PSO Premium Review: ALCS Game 1

Most Valuable Intel from ALCS Game 1:
1. Biggest breakout star of the playoffs = Randy Arozarena
2. Rays bullpen is the best part of the AL's best team
3. Astros top-5 bats are as good as any in October pic.twitter.com/MkTg65ZGrc

— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) October 12, 2020

1. Randy Arozarena is the MLB’s biggest breakout player of the 2020 postseason

No player has seen their stock rise more over the past two weeks than Tampa Bay Rays OF Randy Arozarena. The former top prospect continues to smash the ball in not only his first postseason, but pretty much his inaugural experience to major league pitching in general as the 25-year-old still possessed rookie eligibility in 2020 and only has 138 career Major League PA’s (including playoffs). The Cuban native has quickly emerged as Tampa Bay’s most consistent and best overall hitter for a lineup that lacks star power. If Arozarena keeps hitting like this, he’ll not only surpass franchise records, but also assert himself as the most promising building block among Tampa’s incredibly impressive collection of young players.   

2. Tampa’s bullpen is the best part of the American League’s best team

While the Houston Astros have the right to be considered the best team in the American League until they lose a 7-game series as they’ve made it this far in the postseason for four straight years. However, that was before their cheating scandal that changed everything and bad karma hitting them like a brick with severe injuries to some key pitchers. If Tampa can get over the hump this year, they take over as the American League’s best team, like they were for the entire 2020 season (on pace for 108 wins in a 162-game season), and it’s all because of their bullpen. Diego Castillo teams with Nick Anderson, Pete Fairbanks, and John Curtiss to lead one of the league’s best relief corps, and they showed up once again with four shutout innings in Game 1.

3. Astros top-5 hitters matches up with any in October

If anyone is judging Houston’s top of the lineup by their 2020 production, this takeaway lacks any kind of credibility. But the “in October” part is key here as Houston has more playoff experience than any team in the postseason with a core group that has learned from playing through these high-leverage situations for the last half a decade. While Houston only scored in Game 1 thanks to Jose Altuve’s lead-off HR, Carlos Correa was just one RBI shy of a division-series record, Alex Bregman is the reigning MVP runner-up, George Springer is the Astros all-time playoff HR leader, and Michael Brantley is about as consistently productive as they come. Plus, they all raked against Oakland and have the confidence to go off at any moment in this series. Don’t expect them to get shutout like this again, even with the Rays proficient pitching staff.