Post by Bill Stoneman on Mar 14, 2006 13:24:31 GMT -5
With the beginning of the World Series coming up, we thought we'd take a closer look at the matchup of the Angels and the Expos, and decide who has the edge at each position going into it. We'll take a look at hitting, fielding, bench, rotation, bullpen, and intangibles going into the series.
Hitting
Both teams are solid offensively, and were among their league's best for the regular season. The Expos scored 921 runs during the regular season, good for 5th in the National League. They finished in the top half of their league in basically every offensive stat, and though the numbers aren't amazing, the fact that they play in a tough offensive division has to be taken into account. Stade Olympique, Shea Stadium, Veterans Park, Joe Robbie Stadium, and Turner Field are all tough parks on hitters, which surely largely affects overall team numbers in the East. The Expos have solid bats throughout their whole lineup, and have counted on big bounce back years from Edgardo Alfonzo, Ken Griffey Jr., and Ivan Rodriguez in their run to the Series.
The Angels were the best offensive team in baseball in 2007, scoring just over 1200 runs, the most in the Majors. They led all teams in batting average, slugging, hits, and doubles, and were among the best in home runs, walks, and K's. Defending MVP Vladimir Guerrero is the centerpiece of their powerhouse offense, and he showed no signs of slowing down this season. He has had a tough time with the bat in the playoffs though, perhaps a sign of fatigue from the long season. Miguel Tejada, who hit the walk off HR to end the ALCS, was a key midseason addition and helped solidify the Angels bench by being added to the team.
Lineup Edge- Angels
Fielding
Montreal was one of the best fielding teams in baseball in 2007, tied with the Houston Astros for the least errors and best Fielding Percentage in the NL. They committed only 78 Errors; only Seattle and Minnesota were better. With Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate, they are a tough team to run on, and it showed, as Pudge nailed almost 50% of attempted steals. With Ivan Rodriguez, Jose Vidro, Placido Polanco, and Ken Griffey up the middle, it's obvious why this is a great fielding team. Mike Cameron, the CF when they play with a DH, makes their defense even better for their road games in this series. Nobody on the team committed more than 11 Errors, and they would have led the NL were it not for a terrible defensive performance from reserve Erick Macha.
The Angels, though a solid looking defensive club on paper, proved to have some problems defensively this season. They had 5 players with 12 or more errors, and those 5 players alone come up just 5 short of Montreal's TEAM error output. Anaheim finished 6th in the AL in errors and fielding percentage, and might have finished lower had all of the teams put their best foot forward this season. If the Angels' defense can live up to it's potential, it could be great, but at this point it's merely average.
Fielding Edge- Expos
Bench
Both teams are quite solid in this department. Montreal has a backup catcher in Yorvit Torrealba who could start for many teams, amd he provides a very solid bat for when Pudge needs rest. Tony Graffanino is a solid utility man who can play almost anywhere, and will put up solid offensive numbers as an added bonus. Brian Buchanan provides power off the bench, and Mike Cameron provides power along with exceptional center field defense. He is a game changer defensively, and with Cameron slotted to play CF in games in Anaheim, the Expos solidify their lineup even further. Erick Macha has been a dissapointment, as his defense has lacked in a big way this season, and that is where much of his value lies.
Anaheim's bench can match up with just about anyone's. Ramon Hernandez, similar to Torrealba, could start for many teams in the league. He provides a solid all around catcher for games against left handed pitchers, and as a late replacement for the aging Jason Varitek, and his presence has been key in Varitek's monster season. Mark Loretta provides a solid contact bat off the bench, along with tremendous defense. Dmitri Young crushed the ball all season long (12 HR in 165 AB's), and can play multiple positions. Nick Gorneault is their backup outfielder, and every chance he is given has proven that he belongs in a starting lineup, as he posted over a .900 OPS in partial starting duty this season. Alfredo Amezaga provides a solid switch hitting bat off the bench, with great speed and solid defense to go with it.
Bench Edge- Draw
Starting Rotation
Both teams excel in their rotation. The Expos are solid all the way through. Their worst ERA from a starter was 4.32 from Jerome Williams, and all 5 starters posted 12 or more wins. Jae Seo has continued to prove that he belongs in the number one rotation spot, leading the team with 18 games. The Expos rotation combined for a 4.16 ERA on the season.
The Angels, with arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league, were also the best in their league. Jason Schmidt won 20 games, losing only one, and should have no problem winning his first Cy Young Award. However, he suffered a slight injury late in the season, and it seems he has not fully recovered from that, as he hasn't returned to his dominant self yet. Willis, who pitched game 7 of the ALCS, matches up with any #2 in the league. Peavy is somewhat of an enigma, as he has great talent but hasn't quite shown it yet. The weak link of the rotation is Byung-Hyun Kim, who has frustrated GM Bill Stoneman with his inconsistency. He pitched a gem in game 5 of the ALCS, however, allowing only 2 runs in 8 1/3 IP, and they are hoping he can provide a similar performance if he gets to start in the World Series. The Angels starters posted a combined 3.75 ERA in the regular season.
