the course of the final two months, both struggled with sub-par starting pitching down the stretch and both had trouble getting on base. The Astro's are probably healthier at this point and have the best positional depth, Chris Carter is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now after five months of futility beforehand, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are all-star level players with questions defensively but probably the best pure bats in the series. The real difference maker here is if George Springer can make plus contact and use Yankee Stadium to his benefit, a pure hitters ballpark should play well for his ability to pull the ball to left center. Where the real difference maker will rest is their beleagered BP, which has blown several leads late and every attempt to patch it having failed. Stalwart CP Luke Gregerson the lone brightspot for the majority of the year.
On the opposite end of that spectrum you have a team with arguably the best and deepest BP in the majors this year, built with tall, lanky power arms designed to overpower opposing hitters before they get their timing down. The line-up construction of the Yankees is built around it's lead-off hitters in Ells and Gardner, if either struggle, the offense doesn't click and begins to revolve around the power bat. Rookie slugger Greg Bird (que the gif) has been a revelation at first. With exceptional power (especially at home) and a passable glove. His ability with the bat projects to be the difference maker for the Yankees.
Ultimately, this will be a battle of starting pitching, with Keuchel in the running for the CY and Tanaka finishing strong down the stretch. Tanaka has struggled with keeping the ball down and his HR totals have shot up as a result, his splitter is still the most devastating K pitch in baseball when it's on. Keuchel doesn't have overpowering stuff, but gets by using exceptional command and control, it's not smoke and mirrors though, he's a legitimate ace.
MLBGAF's opinions on the game:
Start times while I make this prettier.
