As the month of September has kicked in it is time to break down what teams in the American and National League will be contenders and what teams from both divisions will go far in the playoffs. We start off with the American League.
The New York Yankees: The deafening 2009 World Series winners are yet again in first place in their division and have the best record in the American League and in all of baseball. Their record stands at 86-50 and a PCT of .632, their 6th overall in batting average - .270, 3rd overall in home runs with 171, 1st overall in runs batted in with 702, 7th overall in hits with 1,246, and pitching ERA 9th overall with 3.85. The Yankees best hitter on this team is second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano is batting .318, 26 homeruns and 91 RBI's. He is also ranked 6th in (BA), 10th in the AL in (RBI's), 7th in the AL in (HR), and is ranked 8th in the AL in (SLG) (.549). MVP for the New York Yankees? I think so. The Yankees best pitcher we all know is the big man C.C. Sabathia with a 3.02 ERA, 19 wins, 5 losses, and has 165 strikeouts. Sabathia is ranked 1st in the AL in (W), 6th in the AL in (ERA), and 1st in the AL in (W%) (.792). For the most part he is the best pitcher on this Yankees team and is the best pitcher in the American League and in baseball at this point. He will most likely win the 2010 AL CY Young award and if he has 5 more starts in the month of September and he could easily win 23-24 games this year.
Minnesota Twins: The defending 2009 AL Central Division Champs have been pretty good considering they started off the year with a few injuring problems. The Twins record in the AL Central stands at 79-57 and a PCT of .581. The Twins are 1st overall in batting average - .278, 5th overall in runs batted in with 620, 1st overall in hits with 1,293, and 10th overall ERA with a 3.85. The main reason why the Twins have such good hitting is because the 2009 MVP winner Joe Mauer has been their best hitter yet again. Batting .325, 8 homeruns, and driving in 70 RBI's and that's pretty good considering he's been off and on the DL list this year. Mauer is ranked 3rd in the AL in (BA). The best pitcher for the Twins this year has been Carl Pavano who has an ERA of the 3.52, 15 wins, 10 losses, and 107 strikeouts. Pavano is ranked 4th in the AL in (W), 3rd in the AL in (IP) (189.0), and 2nd in the AL in (CG) (6). He's not the best pitcher but he does get the job done and helps his team win ball games.
Texas Rangers: The surprise team of the American League and the only team with the biggest lead in the American League with an 8 game lead over the Oakland A's. The Rangers record stands at 75-60 with a PCT of .556. The team is 2nd overall in batting average - .275, 9th overall in home runs with 136, 8th overall in runs batted in with 612, 2nd overall in hits with 1,273, 12th overall in ERA with a 3.89, 11th overall in strikeouts with 975, and 4th overall in saves with 40. The Rangers best player on the team is their left fielder Josh Hamilton who is having a great year batting .362, 31 homeruns, and 97 RBI's. Hamilton ranks 1st in the AL in (BA), 6th in the AL in (RBI's), 4th in the AL in (HR), and 1st in the AL in (SLG) (.638). Right now he is the best hitter in baseball and has a very good chance of winning the 2010 MVP award and maybe a shot of winning the Triple Crown award that no one has won since 1969. But Hamilton will need to step up in home runs if he wants to win that award. The Rangers best pitcher on this team has been C.J. Wilson all year long having an ERA of 2.88, 14 wins, 5 losses, and 140 strikeouts. Wilson has been a surprise pitcher for the Rangers this year ranked 7th in the AL in (W), 4th in the AL in (ERA), and ranked 3rd in the AL in (W%) (.737). Wilson is the best pitcher the Rangers has next the Cliff Lee.