Rotation Edge- Angels, slightly
Bullpen
Montreal's bullpen is widely considered to be the best in the game. Led by Setup man Paul Quantrill, who allowed a 2.09 in 100 IP during the regular season, Montreal's bullpen features six relievers who all held ERA's below 3.70 for the season. Closer Octavio Dotel had a down year, and still saved 36/41 games. John Bale is a solid arm to face lefties, who can also dominate right handers at times.
The Angels' bullpen is also solid, led by right handers Brendan Donnelly and Tim Spooneybarger, who combined for 183 IP and a 3.23 ERA. Young closer Fransisco Rodriguez has been on and off, but he did save 30 games for a team that didn't play in a lot of close games. Other youngster Joel Peralta was solid but not spectacular. Lefty Javier Lopez, coming off of a great season in which he posted a 2.05 ERA in 79 IP, had a terrible season, posting a 6.40 ERA in 65 Innings. With 3 of the key bats in the Montreal lineup batting from the left side, they will need Lopez to step up and get outs.
Bullpen Edge- Expos
Intangibles
The Expos are coming off of what many consider to be an upset, beating Milwaukee in just 5 games. They have seemed to overperform their ability all season, and play very well as a team. Due to their series going just 5 games, they'll be able to start Zach Day in game 1, then go back to Jae Seo in game 2, allowing both to pitch at least 2 games.
The Angels, coming off of a hard faught ALCS, exhausted much of their pitching, and may only get to see Jason Schmidt and Dontrelle Willis for one start each due to their having to pitch game 6 and 7 of the ALCS. They may have to turn to Byung-Hyun Kim in game 3 in hopes that he duplicates his performance from game 5 of the ALCS. They'd like Schmidt to be ready to start game 3, but are uncertain that he will be ready to go. If Schmidt can go for game 3, he would be lined up to start game 7 if necessary. If not, they'll have to rely on Kim for games 3 and 7. They are the defending champions, so they should be ready to handle the pressure they're under to repeat.
Intangibles Edge- Expos
This may turn out to be the closest World Series yet, as the teams match up quite well. Talent-wise, the Angels seem to have an edge, but that is negated by the setup of the rotations going in. The Angels' major advantage - Starting Pitching - could turn out to be a weakness if they can't get more than 2 starts between Schmidt and Willis. Due to this, they'll need their bullpen to outperform the Expos' pen in order to repeat as champions.
Hitting
Both teams are solid offensively, and were among their league's best for the regular season. The Expos scored 921 runs during the regular season, good for 5th in the National League. They finished in the top half of their league in basically every offensive stat, and though the numbers aren't amazing, the fact that they play in a tough offensive division has to be taken into account. Stade Olympique, Shea Stadium, Veterans Park, Joe Robbie Stadium, and Turner Field are all tough parks on hitters, which surely largely affects overall team numbers in the East. The Expos have solid bats throughout their whole lineup, and have counted on big bounce back years from Edgardo Alfonzo, Ken Griffey Jr., and Ivan Rodriguez in their run to the Series.
The Angels were the best offensive team in baseball in 2007, scoring just over 1200 runs, the most in the Majors. They led all teams in batting average, slugging, hits, and doubles, and were among the best in home runs, walks, and K's. Defending MVP Vladimir Guerrero is the centerpiece of their powerhouse offense, and he showed no signs of slowing down this season. He has had a tough time with the bat in the playoffs though, perhaps a sign of fatigue from the long season. Miguel Tejada, who hit the walk off HR to end the ALCS, was a key midseason addition and helped solidify the Angels bench by being added to the team.
Lineup Edge- Angels
Fielding
Montreal was one of the best fielding teams in baseball in 2007, tied with the Houston Astros for the least errors and best Fielding Percentage in the NL. They committed only 78 Errors; only Seattle and Minnesota were better. With Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate, they are a tough team to run on, and it showed, as Pudge nailed almost 50% of attempted steals. With Ivan Rodriguez, Jose Vidro, Placido Polanco, and Ken Griffey up the middle, it's obvious why this is a great fielding team. Mike Cameron, the CF when they play with a DH, makes their defense even better for their road games in this series. Nobody on the team committed more than 11 Errors, and they would have led the NL were it not for a terrible defensive performance from reserve Erick Macha.
The Angels, though a solid looking defensive club on paper, proved to have some problems defensively this season. They had 5 players with 12 or more errors, and those 5 players alone come up just 5 short of Montreal's TEAM error output. Anaheim finished 6th in the AL in errors and fielding percentage, and might have finished lower had all of the teams put their best foot forward this season. If the Angels' defense can live up to it's potential, it could be great, but at this point it's merely average.
