Starting Pitchers
Whew. There is a lot here for both teams. Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha have a chance to be one of the most powerful 1-2 punches in the coming years. Wacha beat Clayton Kershaw twice in one series at the ripe age of 23. Wainwright has been his normal self dominating with his nasty curveball and other arsenal of pitches. Jon Lester and John Lackey looked strong so far this season plus Lackey received zero credit for his work against Detroit because of the guy he faced that night. Even though they struggled in the last series, I trust Clay Buchholz and Jake Peavy way more than younger pitchers, Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn. Advantage - Boston.
Relief Pitchers
Probably the strength of both teams honestly. There is a good chance we could get a World Series game going anywhere from the 13th to 15th inning. I would not be shocked at all given how good both the bullpens have been in the October. Trying to pick whose better is like saying 'Who would you rather date: Nina Agdal or Ashley Sky?' Impossible choice. Koji Uehara and Trevor Rosenthal both have been great closing out games. This is a push by all means. I cannot really favor one, but I will say this, if St. Louis bullpen somehow blows up, it might start building up on them with the young pitching.
Catchers
This is a blowout honestly. Yadier Molina is one of the best all-around catchers in Major League Baseball. Like Harry Doyle once said, 'He is still a dick', but I also know who are good baseball players and Molina is one of them. Yadi will control the game and he is one of the reasons why their young starting pitching is having great success. Boston uses a two catcher system with Jarrod Saltalamacchia and David Ross with Salty as his friends call him being the primary catcher. They are good, competent catchers yet they do not hold a candle to Molina. Advantage - St. Louis
1st Base
Mike Napoli's jersey has to piss off Cardinals fans, right? If you are late to the party, Napoli keeps his jersey open like I do with a button-down on a Saturday night (If you are not doing this, you are losing.) Matt Adams picked up Allen Craig's pieces nicely and is tied for postseason hits for St. Louis. It still feels like his face is too damn fat to be an athlete but I digress. Both have played well and defense does not swing things at all as they both are poor. Is this a push? Possibly, but I will go with Napoli here, I just like his overall power a bit more than Adams. Advantage - Boston
2nd Base
This is one of the marquee position here for the series. Matt Carpenter needs to be better because right now, he has not impressed in the playoffs thus far hitting only .167. He got talked about being an MVP candidate for the National League and he looks nothing like it right now. Dustin Pedroia is one of the leaders of the Red Sox team and could be the number one player whom could piss everybody in St. Louis off. Pedroia has been a sort of hit/strikeout/walk guy and when I say hit, I mean straight singles. No one is picking up Pedroia thus far. Clearly the better player though. Advantage - Boston
Shortstop
This is the throwaway position with Stephen Drew hitting a mere .086 in the playoffs and St. Louis has the wonderful combination of Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso. There is nothing really here to get excited about and we are not going to waste space here. PUSH.
Third Base
This might be one of the more interesting positions for each team. Boston might have the best young position player in this series with Xander Bogaerts taking over the spot from Will Middlebrooks and he is hitting .500 in his short time starting for Boston. Bogaerts could be a revelation for many people watching Boston for the first time in these World Series. David Freese was the hero of the 2011 MLB Playoffs but he has been nothing such in 2013. Freese is a good player and could turn it around yet he is not there right now. When looking at advantage, it is who is playing better right now and that's Bogaerts. Advantage - Boston
Left Field
This seems like it would favor St. Louis mightily and in the end it does with Matt Holiday having a pretty good October thus far including a hot stretch that helped close out Los Angeles. But Jonny Gomes is a leader of this Boston team. He has the whole 'idiots' culture that propelled the 2004 World Series team and he can be the motivational leader on this team even if he is not hitting the ball. Both of these guys could swing a game in the outfield, they are that bad. Advantage - St. Louis
Center Field
This is Boston's first blowout of our segment here that is already too long. Jacoby Ellsbury is having the best October of any position player. There is no question in my mind he will get overpaid by a team not named Boston this offseason. Ellsbury is having a five-tool of awesomeness October. Like peeing your pants in the sixth grade, no one forgets how bad John Jay was in the outfield against Los Angeles. Now, they have to play potentially four games at Fenway where the dimensions are a complete bitch, it could be a real ugly affair for Jay. Additionally, he does not have an extra-base hit yet this October. Advantage - Boston
Right Field
Carlos Beltran keeps bringing the hits. David Ortiz will get a lot of fanfare as being the 'clutch hitter' of the playoffs, but in reality, it is Beltran. He single-handily won St. Louis Game 1 and I feel like the whole series sort of changed that night. The Cardinals still might have tied the series in Game 2, but 1-1 heading to the West Coast would make a completely different series. Beltran is a guy to never sleep on, no matter the pitcher or the situation. Shane Victorino had been truly awful until he hit a grand slam to carry Boston to the World Series. Advantage - St. Louis
Designated Hitter
David Ortiz is the king of this division and you wonder what Boston will do with him in the St. Louis part of the series. My assumption is he will play first base with Napoli maybe coming in for defense late even though that's not saying much. Allen Craig will probably take over this spot and could provide a huge lift as he comes back from a foot injury. I cannot give a good judgment on Craig plus Big Papi in the playoffs is as good as a cold beer on a hot day. Advantage - Boston
Stadium
Both have great fans, but this is all Fenway here. Busch Stadium is known for being a quiet audience who gives golf claps during the game. They are a docile crowd and does not really have the same emotion that say a Boston crowd can bring to the table. I will take a Boston crowd especially a late October Red Sox crowd over a lot of professional teams. Advantage - Boston
Managers
This is unknown. John Farrell nearly managed his way to a Game 7 by putting Franklin Morales to face a hapless Prince Fielder. Mike Matheny has not been here either although I cannot think of one blunder right now yet he can definitely have them. I am going with a PUSH here.
