Yesterday we went position by position to determine who had the advantage in the National League Championship Series, today we will do the same for the ALCS.
First Base
Los Angeles: Kendry Morales sort of came out of nowhere to provide the Angels with the kind of power they were looking for at a corner infield position. He’s hit well against the Yankees this season including a couple of bombs.
New York: Mark Teixeira has given the Yankees everything they could have wanted as a $180 million free agent acquisition. Provides power from both sides of the plate and maybe even more importantly for the Yankees, he is an excellent defensive first baseman who is adept at picking balls out of the dirt thrown by his infielders.
Advantage: New York
Second Base
Los Angeles: Maicer Izturis/Howie Kendrick. Kendrick looks to get more of the starts as the Yankees will go with a three man rotation with two of those pitchers being left-handed. Kendrick has sort of had revitalization after being sent down to the minor leagues earlier in the season. Izturis is known more for his defense than his offense.
New York: Robinson Cano would be a number three or five hitter on most teams, but for the loaded Yankee lineup bats seventh or eighth. Offensively Cano can do it all. Is at his best when he is not looking to pull the ball all the time. Has had problems driving in runs at times. Defensively he makes the great play, especially up the middle, but misses the easy one occasionally.
Advantage: New York
Shortstop
Los Angeles: Erik Aybar is not known for his bat, but did hit .364 against the Red Sox in the ALDS. He is perfect for the Angels in that he can run, hit behind runners, bunt, and play great defense.
New York: Derek Jeter has had an MVP like season and it continued during the ALDS. Jeter batted .400 and contributed another memorable defensive play when he threw home to get Nick Punto rather than trying to throw to first and get Dernard Span. Jeter just has a knack for these sorts of things.
Advantage: New York
Third Base
Los Angeles: Chone Figgins could be the key to the series for the Angels as he can drive the Yankees crazy when he is on base. Figgins is the leader of the Angels track team and will have little to no problem both stealing bases and taking the extra base on the Yankee outfielders if given the opportunity.
New York: Alex Rodriguez had a huge ALDS batting .455 with two huge homeruns. If he has indeed removed the gorilla that was on his back as far as choking in the postseason, and remains this hot, then look out world, ARod just may lead the Bronx Bombers to the World Series.
Advantage: New York
Right Field
Los Angeles: Bobby Abreu gets to payback the Yankees for not offering him arbitration during the offseason. Abreu has transformed the Angels from a team that went up and hacked, to a team that takes pitches and makes the opposing teams starter work. Sounds like the Yankees now don’t it.
New York: Nick Swisher has given the Yankees everything they could’ve wanted since being acquired from the White Sox. He wasn’t supposed to be a starter, but when Xavier Nady went down, Swisher took over. He and AJ Burnett gave the Yankees a needed jolt of enthusiasm rather than the workmanlike attitude they always had.
Advantage: Los Angeles
Centerfield
Los Angeles: Torii Hunter was having an MVP season then got hurt, when he returned; he got off to a slow start but seems to be getting hot at just the right moment. With the Yankees throwing lefthanders as much as possible, Hunter’s right-handed bat becomes even more important.
New York: Melky Cabrera is really nothing more than a glorified fourth outfielder. Offensively he is an average switch hitter who can be exposed from the right side. Defensively he gets to most balls, has a plus arm but doesn’t always know where the ball is going.
Advantage: Los Angeles
Left Field
Los Angeles: Juan Rivera is another former Yankee who may have an axe to grind. Once again he bats right-handed and will be needed to combat the Yankees lefthanders. Rivera is a solid player who has never really gotten a full-time opportunity until this season.
New York: Johnny Damon has picked the wrong time to go into a slump. He looked awful against the Twins in the ALDS and the effects of a long season may be catching up with him. Defensively, Damon has no arm and will be run on constantly. Going back on a ball is certainly not his strong suit. Brett Gardner comes in to the game in the later innings to replace him.
