After Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson went to LA over the off-season, nearly every analyst declared that they would put the Angles over the top, and many in the media suggested that teams would be lucky to split a series with the Angels.
Those same analysts seemed to ignore the Tigers, who have a reigning Cy Young and MVP winner in Justin Verlander, and the best 3-4 combo in the league in Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder.
Despite reigning from two much publicized cities (Dallas for it’s size, Detroit for it’s internal decay,) neither team was ranked above the Angels (ESPN, to its credit, ranked sandwiched LA between Texas and Detroit) and few seemed to realize that adding two players, no matter how talented, will not turn a non-playoff team into a number one seed (in other sports, look at the Heat or Eagles.)
This is actually a fact that transcends all sports, but is ignored time and time again as the press tries to make a story out of nothing and overeager fans try to convince themselves that this is finally the year their team win the championship. In other, shorter words: the Angels are overrated, and the Detroit Tigers have been the team the Rangers need to worrying about beating all along.
Last year, the Rangers played the Tigers in the ALCS, and Texas won one of the longest ( two of the six games went to extra innings) and most exciting series in recent memory before they were upset by the Cardinals in the World Series. The Rangers and Tigers were fairly evenly matched offensively. The Tigers had superior starting pitchers, but the Rangers had a better bullpen; it was a scenario that benefited the Rangers in the long run, as they kept replacing their underachieving starters with Alexi Ogando again and again and again, while the Tigers only had three reliable options, a situation that just isn’t the same anymore.
The Tigers have added Octavio Dotel, who pitched against the Rangers last year, and have a fifth starter in Drew Smyly that isn’t nearly as awful as Brad Penny; he might actually be trusted in innings later than the third. The Tigers also upgraded their offense, while the Rangers stood pat on that side and replaced CJ Wilson with someone of basically the same caliber.
Playing in such an easy division, the Tigers are basically a lock to get into the playoffs, and the Rangers should be good for at least a wild card, but they are just as likely to win the division title. Just pretend for a second that both the Tigers and the Rangers meet in the playoffs.
Who wins? Frankly, probably the Tigers. They have a better third baseman (offensively) a better first baseman (offensively) a catcher with similar (not better) capabilities who is better at defense, a stouter line up and a better rotation. Really, the only place the Rangers are better is the bullpen. The Rangers still have one of the major leagues deepest bullpens, but unless last year’s series repeats itself and belches out multiple extra inning games, this one advantage won’t manifest itself into four wins.
Some advantages might change (depending on the progression of Feliz and Darvish, the Rangers’ starting rotation could be better than the Tigers, or depending on how Colin Balestar and Daniel Schlereth progress the Tigers bullpen could rival the Rangers’.) The Angels, on the other hand, only hold one advantage over either club: their pitching rotation.
Otherwise, both the Tigers and Rangers beat out the Angels in the other, previously stated criteria (save for first baseman) in what seems to be one more reason the Tigers are the team to beat, not the Angels. So in September and October, who comes out on top? Who knows, but it’s pretty obvious it’s not going to be the Angels.
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