The American League Wild Card Team the Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays only find themselves 2 games out off first in the American League East division behind the Yankees. They also have the second best record in baseball standing at 83-51 and PCT at .619. The Rays are 4th overall in runs batting in with 637, 5th over in ERA with a 3.66, 9th overall in strikeouts with 989, 1st overall in saves with 47, and 2nd over in WHIP with a 1.23. The Rays best hitter on this team is their All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria who is hitting .296, 9 homeruns, and has 90 RBI's. Longoria is ranked 11th in the AL in (RBI's) and is probably the best hitting third baseman in the American League along with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The Rays best pitcher on this team in the man himself David Price. Price a pitcher at one time didn't know how good he would be as a starting pitcher but he has fit well in the role having an ERA of 2.92, 16 wins, 6 losses and 161 strikeouts. Price ranks 2nd in the Al in (W), 4th in the AL in (W%) (.727), and is ranked 5th in the AL in (ERA). He is also second on the list for CY Young award winner.
Now here’s what I think will happen in the American League come postseason, I think it will be a battled in the East for the American League pennant between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. I don't see the Minnesota Twins beating the Rays. I think Rays will take 4 out 5 in the ALDS from the Twins and I don't see the Rangers beating the Yankees even though the Rangers have a great hitting team and a good pitching staff I just think the Yankees are a stronger team. I think the series will go to 5 games in the ALDS and the Yankees will come out on top. Now in the ALCS between the Yankees and Rays well I don't know who will win this series. If the Yankees win they will win in 6 and if the Rays win they will in 7 and one of those teams will go to the 2010 World Series, if it the Yankees they will go back to back years to the World Series to defend their title and if the Rays win they will have made a trip to the World Series 2 out 3 times to try to win their first ever World Series title. It’s going to be "The Battle of the East" this year in the ALCS.
National League we will start off in the East.
Atlanta Braves: Now it’s not a shock that the Braves are good, but it’s a shock that there in first place in the NL East over the 3 time division champ Philadelphia Phillies. Everyone knew that the Braves were going to be good but not this good. The Braves record stands at 79-57 and has a PCT of .581 and is 8th overall in runs batted in with 606, 3rd over in ERA with a 3.54, and 7th overall in strikeouts with 998. The Braves best hitter is a surprise hitter in second baseman Martin Prado who is batting .317, 16 homeruns, and has 61 RBI's. Prado is ranked 4th in the NL in (BA). He came out for nowhere and has been the Braves best hitter on the team. He’s a big reason why the Braves are doing really well. Now the Braves best pitcher on the team has been Tim Hudson who has an ERA of 2.30, 15 wins, 6 losses, and 113 strikeouts. Hudson is ranked 4th in the NL in (W), 4th in the NL in (ERA), 5th in the NL in (W%) (.714), and is ranked 5th in the NL in (IP) (191.2). He’s a big reason why the Braves pitching have been so good this year. Hudson is also in the running to win the 2010 NL CY Young award.
Cincinnati Reds: Well the Reds are a surprise team because no one really picked them to be this good and have the biggest lead in the National Lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds have a 8 games lead in the NL Central and are the best team in the National League with a record of 79-56 and a PCT of .585 and they are 4th overall in batting average - .272, 4th overall in home runs with 156, 3rd overall in runs batted in with 647, 5th overall in hits with 1,256, and 5th overall in saves with 38. Now the best hitter on this team and in the National League right now is indeed first baseman Joey Votto. Votto is batting .323, 32 homeruns, and has 97 RBI's. He ranked 1st in the NL in (RBI's), 3rd in the NL in (BB) with (77), 2nd in the NL in (SGL) (.599), 3rd in the NL in (HR), 3rd in (R's) with (91), 1st in the NL in (OBP) (.423), and is ranked 1st in the NL in (OPS) (1.021). This guy is just a beast and is the main reason why the Reds are a good team this year. He brings a lot of power and leadership to this team. I think he will most likely win the 2010 NL MVP Award. Now the Reds don't have the best pitching but their best pitcher is Bronson Arryo who has an ERA of 3.84, 14 wins, 9 losses, and 97 strikeouts. He is ranked 5th in the NL in (W) and ranked 6th in the NL in (CG) (2). I don't know how well the Reds will do in the postseason with not having great pitching.