Advantage: even
Catcher
Los Angeles: Mike Napoli/Jeff Mathis. Napoli provides the power of these two, but is not very good defensively. The Yankees may not be a running team, but they do have guys who can steal bases and may take advantage of Napoli. Mathis is the reverse, so it should be interesting to see how the Angels go about splitting their playing time.
New York: Jorge Posada/Juan Molina. Posada is still a very good hitter but has had a problem getting together with AJ Burnett, so Molina will catch him. The Angels are going to run on Posada. They did even before he had shoulder surgery, so you know they are going to now. Throwing lefthanders in five of the seven games may slow the Angels down, but it won’t stop them. Molina couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat, but he is a much better defensive catcher than Posada and has seemed to develop a rapport with Burnett which makes him his personal catcher.
Advantage: New York
Designated Hitter
Los Angeles: Vladimir Guererro is certainly on the decline and no longer plays in the outfield, but he had enough left in the tank to get the game winning hit off of Boston closer Justin Papelbon. He can be beaten with high hard stuff and as we all know follows the 11th commandment; thou shall not pass without being swung at.
New York: Hideki Matsui has had a tremendous season for the Yankees in a somewhat limited role. Matsui can hit lefthanders or right-handers and hit them hard. One of the better clutch hitters the Yankees have.
Advantage: New York
Starters
Los Angeles: John Lackey, Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir. Lackey is their ace and finally had some playoff success in Game 1 of the ALDS versus Boston. Saunders was a surprise announcement at being named the Game 2 starter. Makes sense to start a lefty against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, but wouldn’t Kazmir who has had greater success against the Yankees and throws harder make more sense than Saunders who throws softer and may have a hard time pitching in the band box that is Yankee Stadium. Perhaps they didn’t trust Kazmir to pitch twice in the series. Weaver is lined up to pitch the first game back in Anaheim.
New York: CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte. The Yankees have announced that they will probably go with a three man rotation in the ALCS. This makes sense as Sabathia is a horse and can pitch on three days’ rest in Game 4. Burnett is still a worry. His one start against Minnesota looked great as he only let up three hits, but he also walked five and hit two batters. The Angels have the hitters to make him pay if he puts that many batters on base again. Pettitte has always been a big game pitcher. He is also the one Yankee starter who can keep the Angels running game in check. If there is a rainout during the series and the Yankees are forced to use a fourth pitcher, Joba Chamberlain or Chad Gaudin would get the call. Chamberlain has more upside but the Yankees like using him to finish off the seventh inning, while Gaudin is more reliable but the Angels might also light him up.
Advantage: New York if they use three starters, Los Angeles if not.
Bullpen
Los Angeles: Brian Fuentes is the leader of the Angels bullpen. He has had a solid season but certainly doesn’t scare anyone and has come close to being replaced a time or two. The weakness for the Angels is in their bullpen as they can’t come close to matching up with the Yankees. The ability of the Angels starter to go deep into games is a must if they want to advance to the World Series.
New York: Mariano Rivera is the best closer ever; I don’t think there is much debate there. You can make an argument that the top four relievers are all Yankees in this series. Rivera, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and David Robertson throw harder and are more reliable than any of the Angels relievers. The Yankees have already battered Fuentes around once this season, and it’s no stretch to think they might do it again.
Advantage: New York
Intangibles:
Los Angeles: The Angels play the game the way it should be played. They are aggressive on the base paths. If a ball is bobbled in the field they will take advantage of it. Angels manager Mike Scioscia preaches this and the team follows it. They are also the only team to have a winning record against the Yankees since Scioscia took over.
New York: Home field advantage could be huge in this series as the Yankees historically have not played well in Anaheim. Yankee bench is stronger, especially with Brett Gardner. If they need a run, Gardner will come in to pinch run and he is almost impossible to throw out.
Advantage: Los Angeles
Prediction
New York in 7
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