MLB Playoff Predictions: Breaking Down Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees

As the dog days of Summer wind down, there are currently three things that are tickling my fancy, so to speak.

Halloween, pumpkin pie and the MLB postseason.

While the first two things often leave me with a pain in my gut, it's the latter that fills me with wonder.

Who will emerge as baseball's most elite squad?

Who will go down in flames after their regular season?

After 162 games, are the Phillies the real deal?

There certainly are a variety of questions to be answered so, to get started, let's take a look at a potential ALDS matchup.

The Bats

New York Yankees

The New York batting order was a treat for any manager in 2011.

From Derek Jeter in the leadoff spot, down to Brett Gardner at the bottom of the order, the Yankees are able to receive production from both ends of the lineup.

Robinson Cano has emerged as one of the purest hitters in modern baseball and has contributed yet another .300 plus season in the batting average column. Detroit should be no problem for him as he's hit .280 against them this season with four home runs.

Before a pitcher sees Cano, though, they have to get through the first four batters of the Yankees order. Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez make up one of the most lethal top of the orders in the majors.

Highlighted by its power production (they combine for 100 home runs), this lineup knows how to manufacture runs. They rank second in the majors in runs scored and first in home runs, making them a pitcher's nightmare.

As you make your way to the bottom of the order, the talent level is maintained.

Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada offer both threatening bats (although Posada's bat hasn't been attacking pitches like we're used to this year) and clubhouse leveling leadership. They are both able to hit from either side of the plate, and have keen senses for the dramatics, as we've seen from them this season.

Brett Gardner is an absolute terror on the basepaths, and he utilizes this gift by being a terror in the batter's box as well. He is disciplined at the plate, and is not afraid to take a walk; valuable traits that make Gardner one of the most difficult nine-hole hitters to face.

From top to bottom, New York's batting order gives opposing pitchers no room to breathe, and if it performs up to expectations, few pitching staffs will be able to contain it.

Detroit Tigers

Detroit is also equipped with one of the best pure hitters in the game today. Miguel Cabrera has put up MVP caliber stats in 2011, posting an astounding .343 average with 30 home runs and 104 RBI, while hitting .417 against the Yankees. Any playoff run that is to be put together by the Detroit Tigers will be on the shoulders of Cabrera.

Following Cabrera in the order is catcher turned designated hitter Victor Martinez. Since becoming a DH, Martinez has been stellar with the wood. He's hit .324 with 102 RBI and has been a critical piece of the Tigers' offense this season.

Anchoring the lineup is Jhonny Peralta, Ryan Raburn and Brandon Inge. Peralta and Raburn possess a degree of power that greatly strengthens the bottom of the lineup and Inge's veteran bat can take the ball yard, or put him on base where he becomes a talented base runner.

The Tigers led the Central division in runs scored, batting average and home runs. Their four players with over 80 RBI give a clear idea of the kind of run production they'll look to generate in the postseason.

Advantage: New York Yankees

The Arms

New York Yankees

The Yankees playoff roster has yet to be outlined, and with regards to who will be chosen to hurl in the first three games of the series, there are several options.

CC Sabathia will start Game 1, and his ability to work late into games and pound the strike zone with acute precision makes him one of the most versatile pitchers in the postseason. The Tigers lineup would have to be sharp to take down CC.

The responsibilities of Game 2 could very well end up on the shoulders of the young Ivan Nova. I wouldn't be outraged by this. Nova pitches with attitude, allowing him to dominate batters. He has pretty reliable stuff and acceptable command over his pitches. If Nova gets the ball in Game 2, and has the type of performance we know he's capable of, even Detroit's deep lineup will be checking their bats for holes.

Game 3 is where there is uncertainty. Do you give the ball to Colon, and risk one of his increasingly frequent meltdowns? Do you give the ball to AJ Burnett and risk one of his inevitable meltdowns? Freddy Garcia?

With the assumption that Burnett is not going to be trusted with the ball in Game 3 make either Colon or Garcia offer viable options. They both have strikeout capabilities and the ability to dominate batters, and they both have the tendency to give a shaky start now and again. The risks are there, surely, but the reward potential is high if the Yanks can get good starts from either of them.

