The 2011 playoffs start tomorrow, and for a non MLB-TV subscribing Canadian like myself, that means I will be treated to watching baseball players I don’t often get to see. Call it lack of commitment, ignorance or east coast bias; there are teams and games I just don’t get to fully appreciate during the regular season. Here are some of the players I’m most looking forward to getting a closer look at.
Matt Moore – Tampa Bay Rays
Yes, he plays in the same division as the Blue Jays, but as of now Moore has only pitched 9.1 innings in his major league career, so I should be absolved from not knowing much about the lefty. In that 9.1 innings, Moore has 15 strikeouts. By all accounts Moore has electric stuff and could be a difference maker if the Rays should choose to deploy him (that in itself may be an interesting storyline too). Josh Beckett’s coming out party in the 2003 playoffs was one of the most exciting elements of the Marlins’ World Series run. Moore could be this year’s Josh Beckett.
Justin Upton – Arizona Diamondbacks
I am told by many baseball writers that Upton is one of the most underappreciated superstars in the game. Upton can run (20 steals), hit (.369 OBP/.529 SLG) and play defence (a + 8.2UZR rating this year). The talent’s of players that excel at every aspect of the game cannot be justly appreciated by looking at statistics alone (no matter how high his WAR maybe). Here’s hoping the rest of the Arizona lineup can hit enough to prevent Upton from being intentionally walked 10 times so we can all see the superstar he is.
CJ Wilson – Texas Rangers
Wilson has been a very good starting pitcher for the Rangers over the last two years. He is also a free agent come the end of the World Series. Wilson will play next season at age 31 and is hitting the free agent market with only two years of starting experience under his belt. I’m curious to see how Wilson performs. It may be a small sample but his playoff performance will go a long way to shape the narrative and perception of Wilson as a free agent to be. I know, it sounds crazy but some teams are still suckers for “a proven winner”.
Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers
One would think I’d be able to pay close enough attention to someone that stars on a team two hours west of home. That person has probably not been subjected to the same TV blackouts that I have. Yes, he can’t run or play the field (despite all of this, he has still accumulated a WAR of 7.3 this year), but the man can do some serious yard work. Miggy’s career OBP is .395, and in 8 full seasons, he has never hit fewer than 30 HR’s or slugged under .512. Aside from Albert Pujols, Cabrera may be the most consistent hitter in baseball. It’s going to be fun to watch Cabrera terrorize CC Sabathia and the back end of the Yankee bullpen.
Ryan Howard – Philadelphia Phillies
Everyone knows that the Halladay/Lee/Hamels trio at the top of the rotation can neutralize any offence. The question of late has become, whether or not the Phillies can hit enough to ensure their star pitchers efforts do not go to waste. In years past, Howard has been shut down by good left handed pitchers. If Howard can somehow reverse his fortunes against lefties (his career OPS is 272 points higher against righties) for just a couple of weeks, the Phillies may be unstoppable.
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