Do you feel that? The drama, the tension, the anticipation of our next big clash? The Detroit Tigers will load their bats against the Baltimore Orioles, and when the dust settles, only one can claim victory.
Now, analytics aren't everything, but they usually tell a compelling tale. The Orioles are striding in with our starting man, Corbin Burnes, sitting at a 3.15 ERA and dealing 8.2 K/9. Detroit, however, counters with Keider Montero, who although respectable is still pitching with a 4.68 ERA and 6.9 K/9. Hmm, the scales might be tipping just a bit here.
Detroit is packed with talent, as anyone with an iota of baseball knowledge understands. You have the likes of Zach McKinstry and Matt Vierling, scorching the diamond with .321 and .295 batting averages respectively. Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Parker Meadows will add to this lethal cocktail with a combined total of 15 home runs between them.
In Baltimore, it's not quite as much firepower, though you got Emmanuel Rivera and Gunnar Henderson, both keeping it respectfully above .250. Their resilience and tenacity shouldn't be underestimated, even if their stats don't look as flashy.
Looking at their past skirmishes, well, the Tigers seem to be prowling a bit stronger, taking the majority. Remember though, home cats have sharper claws, and we are playing this one in the Orioles' nests at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which tends to favor those swinging for the fences.
Yeah, yeah, I know. You'll point out that the Orioles have the better regular season record, and you'll be right. But take a gander at the recent matches. Both teams conjured up some great performances, though the Tigers had a tad bit more strike in their pounce.
So, as unpredictable as this beautiful, confounding, utterly addictive game is, I'm placing my prediction with ounces of data, a pinch of gut feeling and topped with a dash of personal bias.
Albert's Prediction: Detroit Tigers by 2