Detroit Tigers

After the 2011 season, pitching will become synonymous with the Detroit Tigers for Justin Verlander's performance alone.

The ace of the staff has reopened the argument asking why pitchers aren't given more consideration for the MVP award.

Verlander finished the season with a 24-5 record, striking out 250 batters in 251 innings and posting an ERA of 2.40. He should get both Cy Young awards for the show he's put on in 2011.

Verlander gives the team 90 percent of a guaranteed win anytime he pitches. If the lineup can contribute the final 10 percent of minimal run support, any game he starts will be a W.

In the second game, the ball will ideally go to Doug Fister. In Seattle, Fister gave us the notion that given an adequate amount of run support, he could win a lot of games. He arrived in Detroit with a 3-12 record, and finished the season with the Tigers at 11-13. I think he's proven that notion to be true. Fister's minuscule 2.83 ERA, and ability to get hitters swinging often at his pitches make him an ideal starter for Game 2.

Max Scherzer is the best fit to be the No. 3 starter. He's coming off a 15-win regular season, in which he pitched 195 innings. He has potential to go deeper into games, and is a reliable pitcher to get a win anytime he starts.

Advantage: Detroit Tigers

Bullpen

New York Yankees

The Bombers have some of the best late-inning specialists in the game, and can virtually lock down games after the sixth inning when their trio is on point.

Rafael Soriano came to New York with the designation for a setup man. My, how things change. After an early season injury ended our hopes for a deadly one-two punch for the eighth and ninth innings, David Robertson put on his cape and came to the rescue.

In 66.2 innings pitched, Robertson is 4-0, with a 1.08 ERA and 100 strikeouts. He has done a terrific job wrapping up the eighth innings for Mariano Rivera all season long, and expectations will be high for him to continue his eighth-inning terror in the postseason.

Now, Soriano offers great potential for seventh-inning relief, and completes the trio. Since his injury, he has been very productive and his stats for the 2011 season have ended up looking all right. In 39.1 innings, he has accumulated 36 strikeouts and a 4.12 ERA. It's a far cry from what he's capable of, but he's really only shown improvement in the recent months and he has postseason experience that should allow him to bring his best stuff into October.

Now, on to the main event.

Mariano Rivera recently solidified his title as the greatest closer of all time. He has had a fantastic season, posting a 1.91 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 61.1 innings and 44 saves. He has been a revelation in the postseason for most of his career, and his ability to effectively make games one inning shorter make him the deadliest ninth-inning technician in the playoffs.

The Yankees will likely be a hard team to beat past the sixth inning in the postseason.

Detroit Tigers

Similarly to the Yankees, the Tigers are blessed with a viciously talented late-inning duo.

Eighth-inning duties go to Joaquin Benoit, who has been extremely effective this season striking out 63 batters in 61 innings while posting a 2.95 ERA. It's hard to match what David Robertson has done in 2011 but Benoit has shown throughout the year that he has the stuff to lock down the eighth in the postseason.

The ninth inning belongs to arguably the most dominant closer in the American League, even when compared to Rivera.

Jose Valverde has been absolutely lights out all year long. When he enters the game with the lead, a win becomes almost guaranteed. In 71.1 innings, he's struck out 67 batters and posted a low 2.27 ERA. Add this to his remarkable 48 saves and you get a very dangerous ninth-inning weapon.

For even earlier innings, Al Alburquerque has been excellent this year as well, throwing a 1.91 ERA in 42.1 innings with 66 strikeouts.

This series boasts two of the strongest bullpens in the league; this should markedly increase nail biting when the starters leave the games.

Advantage: New York Yankees

Coaching

New York Yankees

Hitting coach Kevin Long and pitching coach Larry Rothschild are responsible for much of the success had by the Yankees in 2011.

Long has led the Bombers to a great deal of offensive success in his years with the team. In 2007, the team finished first in just about every offensive category under Long, and they led the league in runs again in 2009, when they won their 27th World Series.

