Yardbarker
x
Players to watch in the American League Division Series
Yu Darvish is looking for redemption after losing his only postseason start in the 2012 AL Wild Card. Associated Press

Players to watch coming into the ALDS

For many, fall is the best season of the year. The summer heat has is no longer bearing down like Cerberus leaping from the gates of the underworld, but has given way to crisp air and a cool breeze that is much more pleasant.

More importantly, the cracking of the multicolored leaves at your feet is only second to the cracking of the bat and roar of the crowd with playoff baseball now beginning. Every pitch is important. Every at-bat there is tension. 

Much like the brutal summer giving way to beautiful fall, the mundane 162-game season has finally ended, allowing playoff baseball to bring joy and anxiety to fans around the world.

Welcome to October.

Last year, the American League Division Series produced two of the more exciting series of the playoffs, with both going the distance to five games. No team in the ALDS this year looks like they’ve really separated themselves from the pack, with every team showing some degree of weakness coming in.

However, there are some gems that could carry their teams and jump start a championship run. Here are the hottest players of the American League heading into the Division Series.

Pitchers:

Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
Last three starts: 2-1, 18.0 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 29:6 K:BB


With that K:BB Ratio, Darvish may be one of the most controlled pitchers heading into the postseason. And he may end up feasting on a Toronto Blue Jays team that has struggled to score in recent games.

Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians Last three starts: 1-1, 1.74 ERA, .213 OBA, 0 walks

The 31-year-old righty won’t blow you away, but he will keep you guessing. On the strength of his four plus pitches, Tomlin was able to command his throws and confuse the batters facing him. With the rest of the team struggling to find their groove at the end of the season, he could be their guaranteed win when he starts given the way he has been pitching.

Francisco Liriano, Toronto Blue Jays Last three starts: 1-1, 18.1 IP, 0.98 ERA, 20:5 K:BB

Had he not given up two earned runs on September 17, we would have had a pitcher with 0.00 ERA in his last three starts. Liriano finished the season with a 6.1 IP, 10 K gem against Baltimore on September 28, and then pitched 1.2 innings with one strikeout to close the Orioles in the wild card game. His pitching will be tested against the hot bats of Texas soon enough.

Cody Allen, Cleveland Indians Last seven games: 5 of 5 save opportunities, 7.0 IP, .57 WHIP, 6/2 K/BB

Closer or not, a .57 WHIP in seven games isn’t too shabby for any pitcher. Allen only has one game of prior playoff experience with a wild card game in 2013, but he will at least be riding some momentum heading into his first playoff series ever.

Sam Dyson, Texas Rangers Last seven games: 2-0, 4/5 save opportunities, 1.29 ERA 6:3 K:BB

Dyson had that blown save a month ago against Houston, but he has been pitching like a man on fire since, securing two wins and converting on four straight save opportunities. He will need all the confidence he can muster after blowing a save in the final Game 5 of last year's ALDS against the Blue Jays.

Position Players:

Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians Last seven games: .360, 4 RBI, 1.107 OPS

Santana is an odd ball. He has had a good eye posting an on-base percentage of .467 heading into the playoffs, but he has struck out five times in 30 plate appearances. They will need him to be at his best with the team 4-3 heading into the ALDS, and the rest of the team not performing up to par.

Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers Last seven games: .375, 2 HR, 5 RBI

There may be no hotter bat than Elvis Andrus right now. He had six home runs heading into the last seven games of the season, but found some power, driving two balls out of the park. The Blue Jays pitching staff will have fits trying to stop him.

Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox Last seven games: .333, 1 HR, 4 BB, 1.012 OPS

The Red Sox are limping in the playoffs with a 2-5 record in their last seven games, and hitting has become an issue for Boston's once-potent offense. Bogaerts has been one of the few stars heading into the playoffs on a positive note, and the Red Sox will need him to pick up the slack for the rest of the struggling players.

Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers Last seven games: .333, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1.068 OPS

Growing older does not necessarily mean getting worse. The 37-year-old Beltre has found the fountain of youth this year, leading the Texans in WAR, and leading the team with 104 RBI. In the last seven games of the season, his bat got hot again, registering a .708 slugging percentage.

Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays Last seven games: .320, .419 OBP

Runs have been hard to come by, but Donaldson is at least putting himself in position to score for the Blue Jays, who have clawed their way into the ALDS. In the wild card game against Baltimore, he notched two hits, and was on base when Edwin Encarnacion belted the walk-off home run.

Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox Last seven games: .323, 2 HR, 7 RBI

We talked about Bogaerts needing to pick up the slack for the rest of the Red Sox. Pedroia is not among those struggling teammates, however. For the past seven games, Pedroia has practically been the entire Boston offense. He will need to continue to carry the team until they decide to show up for the series.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.