In the American League, the playoff teams seem fairly set. The Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros are the division leaders, with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees appearing to be the wild card teams.
All five teams are formidable and would be a challenging team to play in the playoffs. While it is difficult to predict the outcomes of game and of series', we can analyze and compare the different teams.
Boston has the highest team batting average at .269. They have also scored 705 runs, which is the most in the American League. Cleveland has the second highest batting average at .258. The Indians' 648 runs is the third highest total in the American League. Houston's .256 batting average is the third highest average in the league. Their 642 runs are the fourth most in the American League. Oakland's .251 batting average is the 7th highest in the American League, and their 620 runs scored is the 6th most in the league. The Yankees' .254 batting average is the 6th best in the American League, while their 674 runs scored is the second most in the league.
All five teams as expected are among the best hitting teams in the American League. All five teams can score runs and put pressure on opposing pitchers.
Houston has the best team ERA at 3.13. Hitters are hitting a league low of .218 against the Astros' pitchers. Boston has a team ERA of 3.54, which is the second best in the league. Batters are hitting .233 against Red Sox hurlers, which is the fourth lowest batting average against in the league. The Yankees have a team ERA of 3.69, which is the fourth lowest in the American League, while hitters are hitting .232 against them, which is the third lowest batting average against in the league. Cleveland's ERA is 3.85, which is the 6th lowest in the American League. Batters are hitting .244 against Indian pitching, which is the 6th lowest batting average against in the league. Finally, Oakland's team ERA is 3.73, which is the fifth lowest in the league. Batters are hitting .238 against the A's pitchers, which is the 5th lowest batting average against in the league.
So, all five teams have good pitching as well. All five teams are capable of holding their own in a pitcher's duel.
Houston is 16-11 against the other four teams, including 10-4 against Oakland. New York is 17-13 against the other teams, with a 5-8 record against Boston. Cleveland is only 8-15 against the other four teams. Finally, Oakland is 14-19 against the other teams. Boston is 14-13 against the other teams. So, Houston has the best winning percentage of the 5 teams in games among each other, with New York having the second best winning percentage. Based on this, Houston would be seen as the favorite to repeat as American League champions and possibly as World Series champions.
Of course, in a playoff series anything can happen. Past success does not guarantee future achievement. However, Houston and New York have been the best two teams when these 5 teams have played against each other.
Boston has been on a historic pace. At one point, the Red Sox were on pace to win 120 games. Based on their historic pace, many see them, and not the Astros, as the favorites to win the American League.
The Red Sox are lead by two MVP candidates. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez are having arguably the best years of their careers during the same season. Timing is everything, and when two players are having career years during the same season this can be an immense help for a team. The Red Sox are benefiting from two players who are hitting their stride simultaneously.
Martinez is hitting a robust .337 with 37 home runs and 110 runs batted in. Betts is hitting .335 with 27 home runs and 64 runs batted in. Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaert, Eduardo Nunez and Rafael Devers are all having solid seasons.
Betts, Benitendi and Jackie Bradley jr. have provided some speed on the base paths. Between the three of them, they have 58 stolen bases. The Red Sox have a good combination of power and speed in their lineup.
Chris Sale has a 1.97 ERA, the best among Boston's starting pitchers. He also leads the team with 219 strikeouts. Sale is a proven ace who can help a team go deep into the playoffs. Unfortunately, this season Sale experienced inflammation in his left shoulder which could impact him the rest of the season. He had two stints on the disabled list during the month of August. The Red Sox will be patient with him and save him for the playoffs.
Rick Porcello is 15-7 with 164 strikeouts. Porcello is a good number two or three pitcher for Boston. His ERA is 4.18, which is not great, but decent. However, he has not pitched as well during the month of August. The Red Sox are hoping that both Sale and Porcello can get back on track for the playoffs.
David Price is 14-6 with an ERA of 3.50. He has pitched well for Boston this year. Since the All Star break, he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. If Sale, Porcello and Price are all pitching well for Boston once the playoffs start, Boston will be a tough team to beat.
Eduardo Rodriguez has been injured, and is looking to resume his season in early September. Rodriguez is 11-3, with an ERA of 3.44.
Craig Kimbrel has been a good closer. He has 37 saves this season. Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly and Heath Hembree have all been solid out of the bullpen. The Red Sox bullpen has pitched well and helped the Sox to close out games this season.
The Houston Astros are the defending world series champions. They have a chance to win again this year. They are formidable and have been consistent this year.
Jose Altuve has been the team's best player. Altuve is hitting .332 with 10 home runs and 50 runs batted in. He also has 15 stolen bases. He has been the best all around player for the Astros for a few years.
Alex Bregman is hitting .289 with 25 home runs and 83 runs batted in. Bregman leads the team in home runs and runs batted in. Additionally, Bregman has 10 stolen bases. He should score 100 runs this season.
George Springer is hitting .249 with 19 home runs and 60 runs batted in. Springer struggled with a quadriceps injury earlier. The Astros are hoping he will be completely healthy by the time the playoffs begin.