Fielding Edge- Expos
Bench
Both teams are quite solid in this department. Montreal has a backup catcher in Yorvit Torrealba who could start for many teams, amd he provides a very solid bat for when Pudge needs rest. Tony Graffanino is a solid utility man who can play almost anywhere, and will put up solid offensive numbers as an added bonus. Brian Buchanan provides power off the bench, and Mike Cameron provides power along with exceptional center field defense. He is a game changer defensively, and with Cameron slotted to play CF in games in Anaheim, the Expos solidify their lineup even further. Erick Macha has been a dissapointment, as his defense has lacked in a big way this season, and that is where much of his value lies.
Anaheim's bench can match up with just about anyone's. Ramon Hernandez, similar to Torrealba, could start for many teams in the league. He provides a solid all around catcher for games against left handed pitchers, and as a late replacement for the aging Jason Varitek, and his presence has been key in Varitek's monster season. Mark Loretta provides a solid contact bat off the bench, along with tremendous defense. Dmitri Young crushed the ball all season long (12 HR in 165 AB's), and can play multiple positions. Nick Gorneault is their backup outfielder, and every chance he is given has proven that he belongs in a starting lineup, as he posted over a .900 OPS in partial starting duty this season. Alfredo Amezaga provides a solid switch hitting bat off the bench, with great speed and solid defense to go with it.
Bench Edge- Draw
Starting Rotation
Both teams excel in their rotation. The Expos are solid all the way through. Their worst ERA from a starter was 4.32 from Jerome Williams, and all 5 starters posted 12 or more wins. Jae Seo has continued to prove that he belongs in the number one rotation spot, leading the team with 18 games. The Expos rotation combined for a 4.16 ERA on the season.
The Angels, with arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league, were also the best in their league. Jason Schmidt won 20 games, losing only one, and should have no problem winning his first Cy Young Award. However, he suffered a slight injury late in the season, and it seems he has not fully recovered from that, as he hasn't returned to his dominant self yet. Willis, who pitched game 7 of the ALCS, matches up with any #2 in the league. Peavy is somewhat of an enigma, as he has great talent but hasn't quite shown it yet. The weak link of the rotation is Byung-Hyun Kim, who has frustrated GM Bill Stoneman with his inconsistency. He pitched a gem in game 5 of the ALCS, however, allowing only 2 runs in 8 1/3 IP, and they are hoping he can provide a similar performance if he gets to start in the World Series. The Angels starters posted a combined 3.75 ERA in the regular season.
Rotation Edge- Angels, slightly
Bullpen
Montreal's bullpen is widely considered to be the best in the game. Led by Setup man Paul Quantrill, who allowed a 2.09 in 100 IP during the regular season, Montreal's bullpen features six relievers who all held ERA's below 3.70 for the season. Closer Octavio Dotel had a down year, and still saved 36/41 games. John Bale is a solid arm to face lefties, who can also dominate right handers at times.
The Angels' bullpen is also solid, led by right handers Brendan Donnelly and Tim Spooneybarger, who combined for 183 IP and a 3.23 ERA. Young closer Fransisco Rodriguez has been on and off, but he did save 30 games for a team that didn't play in a lot of close games. Other youngster Joel Peralta was solid but not spectacular. Lefty Javier Lopez, coming off of a great season in which he posted a 2.05 ERA in 79 IP, had a terrible season, posting a 6.40 ERA in 65 Innings. With 3 of the key bats in the Montreal lineup batting from the left side, they will need Lopez to step up and get outs.
Bullpen Edge- Expos
Intangibles
The Expos are coming off of what many consider to be an upset, beating Milwaukee in just 5 games. They have seemed to overperform their ability all season, and play very well as a team. Due to their series going just 5 games, they'll be able to start Zach Day in game 1, then go back to Jae Seo in game 2, allowing both to pitch at least 2 games.
The Angels, coming off of a hard faught ALCS, exhausted much of their pitching, and may only get to see Jason Schmidt and Dontrelle Willis for one start each due to their having to pitch game 6 and 7 of the ALCS. They may have to turn to Byung-Hyun Kim in game 3 in hopes that he duplicates his performance from game 5 of the ALCS. They'd like Schmidt to be ready to start game 3, but are uncertain that he will be ready to go. If Schmidt can go for game 3, he would be lined up to start game 7 if necessary. If not, they'll have to rely on Kim for games 3 and 7. They are the defending champions, so they should be ready to handle the pressure they're under to repeat.
Intangibles Edge- Expos
This may turn out to be the closest World Series yet, as the teams match up quite well. Talent-wise, the Angels seem to have an edge, but that is negated by the setup of the rotations going in. The Angels' major advantage - Starting Pitching - could turn out to be a weakness if they can't get more than 2 starts between Schmidt and Willis. Due to this, they'll need their bullpen to outperform the Expos' pen in order to repeat as champions.