This year marks the first time in baseball history that both the Nationals and the Orioles will enter the playoffs as division winners. With a potential Beltway World Series looming, the Black & White takes an in-depth look at the team’s odds.
Washington Nationals
After a disappointing 2013 campaign, the Nationals have rebounded in a big way with a first place finish in the NL East. Despite starting the season slow, the Nats heated up right before the all-star break and took over the division lead from the Braves, not looking back since.
The Starting Rotation
The Nats face a problem that most teams wish they had: they must decide who to start in divisional series, with Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzales, Tanner Roark, Jordan Zimmerman and Doug Fister all battling for one of the four starting spots. Starsburg has pitched especially well as of late, racking up 28 strikeouts with no walks in his last four starts. Zimmerman has helped anchor the staff all season and threw the first no-hitter in team history in his final start of the season. Roark is the odd man out, but with his past bullpen experience will give the team a long relief guy and someone who can come in and start if needed. The Nats finished with the lowest team ERA in the league look to have a starting staff built for a deep postseason run.
The Bullpen
After Rafael Soriano struggled down the stretch, the Nats turned to Drew Storen, who has been dominant since taking over as closer in August. Tyler Clippard will anchor the backend of the pen, coming off another dominant season, posting a 2.09 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Lefty Ross Detwiler and righty Craig Stammen will be able to eat up a lot of innings out of the pen and mid-season addition Matt Thorton will fill the hole as the team’s lefty specialist.
The Lineup
The Nats’ balanced lineup has consistently produced from top to bottom. Following a difficult season and a half plagued by injury, Bryce Harper has finally started to heat up. With Adam Laroche putting together a 26 homer, 92 RBI season, the Nats should have some pop from the left side of the plate. Anthony Rendon may be the biggest surprise of the season, hitting .287 in his first full season with the team. After a few seasons of minimal production from the leadoff spot, Denard Span has filled in nicely, leading the team with a .302 average, 184 hits and 31 stolen bases.
The Road Ahead
This year, the Nationals hope to improve on a disappointing first round exit from the playoffs two seasons ago. With the best record in the NL, the Nats will have home field advantage in the NLCS and face the wild card winner of Giants vs. Pirates. The team should be able to take down either opponent, though the Giants have a way of coming alive in the playoffs and neither team should be taken lightly. The two biggest threats to the team, however, are the Cardinals, who knocked the Nationals out two seasons ago, and the Dodgers. The Cards are a perennial favorite and have the experience to make another deep run after falling to the Red Sox in the World Series last season. On the other hand, the Dodgers have one of the deepest teams in the league with a loaded offense lead by Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. But the Dodgers starting rotation is what makes them a real threat, with Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw putting up another unreal season, posting a sub 2.00 ERA and over 200 strikeouts.
The Prediction
The Nationals have the makings of a team that can make a deep run in the playoffs this season. It will be up to the pitching staff to keep up their dominant performances and the bullpen to hold the team’s leads—leads they couldn’t keep two years ago. If Harper and Laroche continue to stay hot, the lineup will have enough power to make pitchers fear the combo. The team seems to be peaking at the right time and if they can maintain their level of play for the next month, the possibility of a beltway World Series may be in the near future.
Baltimore Orioles
For the first time since 1997, the Baltimore Orioles have clinched the AL East division title. The Orioles have been dominant all season, picking up their already high level of play in the second half and boasting an impressive 44-24 record since the All Star Game. Let’s take a look at how the O’s breakdown position by position.
The Starting Rotation
If you asked the average baseball fan to name the ace of the Orioles rotation, they would most likely have a tough time. Despite a shortage of big name pitchers, the team sports an impressive 3.45 ERA, good for third lowest in the American League. As such, the rotation has carried this team through many offensive slumps throughout the season. The staff is lead by starters Chris Tillman and Wei-Yin Chen, who have earned 13 and 16 wins respectively. Instead of employing a normal five man starting rotation, the Orioles consistently use six pitchers. This depth gives the team’s starters extra rest, which will prove crucial in the post season.
The Bullpen
After a disappointing season for all-star closer Jim Johnson last year, the Orioles decided to release the reliever and turn to Zach Britton this year. The decision paid off, as Britton has a 1.65 ERA with 37 saves. The relievers are lead by long-time Orioles side-arm pitcher Darren O’Day, who has a 1.70 ERA. O’ Day has been a shutdown pitcher and is used in any dire situation or close game. Look for the Orioles to rely heavily on his consistent arm in relief this post season.
The Lineup
Despite taking an offensive fall from the previous season, the Orioles lineup is still strong with sluggers Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz leading the charge. Jones is batting .281 with 29 home runs while Cruz is batting .271 with 40 home runs. In addition to these two consistent sluggers, first baseman Steve Pearce has emerged this season after being brought up from the minors, hitting .293 with 21 home runs in only 338 at-bats. The O’s will look to Pearce more frequently now that everyday first baseman Chris Davis has been suspended for 25 games for amphetamine use. The team’s offensive strength is power hitting—the Orioles have hit a major league-leading 210 home runs, with the Colorado Rockies’ 185 home runs a distant second. The Orioles will rely on this power hitting to carry them through the post season.
The Road Ahead
After losing in the first round of the playoffs in 2012, the Orioles will look to be more successful this year. The road ahead, however is tough. The Orioles are scheduled to play the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the playoffs. The Tigers have a strong lineup lead by Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez and a strong rotation anchored by Max Scherzer. To reach the World Series, the Orioles will likely also have to go through the league-leading 98-63 Los Angeles Angels. Lead by MVP frontrunner Mike Trout, the Angels have caught fire in the second half of the season with a post all-star break record of 41-26. The Orioles have shown the ability to beat the Angels, however, posting a 4-2 record against them this season.
The Prediction
The Orioles have one of the deepest team’s in baseball. Part of manager Buck Showalter’s philosophy is that it doesn’t matter who fills in, as long as they get the job done. Such flexibility and all-around depth is essential for playoff success. Most teams are riddled with injuries and fatigue by the time the playoffs role around. With a deep pitching staff and lineup, I believe the Orioles will make it to the World Series. Get excited Baltimore fans; if this isn’t your year, I don’t know that it ever will be.