Carlos Correa has struggled with injuries this year. Correa is hitting .252 with 14 home runs and 58 runs batted in. This year, Correa has only stolen two bases. However, in 2015 he swiped 14 bases and he stole 13 bases in 2016. So, he is capable of providing the Astros with some speed on the base paths. Correa is a talented player who can help Houston get back to the World Series.
Justin Verlander anchors the pitching staff. Verlander is 13-8 this season with a 2.72 ERA. He has struck out 229 batters. Verlander has been reliable this year, as he has started 28 games. 21 of those outings have been quality starts.
Gerrit Cole is 12-5 with and ERA of 2.85. Cole has started 27 games, with 17 of them being quality starts. He leads all Astros pitchers with 234 strikeouts. Cole gives up few home runs and has been a good pitcher for Houston this season.
Dallas Keuchel is 10-10 this season with a 3.54 ERA. Keuchel has started 27 games, and he has had 17 quality starts. Keuchel has been good this season, but not quite as good as previous seasons. He has been a durable number three pitcher this year for the defending champions.
Charlie Morton is 13-3 this season with a 3.05 ERA. Morton is having one of his best seasons. His ERA this season is more than one run lower than his career ERA. Addionally, Morton has struck out 182 batters. Morton has been the third best picher for Houston this season. He has provided depth to their staff, and he should help them as they try and defend their championship.
Hector Rondon leads the team with 14 saves. However, the newly acquired Robert Osuna is now the team's closer. Ken Giles, the team's closer to begin the season, has been traded to Toronto. Additionally, Joe Smith, Brad Peacock, Collin McHugh and Tony Sipp have all pitched well out of the bullpen for the Astros.
The Astros have the talent to repeat as world series champions. If they play like they are capable of playing, they could win the World Series again. The competition will be difficult, but Houston has the hitting and the pitching to defend their title.
The Cleveland Indians are poised to win the American League Central. They have been the best team in the division by a wide margin. The Indians are a talented team who could reach the World Series.
Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez have been American League MVP candidates for the Indians this season. Lindor leads the team with 151 hits. Lindor is batting .286 with 29 home runs and 78 runs batted in. He has already scored 106 runs. Ramirez leads the team with 37 home runs. He also leads the team with 91 runs batted in. Both have contributed a lot to the Indians' offense this season.
After two injury plagued seasons, Michael Brantley has a bounce back season. Brantley is leading the team with a .301 batting average. Additionally, Brantley has 14 home runs with 69 runs batted in.
Yonder Alonso and Edwin Encarnacion have provided some power for Cleveland this season. Alonso as 22 home runs with 74 runs batted in. He has added depth to the lineup. Encarnacion has had 28 home runs with 87 runs batted in. Both Alonso and Encarnacion have been run producers for the Indians this year.
Corey Kluber has had another good season for Cleveland. Kluber is 16-7 with a 2.91 ERA. Kluber has struck out 172 batters this season. He has been a consistent pitcher for Cleveland.
Despite Kluber's consistency, Trevor Bauer has been Cleveland's best starting pitcher. Bauer leads the team with a 2.22 ERA. He also leads the team with 214 strike outs. Kluber and Bauer provide Cleveland with two strong pitchers to begin a playoff series with. Both are capable of winning playoff games, which could give the Indians the early advantage in a playoff series.
Mike Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco have also had good seasons for Cleveland. Clevinger is 9-7 with a 3.30 ERA, while Carrasco is 15-7 with a 3.55 ERA. Clevinger has had 16 quality starts and Carrasco has had 15 quality starts. Both give the Indians options for game 3 or game 4 of a playoff series.
Andrew Miller has missed much of this season with an injury, which has hurt the Cleveland bull pen. The Indians are hoping he will be back for the playoffs. Cody Allen leads the team with 25 saves, however, his ERA is 4.42, which is high for a closer.
They will need more consistency from Allen during the playoffs. Brad Hand and Adam Climber were acquired to add depth to the bullpen.
A lot of attention has been given to the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Astros are the defending world champions. The Red Sox have a chance to win more regular season games than anyone in major league history. The Yankees added Giancarlo Stanton to the team in the off season and are among the best teams in baseball. It's understandable that those three teams receive a lot of attention. However, the Cleveland Indians have flown under the radar, and they may be just as good as those three teams.
The New York Yankees experienced some changes during the offseason. Manager Joe Girardi was replaced by rookie manager, Aaron Boone. Giancarlo Stanton, the reigning National League MVP, was acquired during the offseason as well. The Yankees scored a lot of runs last year, but the addition of Stanton has made their offensive even better. Currently Stanton leads the team with 32 home runs and 82 runs batted in. Stanton also leads the team in hits with 141. Stanton has been everything the Yankees had hoped he would be, and he has kept the Yankees' offense strong in the absence of Aaron Judge, who is dealing with an injury that has kept him on the DL for four weeks.
At the time of his injury, Judge was hitting .285 with 2 home runs and 61 runs batted it. He was having another good season. The Yankees are hoping to get Judge back within a week or two. The Yankees will need Judge for the last part of the season and the playoffs. The Yankees' offense has not been the same in his absence.