Rothschild is completing his first year in the Yankees organization after the firing of Dave Eiland in the offseason. Rothschild brings two World Series rings to the table, and in a year when New York's pitching has seen its fair share of adversity, he has kept the rotation relatively solid and hopes to put the best arms on the mound throughout the playoffs.

At the helm of clubhouse management is Joe Girardi.

After the Joe Torre era, it was hard to imagine the Yankees finding another manager who could bring what Torre brought to the table. While Girardi isn't quite the manager that Torre was, he has fared very well in the big city, racking up a record of 384-263 and winning a pennant and a World Series.

These three guys will play pivotal roles in managing the Yankees to another World Series appearance, as they'll all look to add some more hardware to the collection.

Detroit Tigers

Jim Leyland is one of the best managers in baseball; the three time recipient of the Manager of the Year award has won a World Series as a manager with the Florida Marlins in 1997 and has compiled a .500 record in over 3,000 games.

There might be a weakness in the Tigers coaching staff, though.

Lloyd McClendon, the Tigers hitting coach, has a history of challenging umpires on the field. This trait runs true in Leyland as well.

If the manager and hitting coach are getting ejected in the postseason because they disagree with a call, it could lead to misdirection for the team.

If the Tigers management can keep their cool when controversial calls are made in the postseason, they will play a crucial role in the success and progression of the team.

If they can't, it could cost the Tigers their season.

Advantage: New York Yankees

Home-Field Advantages

New York Yankees

The Yankees enjoy one of the most advantageous home fields in the league. The cathedral of old Yankee Stadium was filled with a rich history that gave the Yanks that extra boost when they played in New York.

While New Yankee Stadium doesn't have the historic background of the old stomping grounds, the Yankees have already won a World Series in it and have enjoyed successful seasons since its opening.

The boys in pinstripes went 52-29 at home in 2011, and in front of a crowd of over 45,000, the Yankees are going to be a tough road win in the playoffs.

Detroit Tigers

Comerica Park is a fairly large park that doesn't include the short right field porch that the Yankees enjoy all season long. While home runs are still frequently hit in Detroit's park, it doesn't measure up to Yankee Stadium.

The attendance at the park averages just over 32,000, making it considerably quieter than Yankee Stadium during home games.

While Comerica Park is indeed a beautiful facility, the Yankees will have no problems playing there, and will look to take as many road games as possible.

Advantage: New York Yankees

Benchwarmers

New York Yankees

One of the reasons the Yankees were able to win the division title this year despite lengthy injuries to Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter during the season is because they have one of the strongest benches in the league.

Not only is the bench stocked with utility with guys like Eduardo Nunez and Romiro Pena playing all around the infield, but their bench is able to produce with power. Bench players for New York in 2011 combined for 21 home runs.

You probably noticed the photo.

Jesus Montero proved me wrong and has maintained his strong start through the end of the season. In the event that he isn't playing DH in the playoffs, you can be rest assured that Girardi will use him often off the bench.

Between Montero and Andruw Jones, Joe Girardi will have more than one power option when the time comes to pinch hit in the postseason.

Detroit Tigers

Wilson Betemit will likely come off the bench during the playoffs, when Brandon Inge is the starting third baseman.

Betemit brings a consistent bat, as he's hit over .280 in 96 games this season with eight home runs.

On top of this, Detroit has been able to produce with power from the bench this season. Andy Dirks, Ryan Raburn and Don Kelly combine for 28 home runs and 108 RBI on the year.

The power on the bench gives the edge to the Tigers in this one.

Advantage: Detroit Tigers

The Winner

While the Detroit Tigers took the AL Central in convincing fashion with their multi-talented lineup and lights-out rotation led by the best pitcher in baseball, none of it will be enough for the juggernaut that is the New York Yankees.

Only three members of the Yankees dynasty that reined over all of baseball during the Torre era remain, but the current band of brothers represent a winning formula.

With a lineup that can bang with any pitcher for nine innings every night, pitching capable of shutting down even the deepest most intricate offenses and a bench that can provide worthy bats in crucial moments of games, the Yankees look poised to make yet another trip to the World Series this year.

Yankees take the ALDS in five games, giving the Tigers little breathing room in their two wins of the series.