As part of our MLB Postseason coverage, Travis Goldman from SB Nation's New York Yankees blog, Pinstripe Alley, examines why the Yankees, the A.L. Wild Card champions, will beat the Twins in the ALDS. And then details why they'll lose.
2010 MLB Playoffs: What Can Go Right (And Wrong) For The Yankees
Why they will win:
The Yankees will beat the Twins in the LDS for the simple reason that they have better players. The Yanks have one regular with a sub 100 OPS+ (Derek Jeter) while Minnesota's loss of Justin Morneau will prove too big to overcome (better record without him be damned -- he's a great hitter). Outside of Joe Mauer, there's no one that should scare Yankee pitchers: Delmon Young can be pitched to and Jim Thome is not a true 178 OPS+ hitter anymore -- it's the result of a small sample size.
Why they will lose:
The Yankees will lose because there's too much pressure on CC Sabathia. Andy Pettitte's been inconsistent since his return, Phil Hughes has been far from spectacular since June and the thought of A.J. Burnett starting a pivotal game scares Yankee fans everywhere.
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