4. Baltimore Orioles
Strengths:
Baltimore bludgeoned the baseball with regularity—ultimately finishing with at Major League-leading 211 home runs (30 more than Colorado). The greatest supply of power came courtesy of Nelson Cruz. Seemingly ready to obtain pariah status after his Biogenesis involvement led to a suspension and ended his tenure with the Texas Rangers, Cruz found redemption in the Charm City. He topped all of baseball in round-trippers with 40 and drove in 108.
Adam Jones had 29 homers of his own. However, his greatest value comes in his Gold Glove capabilities. He, Alejandro De Aza and Nick Markakis prevent runs with outstanding range in the outfield.
Equally as frustrating to the opposition is the O’s bullpen. Manager Buck Showalter is brilliant at creating the right match-ups in late innings, and is stocked full of talented relievers that make his job easier. Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter and Andrew Miller each have ERAs under 3.00. All of them set up nicely for Zach Britton—a man of 37 saves and a WHIP of 0.90. Thanks mainly to this group, Baltimore has the most one-run victories.
Weaknesses:
For all of their home run-hitting ability, the Orioles are just as proficient in the strikeout department. Together, Jones and Cruz fanned 272 times. And as a team, Baltimore’s on-base percentage was a measly .312. The need for consistent contact hitter may be felt most in the loss of Manny Machado. His season-ending injury also throws an unnecessary wrench into the defensive alignment. His replacements committed five errors over the course of the final seven games.
The Birds’ feast-or-famine nature in the batter’s box doesn’t translate to pitcher’s mound. Although underrated, the starting staff is ranked 24th in strikeouts. Nobody in Baltimore’s rotation is going to scare anyone.
Outlook:
The Orioles’ penchant for winning close ball games is far from being some type of fluke when you collect 96 victories and win the AL East by nine games. It’s a credit to the bullpen and a defense that refuses to let leads slip away. Cruz and Jones head an offense that can score runs in bunches. The only worry is that any sort of collective slump can result in an early exit.
But since coming alive in late May, Baltimore has been ultra-consistent without any significant regression in the offense. Throw in baseball’s most underrated manager, and the O’s maintain a chemistry that can withstand the losses of Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Matt Wieters—and get to the World Series.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Strengths:
The argument for a pitcher winning the MVP is one that pops up every few years—and 2014 is the latest instance. But this case is well-founded. Clayton Kershaw is a near lock to notch a ‘W’ for the Dodgers each time he takes the mound. His numbers are astounding (21-3, 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 239 K’s) and he’s earned all the praise he’s received.
.@ClaytonKersh22 is in line to capture four straight @MLB ERA titles – something no pitcher has done in the modern era. — MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) September 25, 2014
It’s more of a mixed bag for Yasiel Puig—baseball’s answer to a loose cannon. At times, he is marvelous (at bat and on defense). Occasionally, he is maddening (baserunning mistakes galore). His presence alone makes the Dodgers one of the most entertaining teams—quite fitting for Hollywood.
Despite a multitude of injuries, L.A. was the NL’s second-best in scoring average (4.43 runs per game) and also ranked second in run differential. Adrian Gonzalez, Zack Greinke and Dee Gordon get far less attention than Kershaw and Puig—but all played vital roles in a versatile and dynamic Dodger outfit.
Gonzalez slugged 27 home runs and produced 116 RBI, while Gordon stole 64 bases to lead the NL. Greinke is more than capable as Kershaw’s understudy. The Dodgers’ No. 2 starter put up ace-worthy statistics: 17 wins, a 2.71 ERA and 207 strikeouts).
Weaknesses:
The Dodgers showed their dominance down the stretch when it counted—in key contests versus San Francisco. However, against opponents with winning records, L.A. was 26-33—the worst among NL playoff teams.
Kershaw and Greinke cause batters to worry. Beyond them, it’s Don Mattingly who’s fretting his starting pitching options. Hyun-Jin Ryu hasn’t been on the mound since Sept. 12 thanks to shoulder inflammation. Dan Haren is vulnerable to giving up the long ball—allowing 1.3 homers per nine innings to go along with his 4.02 ERA. Should one of them falter, the options don’t elicit much confidence.
The same could be said of the bullpen—ranked 12th in the NL in terms of ERA. Closer Kenley Jansen (44 saves) and J.P. Howell (27 holds) are relatively reliable. Brian Wilson, on the other hand, is not. Between him, Brandon League and Chris Perez, this trio is prone to unnecessary walks and constant headaches.
Outlook:
Not always does a team fulfill the price tag that’s placed on it. The Dodger brass put a great deal of fortune into—what it hoped would be—another winning team. A 31-30 start was worrisome, but it’s now an afterthought as L.A. had a sizable lead over the Giants for the remainder of the season en route to the NL West title.
