Looking at the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees squaring off at Yankee Stadium, we've got some mighty interesting things to keep in mind here. Let's start with the men on the mound. The Reds are throwing out Frankie Montas whose ERA is about as appealing as a soggy hotdog at a ballgame. On the other hand, the Yanks' Marcus Stroman has been getting through this season with fewer hits than an AM radio station, although his strikeout ratio isn't exactly causing any shaking in their boots.
On offensive matters, the Reds have lit-up guys who can get on base. We're talking about Mr. Consistency, Jonathan India, and the do-it-all sensation, Elly De La Cruz. But hey, don't discount Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer, who've been handling their bats like self-checkout pros at the supermarket.
As for the Yanks, they've got the big Aaron Judge, who's batting average is so high it's making the rest of the league feel vertigo. And let’s not overlook Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres who add some compelling muscle and agility to the mix.
Recent history between these two teams shows some nail-biters all favoring the Reds. This is enough to make any Yankee fan spill their beer. But don't forget, regular season records display the Yanks playing like they've got a four-leaf clover tucked in their caps, as opposed to the Reds playing like they forgot which end of the bat to hold.
Given the recent results, the Yanks are a little up-and-down like a bad game of ping pong, while the Reds are executing mixed bag maneuvers. With Yankees' home advantage and park factors playing like a stick in the mud for those big hitters, things could get serious.
Having tossed all this into my mental salad spinner, crank it around with the best of 'em and what comes out?
Albert’s Prediction: New York Yankees by 2