CJ's American League Postseason Picks
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by user NCNative704
Now that the All-Star Game is finally here, marking the halfway point of the season, it's time to announce my picks for the playoffs in the AL.
AL East: Boston Red Sox (53-34, 1st in AL East, prediction: 101-61) - With the best record in the Majors so far, the Red Sox are on track to make the 1st seed in the playoffs. Their pitching is phenomenal with Josh Beckett, having a record of 12-2 with a 3.44 ERA. He has also given up only 6 long balls in the 16 games he has pitched in. Daisuke Matsuzaka also bring W's to the table as well. He holds a record of 10-6, marking a very good 3.84 ERA. He also leads the Boston team in strikeouts, retiring 123 batters so far this season, which ranks in the top 10 in the MLB this season. Look out for this intimating pitching squad when playoff time comes around.
AL Central: Detroit Tigers (52-34, 1st in AL Central, prediction: 99-63) - The Tigers finally got back into playoff contenion and to the World Series last year after being the laughing stock of the MLB 3 years before. The reason why they are having such a success this year is their offense. In the AL, they are leading in batting average with .290 and runs, crossing the plate 512 times. Gary Sheffield has been a great contributor to this team, knocking out 21 homeruns with 58 runs batted in. When he finally hangs his hat up, he will have left so much experience to the young players on this this team.
AL West: Los Angeles Angels (53-35, 1st in AL West, prediction: 94-68) - After the Cinderella win in the World Series in 2002, the Angels' confidence has been high since. Vladimir Guerrero has been the star since signing with the Angels in 2004 after leaving the Montreal Expos after 8 seasons. He has given the Angels so much talent and confidence, teaching the younger players the ropes. But, he is not the only reason why the Angels have a .602 winning percentage. John Lackey is another outstanding player since drafted by the Angels back in 2002. Lackey was a huge key player in the 2002 World Series against the San Francisco Giants, winning 2 games in the series, including the magical Game 7 victory that gave the Angels their first ring in team history. This year, he has posted an 11-5 record, with 98 strikeouts, and a 2.91 ERA. He will lead the Angels to a 3rd seed in the playoffs.
AL Wildcard: Cleveland Indians (52-34, 2nd in AL Central, prediction: 91-71) - Yes, even though the Indians are in the most cursed city of sports, they will snatch the wildcard seed from the Seattle Mariners by the end of September. The reason for their wins so far would be their main player in C.C. Sabathia. He has posted up a 12-3 record, tying Josh Beckett for most wins in the majors. He also struck out 119 players, amongst one of the top 5 leaders in the MLB. The Indians' offense has also been doing some great work. Victor Martinez is leading the team with homers and RBI's, posting up 16 and 68. Every team should deffinantly be looking out for Cleveland. Just because they might be a Wildcard team, doesn't mean they won't be dangerous.
And out of those 4 teams, I will choose my AL representative in the World Series. Even though the Boston Red Sox have the best record right now at the break, their offense doesn't look to be as strong as the other contenders. The Tigers look to have the best shot at representing the World Series, leading the MLB with the most runs so far. This will be the Tigers second straight apperance in the World Series.
