What team do you hope we avoid in the ALDS?

[maybenxtyr]

I picked Houston because of the pedigree. All of the teams that are lining up in the AL playoff picture are good in their own ways.

 

I have to keep reminding myself that Baltimore is excellent as well. I'm sure that the other fan bases are having the same conversation, and Baltimore is high on their lists.

[Keygans]

Great topic,   I picked the Mariners.    Their pitching is insane and honestly, I think they remind me of the 2014 royals with their pitching / offensive style of play.   
 

I think we match up well with Astros despite how we did in regular season.      Jays… don’t want them, but I think we can beat them.  Rays are tough too, but like the Jays, we see them enough that I think we can beat them.  
 

all that to say, the only team that can beat us… is ourselves.   When we get the bye and are fully rested, we are the best team in the AL.   If we play smart,  no stupid errors or bone headed plays, we can beat every single one of these teams 

[Jim'sKid26]

Houston and Tampa have the most Playoff experience. Playoff baseball is so very different from Regular season baseball that the more experienced teams tend to do better. That is all things being otherwise equal.

[TopGunnar]

Whoever has the most left handed pitching.

[Sports Guy]

I’ll take Houston and I agree that all are challenges.

Toronto is right there for me though especially if Mounty isn’t back for the playoffs although it sounds like he will be.

But Toronto has scary pitching and the hitting to match..plus, like someone said, losing to them would suck.

[OriolesMagic83]

21 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I’ll take Houston and I agree that all are challenges.

Toronto is right there for me though especially if Mounty isn’t back for the playoffs although it sounds like he will be.

But Toronto has scary pitching and the hitting to match..plus, like someone said, losing to them would suck.

O's hitting has been way better than the Jays this year.  They have more guys w/ a track record though.

[foxfield]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

If you could avoid one team in the ALDS, what team is it?

The nuanced answer is that you want to avoid the hottest team.  Kansas City was the team we would have chosen and they got extremely hot and no one could beat em.  Everyone is good.  I don't care who it is.  Make em beat us.

[Frobby]

Houston is the team I feel would have the best chance to beat us.  On the other hand, losing to Toronto after beating them 10-3 during the season would be an absolutely unbearable travesty.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, dystopia said:

This is a great point actually. We were 1-5 against the Tigers in 2014 before the playoffs. Would be interesting to see data on this. 

100% guarantee that the data would be indistinguishable from random noise with a touch of true talent thrown in. Things don't magically even out any more than a quarter that's come up heads four times in a row is more likely to be tails the next four. 

[jamalshw]

I honestly don't know. I think the Orioles could beat any of those teams. That said, I also think any of them could win three against us and knock us out. That's the way of the playoffs. I'm not going to be rooting for or against anyone in the wildcard round because if I root for a team to lose and we get the matchup I wanted and they lose, I'm going to be even more depressed about the loss. I'm just going to hope for them to need all 3 games and for both teams to wear out their pitching in the series. 

[Malike]

It makes no difference. We're all looking for the shortcut to the World Series and that doesn't exist. They are going to be playing good teams with good pitching, they need to beat them, whomever it turns out to be.

[Winter]

I guess i'd be going Rangers since they seem to be catching fire right now but they'll likely be div. winners. Prefer not to play Astros just because they've been there done that many times though i think we can beat up on em too. 

[Rbiggs2525]

No real option for me. To be honest any team that doesn’t have the pitchers that throws 93 or less and a bunch of junk. We really struggle with that type of pitcher.

[waroriole]

4 hours ago, clapdiddy said:

I don't really fear any team...but I picked Toronto.   We owned them during the season...those things seem to find a way to even out.

Same here. Just law of averages. 

[webbrick2010]

I vote Mariners, they have shutdown pitching, especially in the bullpen