The presence of Kershaw alone pitching at least twice in a five or seven-game series instantly makes the Dodgers a favorite. Should he channel what Orel Hershiser did back in October 1988, it’ll be no surprise to see them in the World Series for the first time since that memorable run 26 years ago.
2. Los Angeles Angels
Strengths:
The team with the best record in baseball was attained mainly due to having this year’s best offense – led by the presumed AL MVP, Mike Trout. In just his third full season, the 23-year-old has 98 home runs and has averaged more than 100 RBI. As for 2014, Trout posted career highs in homers (36) and runs driven in (111). But what pushed the Angels from underachiever over the past two years to AL pennant favorite this year was the reemergence of Albert Pujols. Behind the game’s new superstar and a future Hall of Famer, the Halos hammered home a MLB-leading 773 runs.
While Pujols saw a rebirth right from the start of the season, the Angels’ bullpen was barely alive in early May. In search of a closer, L.A. found a savior in Huston Street—acquired from the faltering San Diego Padres in late July. Street converted on his first nine save attempts in an Angels uniform and had 17 in just over two months of work—a total of 41 saves for the year with a 1.37 ERA.
Weaknesses:
The relief pitching has shown the capability of holding a lead—just as long as the starting pitchers can do their part. Aside from Jered Weaver, the rotation is a major question. Injuries are partially to blame—as the injury bug bit Garrett Richards on Aug. 20 when he tore a ligament in his left knee. Nearly as troubling is the fact that 10-game winner Matt Shoemaker hasn’t taken the hill since Sept. 15 due to a sore rib cage.
Injuries are not likely the source of C.J. Wilson’s problems. The lefty has postseason experience, but is currently experiencing maddening inconsistency. He ended the year with a 13-10 record and a 4.51 ERA. For what it’s worth, his final regular season start was a positive one: six innings and four hits allowed against the Mariners.
Even though L.A. pulled away from Oakland to capture the AL West with ease, Mike Scioscia’s club is just 19-19 against the league’s postseason members.
Outlook:
The pitching situation for Angels is one that can survive a short, five-game series. It’s the best-of-seven affair that might get them tripped up—especially with the powerful Orioles or Tigers waiting in the wings.
However, the Angels themselves possess a lineup that’s hard to slow down. It’s quite apparent, considering the hand they’ve been dealt, that Los Angeles will try to get through the postseason primarily through its bats rather than its arms. With offensive juggernauts such as Trout and Pujols, the philosophy might just work. But history has proven it’s easier to stifle an offense than any reversal of that theory.
1. Washington Nationals
Strengths:
Of all the positive emotions emitting from Nationals Park these days, the area that creates the most optimism is the starting pitching. Dating back to Sept. 13, the five starters in the rotation (Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Tanner Roark, and Doug Fister) have posted a surreal 13-0 record over their past 13 starts—with an astounding 0.88 ERA to boot.
As for the lineup, it’s tough to find any holes there, either. Denard Span proved to be an effective lead-off man—collecting a team-record 184 hits and stealing 31 bases. Adam LaRoche led the club in home runs (26) in addition to stellar work with the glove from his first base position. He and Jayson Werth were two who provided veteran presence, but Anthony Rendon may have been the team’s most valuable performer. Now the regular at third base, the 24-year-old Rendon compiled 290 total bases with 21 homers and 39 doubles.
First-year manager Matt Williams may have to deal with the “problem” of too many potential starters. Ryan Zimmerman recently returned to action after a long stint on the disabled list. In the least, he can be vital in a late-inning pinch hitting role.
Weaknesses:
Rafael Soriano’s failings as a closer at mid-season led to Williams inserting Drew Storen back into his former role. Storen saved 43 games in 2011 and was thought to be accumulating many more in the years to follow. Then came Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS. Storen solidified the Nats’ collapse when he was unable to get the series-clinching out. As a result, the visiting St. Louis Cardinals completed their comeback from a six-run deficit and advanced to the NLCS.
It was a crushing blow to Storen and the franchise—as both performed below expectations in 2013. With more experience now under his belt, Storen appears to be back on track. But we have yet to see how he’ll handle the postseason this time around.
Outlook:
For teams (in any sport) that clinch playoff spots early, the concern lies in the layoff and losing momentum heading into the postseason. That doesn’t appear to be a problem for the Nats. And that was best exemplified with Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter against the Miami Marlins on the season’s final day—helped, of course, by Steven Souza Jr.’s amazing catch in left field to end it.
That exhilarating victory gave Washington a 45-24 record after the All-Star break—the best record in the major league during the second half of the season. What’s more, in the 13 games following the NL East-clincher in Atlanta on Sept. 16, the Nationals went 10-3 to end up with an NL-leading 96 wins. If you’re looking to put your money on a team with the best combination of talent and momentum, the best bet is on the team from D.C.