San Diego Padres: Now the Padres are the surprise team this year in the National League. No one saw this team being that good but somehow they are still in first place in their division with a record of 76-58 and a PCT of .567. The Padres are 1st over in ERA with a 3.36, 2nd overall in strikeouts with 1,074, 5th overall in save with 38 and 1st overall in WHIP with a 1.23. The best hitter on the team is no surprise in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who batting .303, 27 home runs, and 87 RBI's. He ranked 8th in the NL in (BA), 7th in the NL in (RBI's), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (OBP) (.393). He is the biggest weapon this team has. Now as for their pitching the reason they are ranked number one in ERA is because of Mat Latos. This kid is really good with an ERA of 2.25, 13 wins, 5 losses, and 160 strikeouts. Latos is ranked 1st in the NL in (WHIP) (0.98), 1st in the NL in (ERA), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (W%) (.722). Latos is in the running to win the CY Young Award. But as of the late the Padres have lost 9 straight games and still have a 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
National League Wild Card team the Philadelphia Phillies: Well the 3 time NL East division champs find themselves leading the wild card but also find themselves 1 game back of winning their 4th straight division title over the Braves. The Phils are the 3rd best team in the National League with a record of 78-58 and a PCT of .574. The Phillies are 11th overall in home runs with 133, 8th overall in ERA with a 3.75, and 3rd overall in WHIP with 1.25. Now the Phillies have a lot of great hitters but in the month of September nobody shines better than first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard who spent some time on the DL is batting .279, 26 homeruns, and has 88 RBI's. Howard is ranked 9th in the NL in (HR) and ranked 7th in the NL in (RBI's). The Phillies know if they want to win their 4th straight division title their going need some help from Ryan Howard who has been on fire as of lately. Now coming into the 2010 season the Phillies knew that their best pitcher would be the guy they traded for Roy Halladay. Halladay has been everything you could have asked for and is by far the best pitcher in the National League with ERA of 2.36, 17 wins, 10 losses, and 196 strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 1st in the NL in (W), 1st in the NL in (IP) (221.0), 1st in the NL in (SO), 1st in the NL in (CG) (8), and ranks 6th in (ERA). Halladay has a chance to maybe win the 2010 CY Young Award and maybe win the Triple Crown in pitching with leading in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts. Halladay will have maybe 4 or more starts and a chance to win 20 or 21 games this year with the Phillies to try to win his first division title and the Phillies 4th straight.
Now what I think in the National League postseason will be just like the American League, "The Battle of the East". I think there will be no way the Reds will beat the Braves or the Phillies in the NLDS. Either way who ever they play it will go to a 5 game series. The Braves or Phillies will take it 5. The Reds pitching isn't really that good and going against Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, or Hudson, Lowe, or Hanson is going to pretty tough to beat. Now for the Padres I think if they play either the Phillies or Braves they will loss in 3 straight. Yes their pitching is good but their hitting isn't and they way they look I don't see them beating the Braves or Phillies in the NLDS. Now for the NLCS the battle between the Braves and Phillies I think it will go to a 7 game series and the Phillies will be the division leaders in the end, I see the Phillies beating the Braves in 7 games and if the Braves win they will beat the Phillies in 7 games and the Phillies or Braves will see the Yankees or Rays in the 2010 World Series. Either way it will be a great NLCS series.
Now for the World Series if the Phillies pay to the Rays I think it will go to a 6 games series and the Phillies will win in 6. Now if they play the Yankees I have a feeling it will go to a 7 game series and this time the Phillies will beat the Yankees in 7 games. Now if the Braves were to make it to the World Series well I think the Rays would beat the Braves in a tough 7 game series. Now if they were play the Yankees I think the Yankees would win in 5 games against the Braves and repeat as World Series Champions.
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