AL and NLCS Preview By: Hank Indictor
And then there were just four! We have reached the League Championship Series and have some exciting matchups. How will these series play out? Well, let's get right into the meat and potatoes of it!
ALCS
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers
Death, taxes, and the Astros reaching the ALCS. Sure, this may have been the Astros' weakest team in years, and they've been plagued with various injuries throughout the season in addition to a pitching staff regression. Still, then you remember this is a team that feeds off of our hate and has experience in the postseason like few other teams. Now I wouldn't go as far as calling them more dominant than the 90's Yankees, nor would I even think of comparing Jose Altuve to Derek Jeter, but trash cans or not, this is a damn good baseball team looking to make their 5th World Series appearance in that seven-year span. However, to get one step closer to becoming a dynasty, the Astros will have to maintain their reign in the AL and their own state! If any AL team can give the Astros an intense fight, it's the Texas Rangers. Much was made about the Baltimore Orioles' remarkable turnaround, and deservedly so, but the Rangers had a pretty good turnaround, too. For all of Chris Young's big moves, his most important signing was hiring future Hall of Fame Manager Bruce Bochy, whose calming influence and old-school style have helped the Rangers in their 22-game improvement. He will be going up against another legendary former Giants manager, Dusty Baker, who will also most likely earn a plaque in Cooperstown. The lineup has been a strength all year and has been excellent regarding situational hitting throughout the playoffs. And while Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer haven't been healthy enough to contribute during the playoffs, remember the secondary acquisitions of Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi, who have each paid dividends. Scherzer could be activated for this series, which may allow him to enhance his Hall of Fame legacy. There's no question in my mind that this series will go the full seven games. But ultimately, I can't discount the Astros here in a situation like this. Ultimately, they will win in 7 games, and Yordan Alvarez will continue his torrid hitting in this series as he receives the MVP.
NLCS
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Rise your hand if you thought the Diamondbacks would be here come August or possibly the beginning of September; PUT IT DOWN YOUR LYING!!!! The Diamondbacks emerged as a team that is sneaky good. The questions for them are as follows: can Corbin Carroll continue his historic rookie season performance? Can the rest of their lineup, such as Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, and Gabriel Moreno, continue to hit against the Phillies starting pitching? And better yet, do the Diamondbacks have enough starting pitching to contain a dangerous Phillies lineup? I don't see it. Bryce Harper has a fire underneath his, you know what, and if the D-Backs aren't careful, he will continue to hit dingers. And even if you choose to walk him, you still have to deal with Castellanos, Realmuto, Turner, and Schwarber, to name a few. The Phillies are an extremely deep team that knows how to win these games. Better yet, they are on a mission to capture that World Series title that they just missed out on a year ago. They will win this series in 5 games! Let me say it louder for the people in the back: DON'T DISRESPECT THE PHILLIES!!!!!