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| The AL playoff teams have two "true aces," but loads of quality arms. (US Presswire) |
Now that the one-game wild-card round is finished in the American League, we can start to focus on the actual playoff rotations. They obviously differ from regular-season rotations, because the worst pitcher (or two worst, if teams wanna get nuts) are lopped off.
Let's size up the four remaining AL clubs and their playoff rotations.
Note: These aren't necessarily the order that will be used throughout the postseason. Several teams haven't yet released that.
Detroit Tigers
Likely playoff rotation: Justin Verlander (17-8, 2.64), Doug Fister (10-10, 3.45), Max Scherzer (16-7, 3.74), Anibal Sanchez (4-6, 3.74 with Tigers)
No need to elaborate on Verlander, but the trio behind him is pretty imposing considering how they finished the season. Fister had an injury-riddled first half, but was 8-4 with a 2.67 ERA in the second half. He's a fine No. 2, but he's the third-best pitcher the Tigers have right now. In Scherzer's final 10 starts, he was 6-1 with a 1.65 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 71 strikeouts in 60 innings. The No. 4 here is Sanchez, who had a 2.15 ERA in his last eight starts. So, yes, the Tigers have a shot to do some serious damage on the hill.
New York Yankees
Likely playoff rotation: CC Sabathia (15-6, 3.38), Hiroki Kuroda (16-11, 3.32), Andy Pettitte (5-4, 2.87), either Phil Hughes (16-13, 4.23), Ivan Nova (12-8, 5.02) or three-man rotation.
We know Joe Girardi isn't afraid to use a three-man rotation -- including several starters on short rest -- throughout a postseason. He won a World Series in doing so in 2009. If he does so again with Sabathia, Kuroda and Pettitte, and all three stay on top of their respective games, the Yankees will be a very tough out. With Sabathia's strong finish to the season -- 1.50 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 24 innings in last three starts -- they enter with a "true ace" as well.
Oakland Athletics
Likely playoff rotation: Jarrod Parker (13-8, 3.47), Tommy Milone (13-10, 3.74), Brett Anderson (4-2, 2.57), A.J. Griffin (7-1, 3.06) or Travis Blackley (6-4, 3.86)
The organizational depth on display here is something to behold. Not only did the A's lose Bartolo Colon to a PED suspension, but they lost opening-day starter Brandon McCarthy after he was hit in the head by a line drive. And they still have a formidable bunch here. None of these guys has playoff experience, but after the run they made this season, are we seriously going to try and hold anything against them?
Baltimore Orioles
Likely playoff rotation: Chris Tillman (9-3, 2.93), Wei-Yin Chen (12-11, 4.02), Joe Saunders (3-3, 3.63 with Orioles), Jason Hammel (8-6, 3.43) or Miguel Gonzalez (9-4, 3.25)
Tillman is only 24, but he has the tools to become a prototypical postseason ace. Behind him, the Orioles don't appear to be very good on paper, but this group scoffs at "on paper" type blather. Considering everything we've seen this season from the Orioles, it wouldn't be surprising to see them end up with the best playoff rotation here before it's all said and done. But, for now, we're forced to examine what we've seen leading up to this point, and the Orioles have the fourth-best playoff rotation in the AL, even if it's not bad at all.
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