novelraw Chapter 704 35: Bloody Battle in October
Chapter 704 35: Bloody Battle in October
Last season's Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello experienced a drastic decline this season, posting the worst stats of his career and leading the league in home runs allowed.
David Price returned from injury as a relief pitcher, but he's notorious for underperforming in the postseason, as everyone knows...
In the bullpen, aside from Kimbrel, the strongest closer, the effectiveness of other Red Sox relievers is lacking, which is also a potential problem."
After summarizing the Red Sox pitching staff, Aaron Boone began to analyze the hitters' performance:
"Following David Ortiz's retirement, the decline in Red Sox's offensive power was inevitable: Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez hit 13 fewer home runs combined compared to last year, significantly reducing the Red Sox's long-ball capability;
Fortunately, rookie Benintendi covered the gap with 20 home runs, and with Dustin Pedroia and Rafael Devers stabilizing the infield, the Red Sox managed to maintain their position.
The Astros and Red Sox faced each other six times this year, each winning three games. The Astros undeniably have the stronger offense, while both teams have strengths and weaknesses in pitching—if the Red Sox want to win, Chris Sale must be flawless; otherwise, leaving it to Porcello, who is in a slump, to face the Astros' fierce lineup could result in unpredictable consequences..."
"Aaron, what are your thoughts on the two wild card teams?" Dan Shulman asked Boone, "After all, your former team, the New York Yankees, is here."
Aaron Boone shrugged and casually replied, "Although this might sound unfriendly to the other wild card team, the Minnesota Twins, I still want to say, the New York Yankees are, undoubtedly, a class above any other wild card team."
"Just look at the record, 93 wins and 69 losses, same as the Red Sox, ranking second merely due to a one-game difference in head-to-head matchups, which isn't a matter of capability, but simply luck—actually, if we look at the stats, we'll see just how powerful this Yankees team is:
Leading the Major League in home runs, averaging 5.34 runs per game ranking second, allowing 4.11 runs ranking fourth, with the Yankees lineup producing the league's second-highest positive run differential of 199, behind only the Indians; a robust offensive output with a 108 wRC+ ranks third among the 30 teams, and in baserunning, they outscore the league average by 11.2 runs.
Looking at individual performances, Aaron Judge was impressive, with a WAR of 8.1, a batting average of .280, and 52 home runs, dominating the league as the most destructive hitter today; Lin Guanglai with a WAR of 7.2, a batting average of .300, and 36 home runs, almost matching Trout in offensive performance; Gary Sanchez with 33, Didi with 25, Gardner with 21, and Holliday with 19...
Within the Yankees squad, no less than ten lineup members have double-digit home runs, showcasing formidable offensive power and explosiveness, which will undoubtedly be significant in the postseason.
As for the pitching, it's even more notable, with the team's pitching stats ranking in the top five across all major metrics, featuring the league's best starting pitcher and top-tier bullpen—
Although the Cy Young Award results will be announced after the season, I can already confirm that Lin Guanglai will be the first rookie to win the Cy Young Award, with no doubt about it; the only suspense now lies in whether he can become the 12th player in history to win both the league MVP and Cy Young.
Let's examine his season stats: an ERA of 1.98, first in the league; 21 wins, first in the league; 320 strikeouts, first in the league; K/9 rate of 14.04, first in the league; ERA+ of 219, first in the league; WHIP of 0.909, first in the league...
Thanks to his excellent performance on the mound and at the plate, if we add up Lin's WAR from both pitching and hitting, we get a remarkable total of 16.9—this means in the 2017 regular season, Lin alone contributed 17 victories to the Yankees, a scenario never before seen in MLB history, even during ancient times.
Whether considering traditional data or advanced analytics, Lin Guanglai's performance this season can be described as flawless, and it's expected that he'll appear in the Yankees vs. Twins wild card game. Although the Twins have a strong lineup, I don't believe they have any chance of defeating Lin.
Moreover, Severino also delivered a near-Cy Young level season, Sabathia experienced a revival, farm system talent Jordan Montgomery performed superbly, and Tanaka Masahiro is gradually regaining form, making the Yankees' rotation equally top-tier."
"Of course, the Yankees aren't without their issues," Aaron Boone sprinkled some criticism after praising his former team for so long, "Tanaka Masahiro, although showing signs of recovery, hasn't performed admirably this season, allowing 35 home runs in 178 innings; Aroldis Chapman, perhaps affected by last season's fervor with the Cubs, has faced multiple closing failures this season, which is concerning."
"Overall, I still believe this young New York Yankees team has the potential for outstanding achievements: they may be young, they may not be the best in every aspect, but they are definitely the most impactful, balanced team."
"So you think..." Dan Shulman asked symbolically.
Aaron Boone nodded firmly, replying with confidence, "Yes, for the American League, I believe the Yankees can go all the way from the wild card to the World Series."
"I'm casting my vote for the New York Yankees!"