Playoff Preview - Part 2

Tomorrow, The Halo Is Lit will be teaming up with an excellent Red Sox blog, SoxBlog, to bring more analysis of the up-coming playoff series featuring our takes on each team's strengths and our predictions on who will win.  But until then, I wanted to take a quick look at the position-by-position match-ups for the first round of the playoffs.
 

Projected batting orders:

(Note: the two stat lines for each player is season total and career numbers against the opposing team's current pitchers)

				Catcher
	Mike Napoli					Jason Varitek
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Napoli - 2008			227	62	20	49	.273	.374	.586
vs Red Sox			24	4	2	5	.167	.200	.458
Varitek - 2008			423	93	13	43	.220	.313	.359
vs Angels			116	24	2	14	.207	.336	.302

Napoli has been on fire the last month of the season and ended the season with pretty good numbers after starting the season splitting time with Jeff Mathis.  Jason Varitek started the season well, but tailed of in June and July.

				1B
	Mark Teixeira					Kevin Youkilis
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Teixeira - 2008			574	177	33	121	.308	.410	.552
vs Red Sox			87	19	2	10	.218	.292	.368
Youkilis - 2008			538	168	29	115	.312	.390	.569
vs Angels			93	27	5	15	.290	.350	.505

These two players match up pretty closely, a lot closer than I would have thought after watching Teixeira do his thing.

				2B
	Howie Kendrick					Dustin Pedroia
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Kendrick - 2008			340	104	3	37	.306	.333	.421
vs Red Sox			44	16	0	6	.364	.404	.455
Pedroia - 2008			653	213	17	83	.326	.376	.493
vs Angels			74	26	1	3	.351	.380	.486

MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia had an awesome season, and has killed Angels pitchers over his brief career.  Kendrick's season was hampered by hamstring problems, but he did well when able to play.

				3B
	Chone Figgins					Mike Lowell
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Figgins - 2008			453	125	1	22	.276	.367	.318
vs Red Sox			98	25	1	8	.255	.315	.347
Lowell - 2008			419	115	17	73	.274	.338	.461
vs Angels			110	31	3	18	.282	.316	.427

Two entirely different players.  Figgins is a top-of-the-order speed guy, while Lowell is a typical 3B type who hits in the middle of the order and provides some pop.

				SS
	Erick Aybar					Alex Cora
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Aybar - 2008			346	96	3	39	.277	.314	.384
vs Red Sox			22	11	0	6	.500	.522	.727
Cora - 2008			115	41	0	9	.270	.371	.349
vs Angels			52	14	0	4	.269	.333	.423

Both players may see less time during the playoffs.  Aybar may give way to Brandon Wood if the Angels are looking for more offense from the shortstop position and Cora is just coming back from injury and may be replaced by Jed Lowrie.

				LF
	Garret Anderson					Jason Bay
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Anderson - 2008			557	163	15	84	.293	.325	.433
vs Red Sox			175	55	9	35	.314	.335	.531
Bay - 2008			577	165	31	101	.286	.373	.522
vs Angels			15	2	1	2	.133	.188	.333

For the second year in a row, Anderson was a liability the first half of the season and caught fire in the second.  Jason Bay has been an effective replacement for Manny Ramirez.

				CF
	Torii Hunter					Jacoby Ellsbury
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Hunter - 2008			551	153	21	78	.278	.344	.466
vs Red Sox			145	47	5	23	.324	.346	.462
Ellsbury - 2008			554	155	9	47	.280	.336	.394
vs Angels			38	7	2	3	.184	.225	.342

Torii Hunter did exactly what he was brought in to do for the Angels, provide protection for Guerrero and bring leadership to the clubhouse.  In my mind, Hunter is the Angels MVP.

				RF
	Vlad Guerrero					J.D. Drew
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Guerrero - 2008			541	164	27	91	.303	.365	.521
vs Red Sox			190	57	16	36	.300	.391	.626
Drew - 2008			368	103	19	64	.280	.408	.519
vs Angels			83	22	2	5	.265	.361	.422

Both players are battling injury; Guerrero is slowed by a sore right knee, while Drew has back problems.  Guerrero is able to rest by DHing which keeps his bat in the line up.

				DH
	Juan Rivera					David Ortiz
			AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
Rivera - 2008			256	63	12	45	.246	.282	.438
vs Red Sox			53	15	2	9	.283	.350	.472
Ortiz - 2008			416	110	23	89	.264	.369	.507
vs Angels			155	46	12	41	.297	.398	.600

Rivera took over for struggling Gary Matthews Jr. halfway through the season.  While better than Matthews, Rivera has been streaky.  Ortiz is Ortiz, but not in the way Manny being Manny, Ortiz is one of the most feared hitters in baseball.