CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Monday, September 8, 2008

Looking Ahead to the Playoffs

First I have to knock on wood before I begin this post in hopes that I am not putting a jinx on my dear Cubs by looking ahead to the playoffs already!

The question of who I would most like to see the Cubs face in the Divisional Series is an intriguing one with the latest struggles of the Cubs this past week. But I think the Cubs are going to turn this thing back around and head into the playoffs strong.

Worst Possible Opponent: Arizona Diamondbacks

Facing Webb/Haren/Johnson in a five game series would be extremely tough. Webb is one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors and has amazing stuff that can shut down an entire lineup 1-9. Randy Johnson pretty much owns the Cubs going 13-0 in 14 starts against the Cubs.

Difficult Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets

-Dodgers-

Both teams feature a lot of power in their lineups and it may come down to which lineup shows up healthy. The Dodgers are currently without veterans Furcal and Kent which hurt the lineup overall and I personally don't think you can count on the youth of Kemp, Either, DeWitt and Loney when they are all in the lineup together.

Plus a bullpen that has been shaky at best throughout the season with a current bullpen ERA of over 4.0. However, with Lowe, Billingsley and Kuroda in a best of five game series alongside the potential offense the Dodgers could produce is a scary idea.

-Mets-

One name...Carlos Delgado. He has been unstoppable for the Mets as of late and having him surrounded by hitters like Wright, Beltran and Reyes may prove to be a tough task. Losing Wagner as their closer may end up creating some holes in their bullpen. I'm also not sold on their starting rotation past Santana. The power they can produce, much like the Dodgers, has me worried here as well.

The Winner Is...: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies lineup worries me, but not nearly as much as the other three. One thing I have come to realize about the playoffs is that not always the best team wins, but the team that is hot at that given time. A lineup featuring Rollins, Utley, Howard, Victorino and Werth is one that could be hard to overcome if the Cubs' bats were to go silent during the series. However, I think top to bottom the Cubs feature a more powerful lineup with Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, DeRosa and Soto. The Phillies just don't have the same threat offensively, batter after batter that the Mets and Dodgers seem to have.

I think the Cubs have a true edge against the Phillies' pitching staff. The Phillies staff doesn't have an overpowering arm that stands out to be like there is for the D-Backs and Mets and in a five game set Hammels/Blanton/Moyer are all very hittable pitchers. Also, besides Lidge, who has been a very dominant closer this year, I don't see a bullpen that can shut down an opposing team on any given night.

Both lineups feature talented hitters, but the Cubs seem to have a more balanced lineup and a pitching staff that is much better then the Phillies. In the post-season you can't put a price on pitching and I think the Cubs have a clear edge here both in the rotation and in the bullpen.

0 comments: