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dishnet34 · 05-19-2016, 04:24 PM

Alright everybody it's playoff preview time yeah boiiiiiiiii

ABO Playoff Previews 2016 - Conference Semifinals

Atlantic Conference
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#1 Orlando Wizards vs. #4 Annapolis Angels

Tale Of The Tape

--------------------Orlando Wizards------------------------------------------Annapolis Angels-------------------

Matchup Summary
The Atlantic Conference, as a whole, only had one team you could conceivably call "elite" this year. And if you go outside of the Conference, the Orlando Wizards were really the only team that could fit that bill in the entire American Baseball Organization. They are clearly the favorites to win it all, and the matchup with the Annapolis Angels is seen as just another stop in the road to the ABO Championship. However, Annapolis' starting pitching, led by right-handers Mario Hernandez and Mark Rolph has been quietly good this year, with nobody in their starting rotation posting an ERA above 4. Annapolis was one of the few teams in the AC competitive against Orlando, winning 6 games in 18 tries (only Charleston (!) won more games in-division against Orlando). Both these teams are very good at playing defense, with every infielder and outfielder in this series having average to above-average defensive abilities. On the offensive side of the ball, the Angels were certainly offensive in another sense at the plate, finishing in the bottom third of many batting categories, save for stolen bases, where the only team better than them in that department in the ABO was New Orleans. Their best offensive piece, 21-year old LF Marvin Shanks, will return from the DL in time for Game 1, but even he might not be able to save the offense. Orlando has been consistent in many areas of the game, with an offense led by the "Swingin' Indians", AC home run leader Nataraja Vinutha and AC RBI leader Ramu Pratima, who hail from India, and SS Sergio Marroquin, who led the AC in WAR and runs scored, and led the ABO in stolen bases. Their bullpen was as advertised as well, led by Bobby Davis' 49 saves. Orlando is too good to lose this series, but Annapolis could squeak out a game in this 5-game set based on luck alone.

Prediction
Wizards in 3

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#2 Nashville Music vs. #3 Sandusky Beagles

Tale Of The Tape

-------------------Nashville Music-------------------------------------------Sandusky Beagles-------------------

Matchup Summary
The only other matchup in the Conference Semifinal round involving division rivals, this one will be the more competitive of the two. Nashville won the season series against Sandusky with a 10-8 record, with the Music winning 6 of the last 9 matchups. Sandusky was bit by the injury bug the last half of the season, and three key players on their team, LF Brencis Dahin (.298/24/62), SP Abram Mahtiev (12-7, 2.26), and CF Malcolm Buddenberg (debatable, he had a 0.3 WAR) will be on the DL for this round, with Mahtiev only becoming available after this round. Nashville has its own injury problems, with 3B Carl Waterhouse, CF Michael de Lange, and RP Bill Brown being the notable players on the DL for the Music. Both teams are very balanced, with Nashville holding a slight advantage offensively, and Sandusky on the pitching side, despite the Music's ace, Don Larnin being one of the top strikeout artists in the AC. If there's one thing that can decide this series, it will be the pitching. Sandusky has one of the better bullpens in the AC this side of Orlando, with Louie Connor (44 saves, 0.85 ERA) and Srinivas Jindal (1.31 ERA, 13.1 K/9) in the back end, compared to Nashville's Thomas Anderson (41 saves, 2.61 ERA) and Ron Hall (2.36 ERA, 80 G, 7.2 K/9). However, with 2/5 of Sandusky's starting rotation on the DL (Gonya Wonlyarsky is on the DL as well), Nashville could control what happens early on in the game. This will be the series to watch, no doubt about it.

Prediction
Music in 5

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Pacific Conference
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#1 Glendale Copperheads vs. #4 Honolulu Tropics

Tale Of The Tape

----------------Glendale Copperheads---------------------------------------Honolulu Tropics------------------

Matchup Summary
The Copperheads used the dry air and elevation of Arizona - and the rest of their division, frankly - to post the second-best offense in the ABO, other than Boise, who didn't have the pitching to make the playoffs. They also boast one of the 2 best pitchers in the entire ABO in Sherman Lewis, who posted a 22-2 record with a 2.23 ERA, 259 Ks, and a 6.2 WAR, which was second among Pacific Conference starters to San Antonio's Morgan Fowles, who had an 8.4 WAR. Honolulu isn't as flashy as the Copperheads are, and their pitching, for the most part, has carried them this far. The four starters they will have for the postseason rotation all have winning records, led by Vicente Pujols, who went 12-9 with a 2.30 ERA. Both offenses can hit dingers for days, as 9 players between both teams' projected lineups have 20+ homers, with the Copperheads' Dave Hammond leading them with 31 HRs, and Honolulu's Jaime Robles with 37. There won't be a lot of walks in this series, and the defenses could be better, but the one thing that could decide this series is the bullpen. Glendale's Spencer Ravenscroft has been a roller coaster ride for their fans in the 9th inning, with a 3.13 ERA, 12 HRs allowed, and a 2.7 BB/9 rate, but on the positive side, he had 12.2 K/9 and 44 saves. Their other bullpen options outside of Kennet Bartelen are not inspiring, especially in a potentially high-scoring series such as this. On the other side, Honolulu has the lowest bullpen ERA of the PC teams in the postseason, led by the 8th-9th duo of Alexandre Rodriguez (1.85 ERA, 37 holds) and Gary Inge (2.59 ERA, 43/49 SV). The bullpen might help win a couple games in this series for Honolulu, but will the Tropics' bats show up against Glendale's mighty offense?

Prediction
Copperheads in 5

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#2 San Diego Surge vs. #3 New Orleans Krewe

Tale Of The Tape

--------------------San Diego Surge---------------------------------------New Orleans Krewe-----------------

Matchup Summary
The San Diego offense surged to the Pacific Conference Coastal Division title on the back of dingers. Lots of dingers. In fact, only Boise hit more dingers than the Surge. Their short home porch to left field, coupled with the winds that occasionally blow out to that part of the field in San Diego, helped make the Surge one of the more dangerous offenses in the ABO. San Diego boasts sluggers like #1 overall Inaugural Draft pick Steve Adams (.299/44/112, .395 OBP) and 3B Hilton Avery (.204/40/101). New Orleans made it here by another route - manufacturing runs with their speed. Led by 2B Raul Trejo (.319/6/69, 37 SB, 16 3B) and 23-year old SS Carroll Hammond (.234/1/44, 22 SB), with flashes of power from RF Julian Montes (.273/19/78) and DH John Kennedy (.288/18/61), the Krewe are one of the more scrappy teams in the postseason. San Diego can steal a few bases, as well, as Adams stole 22 bases, and CF Clifton Hutchison stole 25. Pitching and defense will once again be key in this series, as San Diego's ace Phil Carter (12-6, 3.63) is on the DL for the postseason, and their starters outside of him are not inspiring any confidence, with Duane McGinnis being the only pitcher that could be considered steady enough to lead their postseason run. Meanwhile, New Orleans has one of the best rotations in the PC, led by Pablo Damhuis (15-13, 3.08) and 22-year old Jose Guzman (9-13, 3.28). The other two in the postseason rotation, Yu-hsui Liao (10-6, 3.63) and Tim Holliday (13-7, 3.52) are effective as well, and could be the difference in the series. The Krewe could conceivably pull out this series, and will be a Cinderella pick to make the conference finals.

Prediction
New Orleans in 4

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So, who do you think will win these matchups? Who wins it all? Sound off in the thread!

05-19-2016, 04:24 PM	#45
dishnet34 All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,540	Alright everybody it's playoff preview time yeah boiiiiiiiii ABO Playoff Previews 2016 - Conference Semifinals Atlantic Conference --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #1 Orlando Wizards vs. #4 Annapolis Angels Tale Of The Tape --------------------Orlando Wizards------------------------------------------Annapolis Angels------------------- Matchup Summary The Atlantic Conference, as a whole, only had one team you could conceivably call "elite" this year. And if you go outside of the Conference, the Orlando Wizards were really the only team that could fit that bill in the entire American Baseball Organization. They are clearly the favorites to win it all, and the matchup with the Annapolis Angels is seen as just another stop in the road to the ABO Championship. However, Annapolis' starting pitching, led by right-handers Mario Hernandez and Mark Rolph has been quietly good this year, with nobody in their starting rotation posting an ERA above 4. Annapolis was one of the few teams in the AC competitive against Orlando, winning 6 games in 18 tries (only Charleston (!) won more games in-division against Orlando). Both these teams are very good at playing defense, with every infielder and outfielder in this series having average to above-average defensive abilities. On the offensive side of the ball, the Angels were certainly offensive in another sense at the plate, finishing in the bottom third of many batting categories, save for stolen bases, where the only team better than them in that department in the ABO was New Orleans. Their best offensive piece, 21-year old LF Marvin Shanks, will return from the DL in time for Game 1, but even he might not be able to save the offense. Orlando has been consistent in many areas of the game, with an offense led by the "Swingin' Indians", AC home run leader Nataraja Vinutha and AC RBI leader Ramu Pratima, who hail from India, and SS Sergio Marroquin, who led the AC in WAR and runs scored, and led the ABO in stolen bases. Their bullpen was as advertised as well, led by Bobby Davis' 49 saves. Orlando is too good to lose this series, but Annapolis could squeak out a game in this 5-game set based on luck alone. Prediction Wizards in 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2 Nashville Music vs. #3 Sandusky Beagles Tale Of The Tape -------------------Nashville Music-------------------------------------------Sandusky Beagles------------------- Matchup Summary The only other matchup in the Conference Semifinal round involving division rivals, this one will be the more competitive of the two. Nashville won the season series against Sandusky with a 10-8 record, with the Music winning 6 of the last 9 matchups. Sandusky was bit by the injury bug the last half of the season, and three key players on their team, LF Brencis Dahin (.298/24/62), SP Abram Mahtiev (12-7, 2.26), and CF Malcolm Buddenberg (debatable, he had a 0.3 WAR) will be on the DL for this round, with Mahtiev only becoming available after this round. Nashville has its own injury problems, with 3B Carl Waterhouse, CF Michael de Lange, and RP Bill Brown being the notable players on the DL for the Music. Both teams are very balanced, with Nashville holding a slight advantage offensively, and Sandusky on the pitching side, despite the Music's ace, Don Larnin being one of the top strikeout artists in the AC. If there's one thing that can decide this series, it will be the pitching. Sandusky has one of the better bullpens in the AC this side of Orlando, with Louie Connor (44 saves, 0.85 ERA) and Srinivas Jindal (1.31 ERA, 13.1 K/9) in the back end, compared to Nashville's Thomas Anderson (41 saves, 2.61 ERA) and Ron Hall (2.36 ERA, 80 G, 7.2 K/9). However, with 2/5 of Sandusky's starting rotation on the DL (Gonya Wonlyarsky is on the DL as well), Nashville could control what happens early on in the game. This will be the series to watch, no doubt about it. Prediction Music in 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pacific Conference --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #1 Glendale Copperheads vs. #4 Honolulu Tropics Tale Of The Tape ----------------Glendale Copperheads---------------------------------------Honolulu Tropics------------------ Matchup Summary The Copperheads used the dry air and elevation of Arizona - and the rest of their division, frankly - to post the second-best offense in the ABO, other than Boise, who didn't have the pitching to make the playoffs. They also boast one of the 2 best pitchers in the entire ABO in Sherman Lewis, who posted a 22-2 record with a 2.23 ERA, 259 Ks, and a 6.2 WAR, which was second among Pacific Conference starters to San Antonio's Morgan Fowles, who had an 8.4 WAR. Honolulu isn't as flashy as the Copperheads are, and their pitching, for the most part, has carried them this far. The four starters they will have for the postseason rotation all have winning records, led by Vicente Pujols, who went 12-9 with a 2.30 ERA. Both offenses can hit dingers for days, as 9 players between both teams' projected lineups have 20+ homers, with the Copperheads' Dave Hammond leading them with 31 HRs, and Honolulu's Jaime Robles with 37. There won't be a lot of walks in this series, and the defenses could be better, but the one thing that could decide this series is the bullpen. Glendale's Spencer Ravenscroft has been a roller coaster ride for their fans in the 9th inning, with a 3.13 ERA, 12 HRs allowed, and a 2.7 BB/9 rate, but on the positive side, he had 12.2 K/9 and 44 saves. Their other bullpen options outside of Kennet Bartelen are not inspiring, especially in a potentially high-scoring series such as this. On the other side, Honolulu has the lowest bullpen ERA of the PC teams in the postseason, led by the 8th-9th duo of Alexandre Rodriguez (1.85 ERA, 37 holds) and Gary Inge (2.59 ERA, 43/49 SV). The bullpen might help win a couple games in this series for Honolulu, but will the Tropics' bats show up against Glendale's mighty offense? Prediction Copperheads in 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2 San Diego Surge vs. #3 New Orleans Krewe Tale Of The Tape --------------------San Diego Surge---------------------------------------New Orleans Krewe----------------- Matchup Summary The San Diego offense surged to the Pacific Conference Coastal Division title on the back of dingers. Lots of dingers. In fact, only Boise hit more dingers than the Surge. Their short home porch to left field, coupled with the winds that occasionally blow out to that part of the field in San Diego, helped make the Surge one of the more dangerous offenses in the ABO. San Diego boasts sluggers like #1 overall Inaugural Draft pick Steve Adams (.299/44/112, .395 OBP) and 3B Hilton Avery (.204/40/101). New Orleans made it here by another route - manufacturing runs with their speed. Led by 2B Raul Trejo (.319/6/69, 37 SB, 16 3B) and 23-year old SS Carroll Hammond (.234/1/44, 22 SB), with flashes of power from RF Julian Montes (.273/19/78) and DH John Kennedy (.288/18/61), the Krewe are one of the more scrappy teams in the postseason. San Diego can steal a few bases, as well, as Adams stole 22 bases, and CF Clifton Hutchison stole 25. Pitching and defense will once again be key in this series, as San Diego's ace Phil Carter (12-6, 3.63) is on the DL for the postseason, and their starters outside of him are not inspiring any confidence, with Duane McGinnis being the only pitcher that could be considered steady enough to lead their postseason run. Meanwhile, New Orleans has one of the best rotations in the PC, led by Pablo Damhuis (15-13, 3.08) and 22-year old Jose Guzman (9-13, 3.28). The other two in the postseason rotation, Yu-hsui Liao (10-6, 3.63) and Tim Holliday (13-7, 3.52) are effective as well, and could be the difference in the series. The Krewe could conceivably pull out this series, and will be a Cinderella pick to make the conference finals. Prediction New Orleans in 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, who do you think will win these matchups? Who wins it all? Sound off in the thread! Last edited by dishnet34; 05-19-2016 at 04:28 PM.