American League Division Series Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers In what amounts to a clash between two organizations largely built from within, this series features several young stars that are sure to be the face of the American League for years to come. The Rays are the lovable AL East underdogs that beat the odds and overtook the almighty New York Yankees on the final day of the season to win the toughest division in baseball, while the Rangers coasted to a division title that may as well had been signed, sealed and delivered several months ago. The ways in which these two teams settled into their respective playoff positions couldn?t be more different and it brings into question a debate that seems to rear it?s ugly head every year: would you rather wrap up your division early and go into the playoffs rested, or fight your way there until the final day so that your team is actively engaged and ready to take on the baseball world? There really is no right answer, of course, but we are all entitled to our own opinion. Unfortunately, I don?t think anyone?s opinion on the subject really has any influence on the outcome of this series. The Rays went 42-30 against their own division, which is undoubtedly the best in baseball. The Rangers, in comparison, were 32-25 against Western Division foes, a mere 7 games over .500 against decidedly inferior opponents. While both of these teams can create offensive fireworks from a multitude of positions around the diamond with the likes of stars such as Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, Carl Crawford, Vladimir Guerrero, Ian Kinsler, et al, the series will likely come down to the performance of the starting rotations. Cliff Lee is obviously the biggest name starter in the series, but the Rays have the advantage in the depth department. In total, the likely quartet of starters Lee, C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter do not measure up to the likes of David Price, James Shields, Matt Garza and Wade Davis. The Rays hold a distinct advantage in playoff experience, pure stuff as well as pedigree. Prediction: Rays in four New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins For the 15th time in 16 years, the New York Yankees will go into the postseason with the chance to add another trophy to the collection. For a franchise that has accomplished just about everything, one thing they haven?t done before is win the World Series as the American League?s Wild Card entry. In fact, the previous three instances dating back to 1995 have resulted in a first round exit. Maybe this is the chance the Minnesota Twins have been looking for to bounce the team that has ended three of their last four playoff runs? Currently, the Yankees starting rotation past Cy Young candidate C.C. Sabathia is unclear, as no one has set themselves apart from the pack to earn the distinction. The Twins, on the other hand, are set to go with Francisco Liriano, who finally was able to put together a full season cementing himself as a frontline starter, Carl Pavano, ironically facing the team that paid him just under $40 million to make 26 unimpressive starts over a four-year period, and Brian Duensing, who wasn?t moved to the rotation until late July but excelled in the role. There are several key questions that will determine the outcome of this intriguing series: Will the underrated offense of Minnesota be able to get to Yankees? starters early? Will Alex Rodriguez pick up where he left off with the offseason heroics he displayed a year ago? Can the Twins stave off the best offense in baseball long enough to win a short series? Prediction: Twins in five National League Division Series Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia In what seems on the surface to be the most lopsided series in the divisional round, the potent offense of the Reds take on the best, and hottest, for that matter, trio of starting pitchers in all of baseball. The rotation of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt is a manager?s dream (sidenote: Imagine if this team also had Cliff Lee? Sure, they probably wouldn?t have gone out and traded for Oswalt, but I?m sure Philly fans are envisioning what could?ve been.), while the Reds? Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto could potentially be Dusty Baker?s nightmare. In the regular season, the Phillies took five out of seven games from the Reds, possibly foreshadowing what is to come. While the Reds may have had the dynamite in their sticks this season, it has been the Phillies? offense that has been the class of the National League for the past several years. All Philadelphia needs is a couple of their thumpers in the middle of that lineup to come alive and they could run away with this series early. With all that said, Dusty Baker is no stranger to the playoffs, as Cincinnati will be the third organization he has led to the playoffs. However, Baker?s playoff losses have been of mythic proportion, having both the San Francisco Giants Game 6 collapse in the 2002 World Series and the infamous Bartman game to his credit. Will the third time be a charm for the toothpick-wielding field general? Prediction: Phillies in three San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves In what might be the most evenly matched series of the first round, this rematch of the tightly contested 2002 NLDS could possibly wind up generating some epic pitching duels. Neither team is known for their offensive prowess, rather this series pits two of the top three pitching staffs in the National League against each other. The team that moves on to the National League Championship Series might be the one that generates the most creative ways to score runs. Atlanta took the season series with a narrow four to three margin, however, the Braves stumbled to the finish line while the Giants surged to overtake the Padres to claim the National League West crown. Both teams rely on a stellar starting rotation and a reliable bullpen corps, so it might come down to which pitching staff is the hottest. There is no doubt the Giants have this distinction if we isolate the statistics from September 1, through the end of the season. The San Francisco pitching staff posted an other-worldly 1.91 ERA in this time frame, almost a full two runs better than that of the Braves. After a midseason hiccup, Giants? Ace Tim Lincecum seems to be back in the form that earned him back-to-back Cy Young Awards, while his rotation mates Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner have followed suit. As for the Braves, Tim Hudson has put together a Cy Young caliber season and he will be backed up by fellow starters Derek Lowe and Tommy Hanson, who certainly has ace-type stuff, but can be inconsistent at times. All in all, it might prove to be tough for the Braves to overcome their lack of punch on offense without two of their stars, Chipper Jones and Martin Prado, both of whom are out for the playoffs due to injury. The September records of both teams might be a telling tale that indicates who might hold a slight advantage, as the Giants have compiled a record of 19-10 since September 1, while the Braves have tallied a 14-16 record in the same timeframe. Prediction: Giants in five Jason Follain is the Senior Baseball Writer for RealGM.com. Please feel free to send comments, suggestions and feedback to Jason Follain directly at [email protected].