MLB Playoff Schedule 2010: Which Second Round Matchups Would Be Best?
As we near the start of 2010 MLB Playoffs the first round matchups offer us plenty of excitement across the board.
Young teams with much to prove enter their first real October test. Teams that have fallen short in the past look for a shot at redemption and the defending champs look to protect their crown.
No matter who you're rooting for, playoff baseball is undeniably magical. Another playoffs full of these magical moments surely awaits past the divisional round.
This of course begs the question, which second round matchups do we most want to see?
8. Reds Vs. Braves
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This version of the NLCS would offer two teams that were considered huge underdogs to reach this point before the season, and would still be slight underdogs to reach it now.
These teams would matchup pretty evenly with the Reds owning the lineup advantage and the Braves sporting the superior rotation. Neither advantage would be too mighty for the opposition to overcome.
In the end the Reds home field advantage and superior bullpen, thanks to the addition of Aroldis Chapman, would lead them to a series victory in seven games.
7. Reds Vs. Giants
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This matchup would feature two franchises with long histories of success, but very little in recent memory. A National League championship for either of these teams would be another proud chapter in that franchise's history.
The Reds would once again hold an advantage by boasting the superior lineup, but in this series they would have to face Giants ace's Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. This advantage, plus the home-field, could turn the series in the Giants favor.
Despite the brilliant bullpen weapons the Reds possess, the Lincecum-Cain duo would likely spell an end to the Reds dream season in five or six games.
6. Twins Vs. Rangers
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A Twins-Rangers ALCS would be the product of two minor upsets, but would be an entertaining series nonetheless.
The Rangers will likely be carried by ace Cliff Lee and a stellar lineup, while the Twins hope to get past the Yankees on the strength of their overall team depth and solid fundamentals. This would actually be one of the more even possible matchups.
In the end I think the big difference would be the presence of Lee, along with the news that Twins slugger Justin Morneau will not return for the playoffs. This series should go to 7, but I would expect the Rangers to pull it out in the end.
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5. Phillies Vs. Giants
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If the Phillies handle the Cincinnati Reds as many expect, there is a good chance they could end up in this matchup with the San Francisco Giants.
As mentioned earlier the strength of this Giants team is centered around aces Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. However in this series the Giants would face another rotation that appears destined for October glory.
The Phillies rotation features Cy Young favorite Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. Hamels and Oswalt have each had past postseason success and while this is Halladay's first postseason appearance, no one expects the pressure to get to him.
Holding the slight advantage in the rotation and a heavy advantage in their lineup, if this series happened, it'd be Phillies in five.
4. Twins Vs. Rays
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There is a pretty decent chance that we could end up with this exciting matchup of small market teams in the ALCS.
The Rays come in with a team that is solid in every department and has all the makings of a championship team. They have a deep lineup that has speed up and down, although they lack some power outside of Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria. Their rotation is deep and talented, led by Cy Young candidate David Price and a bullpen that has several power arms capable of closing the door.
The Twins boast a similarly impressive depth of roster but don't quite have the same quality in the rotation. In the end this would be a competitive series but I would expect it to go the Rays way in 6.
3. Rangers Vs. Yankees
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This ALCS matchup would feature a rematch of several exciting series we saw down the stretch this season.
These teams would no doubt match each others power game after game and I could see most of these games coming down to a battle of the bullpens. Although the Yankees bullpen has been suspect at times, having the great Mariano Rivera at the end of the game in October gives them an advantage there.
I give the Yankees the slight advantage in the battle of two good lineups. Despite the Yankees rotation problems, if they were able to get to this point you would assume these problems have at least leveled out through the course of the ALDS.
I think Cliff Lee does his best to carry his team past the Yankees but comes up short in 6 yet again (before joining the Yankees in the offseason).
2. Phillies Vs. Braves
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In this dream NLCS matchup we would see division rivals matchup as the Phillies take on the Braves.
Unfortunately for the Braves, the Phillies hold a clear advantage over them in both the rotation and the lineup. The advantages aren't enormous but they are certainly clear to see. However there are several factors that could make this a better series than expected.
First off, it has already been announced that this is Braves manager Bobby Cox's last season, and if the Braves were to already get this far you can be assured that they would not allow their beloved managers career to end with a whimper.
Another factor that could help the Braves is familiarity. As division rivals these teams know each other very well, meaning that it will be even more difficult to put together a long string of wins together.
Despite these factors I don't think it will be enough to stop the Phillies from winning in six.
1. Yankees Vs. Rays
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Hands down this has to be the best possible championship series matchup. This ALCS would feature the two teams that have been fighting for the AL East title all season.
The series featured a back and forth with small division leads and intense head to head matchups.
Head to head it could not be closer. The Yankees feature the slightly more powerful lineup while the depth of the Rays arms gives them an advantage there. Both bullpens feature a bevy of power arms and lights out closers.
The difference could very well be the Rays owning of home field advantage, but you could also say that doesn't matter as Tropicana Field has never yielded much of a tangible advantage. In the end I think this is the Rays year and a seven game victory will be the eventual result in a series for the ages.
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