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Nationals Hope Home Field is An Advantage in Game 3 vs. Cardinals

(Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE)

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

After a Series-opening loss to the Nationals that displayed nothing short of a host of failed opportunities for the Cardinals, the Redbirds came back with a significant roar in the second game. The Nationals don’t have any postseason history to refer to, but at a higher level…a Game 1 loss with a Game 2 rebound (and usually a significant one) is par for the course for the Cardinals, at least as far as 2011 is concerned.

Last year’s postseason hustle for the Cardinals may indeed be an exercise in evaluating outcomes with a small sample size, but let’s face it…if there is anything consistent between their postseason performances this season (so far), as compared to last season it’s a rise of unexpected occurrences that result in a nearly improbable finish. Beginning with the one-game Wild Card playoff against the Atlanta Braves, this was fairly established.

Who to Watch for in the Arizona Fall League

Jarred Cosart                           (Karen Warren/Chronicle)

With the Arizona Fall League starting earlier today, let's take a quick look at some of the prospects to watch on each team.

By Jared Thatcher | @Jared_Thatcher

Mesa Solar Sox

Solar Sox appear to have a weak pitching staff, but will field a very strong outfield this year with a handful of top prospects.

Pitchers of note: Jarred Cosart (Astros), Steven Rodriguez (Dodgers)

Cosart will still be a starter although I expect him to be transitioned to a reliever at some point. Rodriguez is the youngest pitcher on the staff, but look for him to have a great AFL.

Infielders of note: Javier Baez (Cubs), Jonathan Singleton (Astros)

Baez rocketed up prospect lists with a strong showing between two levels this season and should get some good work in the AFL. The extra playing time should help Singleton and Houston desperately needs him to break out and be a contributor soon.

Outfielders of note: Nick Castellanos (Tigers), Joc Pederson (Dodgers), Yasiel Puig (Dodger), Matt Szczur (Cubs), George Springer (Astros)

This could be the best outfield in the AFL this year. Most of them are top 100 prospects and I expect Pederson (the youngest) to really up his prospect status. Go to a Solar Sox game just to watch the outfield.

Yankees vs. Orioles: Looking Ahead To the Remainder of the ALDS

(Patrick Semansky/AP)

By Bernadette Pasley | @LadyBatting

It should not surprise anyone that the ALDS series between the Orioles and Yankees is tied at a game apiece. These two teams know quite a bit about ties. After all, they sat tied atop the AL East for what seemed like the entire month of September. They split their last regular season series of the year. They split their 18-game season series. Even Game 1 of the ALDS was tied at 2 for four long innings on Sunday night.

Things will remain tied today, a travel day before the series resumes tomorrow night in the Bronx. All the remaining games will be at Yankee Stadium, which leads one to believe that the Yankees now have home field advantage. But, do they really? I don’t think so.

The Education of Mike Matheny

(Paul Nordmann/Getty Images)

--This column was originally written for the September issue of our e-magazine. The October issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine launched recently so be sure to check that also.

By Daniel Shoptaw | @C70

For years, the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans knew what they had in the dugout. With Tony La Russa, a Hall of Famer just waiting for the official call, there was a comfortable familiarity that was similar to wearing an old sweater. Sure, it could itch you and drive you crazy, but it fit well, you knew where it was going to be itchy and it made you look good in public.

Cardinal fans knew all the drawbacks with La Russa and had the memes to fall back on. Tony hated young players. Tony would always stick with the veteran. Tony would use five pitchers to get four outs whether he needed to or not. You knew the arguments, you knew the counterarguments, and you knew that Tony was always going to do something that would likely drive you crazy but he had the gravitas to get away with it.

Winning two World Series in the last five years of his career softened a lot of the criticism and second-guessing that La Russa got and even the harshest of critics were more likely to shake their heads and say, “That’s Tony” after another questionable call blew up on the Cardinals. While people still didn’t agree with his over-reliance on platoon splits and small sample sizes, he’d earned the right to pull a Frank Sinatra and do it his way.

Oakland Tries to Stay Alive in the ALDS

( Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

By Devin Pangaro | @devinpangaro

The Oakland Athletics are in a hole. A deep, dark cavernous abyss to be sure, but not entirely bottomless as they attempt to dig themselves out of the 0-2 disadvantage they currently find themselves in. They can really only blame themselves. While one can attempt to rationalize a 3-1 loss to Justin Verlander as nothing to be bent out of shape over, Sunday's loss was excruciatingly painful to watch unfold.

Solid relief pitching and sound defense, the two constants of this Oakland team suddenly failed them. The ever reliable Coco Crisp, a man whose defensive reputation for making highlight reel plays precedes him, suddenly cannot make a routine catch?

How did the three-headed relief monster of Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook, and Grant Balfour suddenly quiver in the cold, hostile territory of Detroit surrendering multiple late game runs?
Are my eyes playing tricks?

Perhaps this isn't the team that came within one game of leading the American League in wins. Perhaps the walk-offs and the good feelings are over. Perhaps, the A's will head home, bow to the home fans one last time and die by the sword for a final time in 2012.

