Mr. Hench, the jack of all trades, master of none, was probably too busy thinking about this weekend's college football games to give much thought to baseball. Or perhaps his mind was on the fall TV schedule, his other passion.
Getting back to baseball analysts, which Mr. Hench is not, Dayn Perry, late of Baseball Prospectus, now of Fox Sports, and author of "Winners: How Good Baseball Teams Become Great Ones," reminds us today what makes a quality post-season team: Power pitching. Solid defense. A quality closer. Three ingredients for postseason success.
To judge the quality of closers, Perry suggest using BP's metric, Relievers' Expected Wins Added (WXRL.) By this standard, the Sox are 3rd in MLB, the Yankees 11th. Notch one for the good guys.
To evaluate the starting rotations power number , Perry uses their K/9 numbers. Here the Sox come out 2nd in MLB, the Yankees 13th.
In looking over the teams' defense, he turns to the Plus-Minus System (PM), developed by the smart guys at Hardball Times. Sox third, Yankees ninth.
Perry's conclusion: "As the numbers above show, the Red Sox are clearly the class of baseball when it comes to having the kind of team that thrives in the postseason. The NL is more tightly bunched, but the D-backs and Mets both have what it takes. As for the Yankees, well, it appears their "drought" will continue.
If this is indeed our playoff fray, then don't be surprised if, when all is said and done, we end up with the Red Sox in triumph over the Diamondbacks or Mets."