I mean you know as well as anyone that in baseball a count going from 2-0 to 2-1 or 1-1 to 1-2 changes your entire approach at the plate.
Also the MVP debate will get ramped up for sure, although the postseason doesn't matter. But you can get the media talking heads will bring it up nonstop. Even Costas during Game 1 of Houston-Boston was going on about how Altuve needed to have a good postseason to overcome "other contenders" for the MVP crown.
Well Bob you should know the postseason isn't taken into consideration, but if it was, so far it's been a complete bloodletting:
Judge: 1 for 20, no HR, 2 RBIs, one run, .208 OBP and he struck out an insane 16 of 20 times vs. Cleveland.
Altuve: 8 for 15, 3 HR, 4 RBIs, five runs, .632 OBP and only two strikeouts.
And yet this series probably does not make it to Monday without his catch in game 3 to tie away a HR.
Yeah, that happens with every hitter who comes to the plate. Doesn't mean you K 16 out of 20 times in a series. It's not like he didn't K a lot during the season either, then suddenly came to the postseason and started getting screwed.
I'll say this, he needs to be better. Probably will be at least a couple slugfests in this series, and Houston has a better lineup top to bottom than Cleveland, so NY will need Judge to produce more.
Yankees in 5
Good pitching beats good hitting
They have better rotation, better bullpen, better starting pitching depth, and a lineup that is a relative wash with Houston’s
I can't see how their rotation is better than Keuchel Verlander and Morton. I'm taking those top 3 any day over the top 3 they have. Especially given you have a 4 day rest Tanaka on the road, a rookie in his first road start and a guy in Sabathia who you don't know what you're gonna get from day to day