Intangibles
St. Louis is truly diverse with their talent. They have some veteran players with some young players. There are a couple of them who have World Series rings from the 2011 season. Also others who will be there for the first time. Boston is more older with the right group of guys who might not get there again. I would not bet against the latter. Advantage - Boston
Prediction
Red Sox in 7. I like their bullpen slightly better and I think the defense of St. Louis could become a major storyline of this series. Boston kept coming out with timely hits but I expect this to be some real nice 3-2 baseball games which I will not complain about.
-Charlie.
1st Base
Mike Napoli's jersey has to piss off Cardinals fans, right? If you are late to the party, Napoli keeps his jersey open like I do with a button-down on a Saturday night (If you are not doing this, you are losing.) Matt Adams picked up Allen Craig's pieces nicely and is tied for postseason hits for St. Louis. It still feels like his face is too damn fat to be an athlete but I digress. Both have played well and defense does not swing things at all as they both are poor. Is this a push? Possibly, but I will go with Napoli here, I just like his overall power a bit more than Adams. Advantage - Boston
2nd Base
This is one of the marquee position here for the series. Matt Carpenter needs to be better because right now, he has not impressed in the playoffs thus far hitting only .167. He got talked about being an MVP candidate for the National League and he looks nothing like it right now. Dustin Pedroia is one of the leaders of the Red Sox team and could be the number one player whom could piss everybody in St. Louis off. Pedroia has been a sort of hit/strikeout/walk guy and when I say hit, I mean straight singles. No one is picking up Pedroia thus far. Clearly the better player though. Advantage - Boston
Shortstop
This is the throwaway position with Stephen Drew hitting a mere .086 in the playoffs and St. Louis has the wonderful combination of Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso. There is nothing really here to get excited about and we are not going to waste space here. PUSH.
Third Base
This might be one of the more interesting positions for each team. Boston might have the best young position player in this series with Xander Bogaerts taking over the spot from Will Middlebrooks and he is hitting .500 in his short time starting for Boston. Bogaerts could be a revelation for many people watching Boston for the first time in these World Series. David Freese was the hero of the 2011 MLB Playoffs but he has been nothing such in 2013. Freese is a good player and could turn it around yet he is not there right now. When looking at advantage, it is who is playing better right now and that's Bogaerts. Advantage - Boston
Left Field
This seems like it would favor St. Louis mightily and in the end it does with Matt Holiday having a pretty good October thus far including a hot stretch that helped close out Los Angeles. But Jonny Gomes is a leader of this Boston team. He has the whole 'idiots' culture that propelled the 2004 World Series team and he can be the motivational leader on this team even if he is not hitting the ball. Both of these guys could swing a game in the outfield, they are that bad. Advantage - St. Louis
Center Field
This is Boston's first blowout of our segment here that is already too long. Jacoby Ellsbury is having the best October of any position player. There is no question in my mind he will get overpaid by a team not named Boston this offseason. Ellsbury is having a five-tool of awesomeness October. Like peeing your pants in the sixth grade, no one forgets how bad John Jay was in the outfield against Los Angeles. Now, they have to play potentially four games at Fenway where the dimensions are a complete bitch, it could be a real ugly affair for Jay. Additionally, he does not have an extra-base hit yet this October. Advantage - Boston
Right Field
Carlos Beltran keeps bringing the hits. David Ortiz will get a lot of fanfare as being the 'clutch hitter' of the playoffs, but in reality, it is Beltran. He single-handily won St. Louis Game 1 and I feel like the whole series sort of changed that night. The Cardinals still might have tied the series in Game 2, but 1-1 heading to the West Coast would make a completely different series. Beltran is a guy to never sleep on, no matter the pitcher or the situation. Shane Victorino had been truly awful until he hit a grand slam to carry Boston to the World Series. Advantage - St. Louis
Designated Hitter
David Ortiz is the king of this division and you wonder what Boston will do with him in the St. Louis part of the series. My assumption is he will play first base with Napoli maybe coming in for defense late even though that's not saying much. Allen Craig will probably take over this spot and could provide a huge lift as he comes back from a foot injury. I cannot give a good judgment on Craig plus Big Papi in the playoffs is as good as a cold beer on a hot day. Advantage - Boston
Stadium
Both have great fans, but this is all Fenway here. Busch Stadium is known for being a quiet audience who gives golf claps during the game. They are a docile crowd and does not really have the same emotion that say a Boston crowd can bring to the table. I will take a Boston crowd especially a late October Red Sox crowd over a lot of professional teams. Advantage - Boston
Managers
This is unknown. John Farrell nearly managed his way to a Game 7 by putting Franklin Morales to face a hapless Prince Fielder. Mike Matheny has not been here either although I cannot think of one blunder right now yet he can definitely have them. I am going with a PUSH here.
Intangibles
St. Louis is truly diverse with their talent. They have some veteran players with some young players. There are a couple of them who have World Series rings from the 2011 season. Also others who will be there for the first time. Boston is more older with the right group of guys who might not get there again. I would not bet against the latter. Advantage - Boston
Prediction
Red Sox in 7. I like their bullpen slightly better and I think the defense of St. Louis could become a major storyline of this series. Boston kept coming out with timely hits but I expect this to be some real nice 3-2 baseball games which I will not complain about.
-Charlie.
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