Miguel Andujar and Gleybor Torres are both rookie of the year candidates. Andujar is hitting .301 with 21 home runs and 72 runs batted in. Torres, who recently returned from an injury, is hitting .269 with 20 home runs and 58 runs batted in. Both players need to improve their defense. Torres has made 15 errors and Andujar has made 13 errors. In the playoffs, both players will need to play better defense.
Luis Severino anchors the pitching staff. He has a 3.27 ERA, which is the lowest for Yankee starting pitchers. He leads the team with 17 wins and 189 strikeouts. For much of the year, Severino has pitched like an ace. However, for the past month, Severino has been hittable and inconsistent. He has struggled so much, that he may not start the wild card matchup that the Yankees will probably play in. The Yankees are hoping that Severino can regain his earlier form.
Masihiro Tanaka is 9-5 with a 3.97 ERA. Tanaka has 11 quality starts and 22 starts overall. Tanaka has not been a consistent ace since the Yankees acquired him, however, he has been a valuable member of the Yankees' pitching staff. He has been a decent number two starter for the Yankees this season. If the Yankees can win their one game playoff, then Tanaka would fill an important role in a post season series.
CC Sabathia is in his ninth season with the Yankees. He and Brett Gardner are the only remaining members of the 2009 World Series championship team. Sabathia has battled an injury to his right knee this season. However, he is off the DL now, and the Yankees are hoping he can contribute for the rest of the year and into the playoffs.
The Yankees made a trade for J.A Happ at the trade deadline. He has made five starts for the team since his acquisition. Happ has pitched so well that he may start the team's wild card playoff game. 3 of his 5 starts for the Yankees have been quality starts. The Yankees are hoping that Happ pitches well the rest of the season and into the playoffs. IF the Yankees advance to a playoff series, Happ would be needed in order for the Yankees to be successful.
The Yankees have a strong bullpen. Aroldis Chapman is the closer. Chapman has 31 saves and an ERA of 2.11. Currently, Chapman is injured and will be evaluated in one or two weeks. David Robertson, Dillon Betances and Chad Green are serving as closers for New York in Chapman's absence. Robertson, Green and Betances have been effective this season. All three have served as set up men.
Jonathan Holder has also been effective this season. Zach Britton, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline, struggled initially, but is now pitching well.
The Yankees could go to the World Series this season. They will need Didi Gregorius and Judge to return from injury in order to be World Series contenders. Additionally, they will need their starting pitchers to pitch better. So far, Severino and Tanaka have not been as consistent as they need to be. As front line starters, Severino and Tanaka need to pitch better more consistently. Happ has helped to stabilize the rotation, and may be needed for the wild card game against Houston or Oakland.
The Oakland Athletics have been surging lately. Once thought of as a team battling for a wild card spot, the Athletics now have a chance to win the Western division. They are only one game in back of the Astros.
Outfielder Khris Davis leads the team in home runs and runs batted in. Davis has hit 39 round trippers and driven in 103 runs. He has been their best player this season. Davis has provided power to the Oakland lineup. He will need to continue to play well if the Athletics want to advance to the World Series.
Third baseman Matt Chapman has also been solid for Oakland. Chapman is hitting .280 with 21 home runs and 52 runs batted in. Chapman leads the team with a .364 on base percentage.
Shortstop Marcus Siemen leads the team with 137 hits. He has also stolen 13 bases this season. Additionally, he has driven in 60 runs, which is the most of his career.
Sean Manaea has been the team's best starting pitcher this season. Manaea is 12-9 with a 3.59 ERA. Manaea leads the team with 108 strikeouts. Additionally, Manaea has been reliable enough to start 27 games and pitch 160 innings. 15 of those starts have been quality starts. Manaea will need to continue to lead the staff if the Athletics are going to advance in the playoffs.
Trevor Cahill has been fairly effective for Oakland this year. He is 5-3 with an ERA of 3.44. He has started 16 games this season, with 8 of them being quality starts.
Daniel Mengden has made 16 starts this year mainly because other A's pitchers have struggled with injuries. Currently Brett Anderson and Manaea are struggling with injuries, so Mengden will have to pitch well in order to compenstate for the injuries to Anderson and Manaea. Mengden has 7 quality starts this year. His overall record is 6-6, with a 4.28 ERA.
Edwin Jackson has started 12 games for Oakland this season. He is 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA. In Jun of this year, Jackson signed a minor league contract with Oakland. He was called up to Oakland in late June. Oakland is Jackson's 13th major league team, which ties a major league record. Jackson utilizes two main pitches - a fastball and a slider. The A's are hoping Jackson can continue to pitch well as they try to make a run for the World Series.
Blake Tienen leads the team with 33 saves. His ERA is an excellent 0.95. Treinen has been one of the best closers in baseball this season. The Athletics need him to continue to lead the bullpen. Lou Trivino, Yusmeiro Petit and Ryan Buchter have also pitched well out of the bullpen this season.
Considering how inconsistent the Oakland starting pitching has been this year, the Athletics need to continue to score runs and pitch well out of the bullpen during the playoffs.
The 2018 American League playoffs should be interesting and exciting. All five teams have good players and will be difficult to beat.
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