Yankees Hitting: Any discussion of the Bronx Bombers hitting has to start with the sure-fire American League Most Valuable Player Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod, who has an opt-out clause in his contract, is having the best season of his career, posting 54 home runs with over 140 runs scored, 155 RBI and 24 stolen bases.
A-Rod isn't the only contract year player thriving. Jorge Posada is hitting over .330 on the season with 20 home runs, while Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu are also doing what most people expected them to do.
In May, the Yankees looked out of contention, but their offence has become the juggernaut that many thought it could be.
Indians Hitting:
At the beginning of the season designated hitter Travis Hafner was looked upon to be the main RBI and home run man in Cleveland, unfortunately, Hafner's home run total dropped to 24 from 42 in 2006. The Indians however didn't falter. Leadoff hitter Grady Sizemore smacked 24 home runs and stole 33 bases.
The main piece of the offensive cog though was catcher Victor Martinez, who led the team in home runs, batting average and RBI.
Despite not having anyone with more than 25 home runs, the Indians have five hitters with more than 20. The lack of a true masher could come back to haunt the tribe if they fall behind in a game or series.
Yankees Pitching:
The Yankees pitching staff has been hit with injuries and age this season, forcing them to use 13 different starting pitchers.
Andy Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang have been the most reliable starters, but despite their lofty win totals, neither has managed to be a true ace in 2007. Roger Clemens should be ready to pitch in the postseason coming off a hamstring injury but he is only a six-inning pitcher at this point in his career.
The Yankees bullpen ranks 10th out of 14 in the American League in ERA, and Mariano Rivera has looked human for the first time in years - despite only blowing four saves in 2007. Joba Chamberlain has excelled since his call up, but he's unproven in the pressure cooker that is October baseball.
The Yankees are also third worst in the AL for striking out hitters, and their inability to miss bats puts more pressure on their average defence.
Indians Pitching:
The Indians might boast one of the best one-two punches of the remaining American League teams. The Tribe have a pair of 19 game winners in Fausto Carmona and C.C. Sabathia. While their styles are vastly different, they both could help the Indians dramatically in a short series.
The bullpen could be a question mark for the Indians in the post-season despite the fact that they had the fourth best ERA in the AL. The only team with less bullpen innings pitched were the White Sox. Closer Joe Borowski is not an overpowering end of the bullpen arm, and has a rather high 5.15 ERA and 8 blown saves this season.