Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
Friday, September 29, 2006, Washington Post

AL Playoffs: Batters Up!

The Major League Baseball playoffs begin next week. The New York Mets should have no trouble winning the National League pennant. The Mets were the only NL team to win more than 90 games this season. The battle for the American League pennant should be much closer. All four AL playoff teams -- the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Oakland A's -- won more than 90 games.

Which team will capture the AL flag? Playoff baseball is different from the regular season. The team that makes it to the World Series usually has two or three top-line starting pitchers, one terrific relief pitcher (called a closer) and solid batting. One more thing: A World Series team almost always played great during the season's second half.

Let's see how the AL contenders line up in some key categories.

Starting Pitchers

1. Tigers
2. A's
3. Yankees
4. Twins

The pitching for all four teams is very close. The Tigers clearly had the best starters for the first half of the season. But they tired and tailed off in the second half. The Twins' Johan Santana is the most overpowering pitcher in baseball. The Minnesota lefty won 19 games this season and averaged more than one strikeout for every inning he pitched. But after Santana, the Twins' starters are so-so now that the team's other ace, Francisco Liriano, is out for the season. The Yankees and the A's have three solid starters.

Closer

1. Twins (Joe Nathan)
2. A's (Huston Street)
3. Yankees (Mariano Rivera)
4. Tigers (Todd Jones)

Mariano Rivera has been the Yankees' World Series and playoff hero for years. But the New York closer's elbow is hurting, and he might not be at the top of his game. The Twins' Joe Nathan has been great all year. The fireballing right-hander is a strikeout machine.

Lineup

1. Yankees (912 runs)
2. Tigers (795)
3. Twins (788)
4. A's (754)

There's a simple way to judge a team's batting lineup. Don't look at batting average or homers. Check out runs scored. Through Wednesday, the New York Yankees had scored more runs than any other team in baseball. With Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, newcomer Bobby Abreu and a host of other sluggers, the lineup is scary-good and gives the Yankees a big advantage.

Second Half

1. A's (47 wins - 23 losses)
2. Twins (47-25)
3. Yankees (46-26)
4. Tigers (36-34)

The Tigers were the best team before the All-Star break. Now they are struggling. The A's and the Twins caught fire after the All-Star Game and are the hottest teams going into the postseason.

So who's going to the World Series from the American League? This Red Sox fan hates to admit it, but the Yankees have to be the favorites. I'm hoping for an upset.

Any way you look at it, the American League playoffs will be exciting.