The League Championship Series is just around the corner and only four teams are fighting for entry into the World Series. Each of these teams made at least one groundbreaking player commitment on their way here. SPOX introduces the new key additions.
By 2017, almost everything was running for the Houston Astros. They had started the season with their top-class squad as top favourites and finally brought it home. It can be argued, however, that it was Justin Verlander’s commitment to the August playoff squad deadline that was the initial spark.
Until then you were very good, but there was still one important element missing. Until then even star players like Pitcher Dallas Keuchel complained publicly about the lack of reinforcements in the squad compared to the competition. But Verlander’s arrival strengthened everyone in the realization that this organization was serious. After that, they could hardly be stopped.
This year again, there were some commitments that have shaped the teams that are now fighting for a place in the World Series in the League Championship Series. We take a look at each team in this Final 4 and introduce the key commitment.
Can there be anyone else here? In 2017 the Red Sox had a big deficit among other problems: After the end of the career of superstar David Ortiz the Sox didn’t hit home runs anymore. The lack of power was severe, although they still won the AL East loosely.
Boston recognized this problem and engaged in the off-season J.D. Martinez, who last in Arizona opponent pitching downright disassembled. Of course, his signature came late in Spring Training, after he had given up hope for a longer-term contract. In the end, they agreed on five years and almost 110 million dollars.
And Martinez hit it hard. The Designated Hitter was temporarily in the Triple Crown race and led the MLB with 130 RBI, has the second most home runs with 43 and the second highest average hit with .330. Its OPS of 1.031 is also the third highest.
We’re talking about a player who would loosely be MVP’s favourite if team-mate Mookie Betts and Mike Trout hadn’t been one corner better overall, but that’s extremely high level bleating. Martinez has been the driving force behind a Red Sox team from the outset, which is now only four games away from its first World Series in five years.
An already outstanding investment!
Of course, one can argue that Gerrit Cole was actually the top Astros commitment this season. After all, the starter is a candidate for the Cy Young Award alongside Ace Justin Verlander. But the Astros already had an outstanding pitching rotation last year.
The big deficit, on the other hand, was the bullpen, which also caused difficulties in the otherwise great postseason. That went so far that Charlie Morton and Lance McCuller Jr. were the two starters who had to help out at the end of the game – but they were also successful.
This year, however, the focus is more on traditional relievers. And the best of these is certainly Ryan Pressly. He was taken from the Minnesota Twins at the end of July. Since then, the right-hander comes on a 0.70 ERA in 28 games. Pressly collects 12.3 strikeouts per 9 innings and his opponents beat him .126 with a 0.58 WHIP. In short: Pressly is absolutely dominant and hard to beat.
One reason for this is, of course, that the Astros have changed their pitch selection decisively, as they have done with other newcomers. Away from Fastballs as primary weapon to Power Curveballs, which are perfectly thrown simply not to be beaten.
In addition, Roberto Osuna must of course be named, who acts as the new Closer and is largely reliable. Together they represent one of the best bullpens in baseball since the end of July.
If you leave out the very advanced numbers, then Christian Yelich is the MVP of the National League 2018. The Batting-Champ of the NL (.326) just missed the NL Triple-Crown (36 HR, 110 RBI) and led the league with a 1.000 OPS.
Yelich was of course extremely expensive and required four prospects, which went to the Miami Marlins. But he is under contract until the end of 2022 and will not have cost the team a total of 60 million by then.
Yelich was brought in to revive the top of the Batting Order of the Brewers – along with Lorenzo Cain, who came as a Free Agent. Yelich exceeded these expectations enormously and also shone with a very good defense in the outfield. Moreover, it is almost in every game on base (.402 OBP). The Brewers seem to have managed a real bargain.
The Dodgers were plagued by numerous injuries in 2018, with none as severe as Shortstop Corey Seager, who missed almost the entire season. After the team had spread the burden over several shoulders, they made the biggest trade of the summer in July and took Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles.
In 70 games for Los Angeles, Machado beat 15 home runs and 15 doubles (.824 OPS) so far. He also beat two home runs in the last three games against Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
While Machado may be essentially just a rental player who is expected to play elsewhere in 2019, he could become a crucial piece of the puzzle on the way to the World Series for the Dodgers.
This article was published without prior review by Major League Baseball.