Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. New York Yankees (97-65)
Pitching Matchups
Game 1- Justin Verlander (DET) @ C.C. Sabathia (NYY)
Game 2- Doug Fister (DET) @ Ivan Nova (NYY)
Game 3- Max Scherzer (DET) vs. Freddy Garcia (NYY)
Good luck finding a better pitching matchup than C.C. Sabathia versus Justin Verlander in game one. Verlander probably will be the unanimous Cy Young Award winner, and Sabathia had arguably his best season in pinstripes. Considering the lack of pitching beyond these two, the series likely rests on Sabathia and Verlander’s shoulders.
Game two features two of the more underrated American League pitchers: Doug Fister and Ivan Nova. Fister was dealt to the Tigers at the trade deadline and has flourished (8-1, 1.79 earned run average or ERA, 0.839 walks plus hits per innings pitched or WHIP) in a Tigers uniform. Nova can’t quite compete with Fister’s sterling ERA or WHIP, but he does have 16 wins, making him the front-runner for American League Rookie of the Year.
Contrary to popular belief, the Tigers are not a one-man team. In fact, Detroit’s been one of the best offensive teams in the American League this season. MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera leads all of baseball in batting average (.344), on-base percentage (.448), and doubles (48). In addition, Alex Avila has been the best catcher in baseball this season, Victor Martinez continues to produce, and Jhonny Peralta has rejuvenated his once defunct career.
While Detroit can smack the ball around, they don’t possess the weapons the Yankees have at their disposal. There’s no easy out in the lineup, and that’s precisely what makes the Yankees so dangerous. Derek Jeter has enjoyed a bounce-back season, and his average sits just below .300, while last years MVP runner up, Robinson Cano, continues to produce like an MVP-caliber player. Brett Gardner’s speed (49 steals), keen eye (60 walks), and superb defense (25.8 ultimate zone rating or UZR) make him a sabermetrical poster child. Mark Teixeira can still hit the ball out of the ballpark and Curtis Granderson has produced MVP-type numbers this season (41 home runs, 119 runs batted in or RBI, 136 runs).
As I alluded to in an earlier blog, the Yankees are far from complete when it comes to starting pitchers. It’s difficult to envision the Yankees making a deep playoff run, considering that Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon, and A.J. Burnett could all see meaningful innings.
Both their offense is so good that I don’t think the back end of the Tigers rotation can contain the Yankee lineup.
Prediction: Yankees in 5
Jackson Alexander can be reached for comment at [email protected]