Jose Altuve’s Short Story

(AP Photo)

By Bernadette Pasley | @LadyBatting

There were many interesting storylines in the 2012 regular season. Miguel Cabrera’s Triple Crown, seven no-hitters, and the amazing runs of the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland A’s all grabbed the headlines this year. But there was also another story, one that went on in Houston, Texas, that I enjoyed following. I am not sure why. Perhaps it was because it demonstrated determination to succeed in the face of obstacles. Or, maybe it was because it was just a cute and, at times, funny story. That story was Jose Altuve.

At 5’5”, Jose Altuve was the shortest player in Major League Baseball in 2012. An All Star and the Houston Astros’ most valuable player, he batted .290 with seven home runs, 37 RBI and 33 stolen bases. But his height was more a topic of conversation than his stats were. The media and fans alike enjoyed watching the pint-sized second baseman from Venezuela put together a fine first full season in the Majors. One fan even devised a unit of measurement called Official Standard Listed Altuves (OSLA). If you go to his blog How Many Altuves? you can type in any height or distance in feet, and the number of Altuves (height or distance times 5’5”) will be calculated for you.

Review process for players with 2013 contract options begins now for non-playoff teams

(J. Meric/Getty Images )      

By Nathan Aderhold | @AdrastusPerkins

As 10 teams begin their quest to World Series glory today, the other 20 are already laboring over how to best begin their offseason. The first step heading into the winter for many of these squads is the quandary of whether or not to exercise the contract options they have on players for the 2013 season.

Teams only have until a few days after the conclusion of the World Series to decide on picking up options for the following year giving front offices about a month from Game 162 to square everything away. While these options typically manifest themselves in four varieties – club, mutual, player and vesting – an overwhelming majority (49 of the 54) are club options*. In fact, there is not a single player option for 2013 and the only two vesting options still on the table – Brett Myers and Alex Gonzalez – did not actually vest, making the players effectively free agents.

Final Regular Season MLB Power Rankings - October 4, 2012

By Chris Carelli | @Chris_Carelli

The road to the World Series begins on October 5 with the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals set to face off against the team they caught from behind last season to reach the 2011 playoffs, the Atlanta Braves in the afternoon play-in game. In the night game the Texas Rangers meet the Baltimore Orioles after each team succumbed to their division competitors in the final days of the regular season.

The division series this year will run in a 2-3 format, with the lower seed hosting the first two games of the series and then the final three games will be played in the higher seed's park.

The winner of each one game playoff mentioned earlier will determine who gets to welcome the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees to their respective ballparks. In the other matchups, the San Francisco Giants will host the Cincinnati Reds, and the Oakland Athletics will travel to Detroit to face the Tigers.

As for the rest of the league this is a time to evaluate the year and begin to shape rosters for the 2013 season. So, here are the final regular season rankings. Please let us know what you think in the comments below.

Scouting Notebook featuring Byron Buxton

(William DeShazer/Naples Daily News)

By Nathaniel Stoltz | @stoltz_baseball

In the September issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine, I wrote up a “scouting notebook” of sorts with my thoughts about players I had seen in person in the past month. I’ve had the opportunity to see over a dozen games involving several highly-touted prospects, encapsulating the Carolina League, the South Atlantic League, and the Appalachian League. Here are my thoughts on some of the most notable names I saw—I have more to share beyond this, but that can wait until next month!

Byron Buxton, OF, Twins (Rookie-Advanced Elizabethton)

Buxton, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, clearly boasts all sorts of tools. He’s got wiry strength, power projection, and plenty of athleticism. However, he’s just 18 and has a lot standing between himself and the majors; at times, he looked like the rawest player on the field in the Appalachian League, taking fastballs down the middle, waving at curves in the dirt ten inches off the plate, and misplaying balls in the outfield. But for every head-scratching play he makes, he’ll wow you with something you don’t expect an 18-year-old to be able to do, like pull his hands inside a fastball on the inside corner and rip it to left field, or lay down a perfect drag bunt. He clearly has first-division upside if he can refine his game, but at this stage, any number of developmental paths are possible. Just because his issues are theoretically fixable doesn’t necessarily mean they will be fixed, after all. As with former Twins first-round outfielder Aaron Hicks, it could be years before we know quite how well Buxton’s tools will translate.

One NL Wildcard Spot Left, Final Series Preview

(AP Photo)

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

--Standings as of end of play 9/30/12--

Atlanta Braves (clinched Wild Card 1)

Entering their final series of the regular season, math is now on the side of the Braves as they head for Pittsburgh with sole possession of the first Wild Card slot in the National League. This will be a no-pressure series for the Braves; no offense against the Pirates intended. With their 20th record-setting consecutive losing season officially in the books, the Pirates have nothing left to play for but their pride. The Braves, however, have turned their playoff push into reality this season, where last season they fell short by one game. What’s ultimately ironic about this is that while they have certainly earned the Wild Card slot they now proudly possess, if the Cardinals continue their push they will be in the same boat they were in last year…facing the very same upstart team that previously upset their chances for an NLDS appearance, albeit this time, facing them quite literally in a one-game playoff.

Matchups:

10/1 Maholm (13-10) v Locke (0-3)

10/2 Hanson (13-9) v Correia (11-11)

10/3 Hudson (16-7) v Burnett (16-9)