JOHN BURNS FIELD: SUNDAY 08/03 @ 1:30PM
RECAP
Game 1: Savages win 20-5.
Game 2: Savages win 19-7.
Game 3: Rained out.
Game 4: Rained out.
Savages won both games the teams played during the season via mercy fashion. Not many take regular season results very seriously, and this matchup shows why. Mets, who are laden with veterans; used the regular season as a warmup to their real season: Playoffs. However, there are some red flags there. They are 0-6 against the top two teams in the league (Ducks and Savages). They finished with the third seed in the league but has done most of their damage against the bottom half of the league. But their top 3 players are littered in the American League leaderboards.
Savages are the defending champions and have played all season like they are still dealing with championship hangover. That spark is missing, and besides their new additions Dex and JQ, all other starters have played a step behind this season. They lost Shawn Abraham from the outfield which weakened their defense, and lost their ace Yasar Bokhari during the offseason, and they have struggled in that position ever since. Can they turn it on when the lights shine the brightest?
CATCHER:
Dex Ortiz (Savages) vs Kunal Sra (Mets)
Dex Ortiz in his first year in the league is the prohibitive Rookie of the Year winner as well as a MVP candidate. He finished the season batting .771 batting average as well one of the leaders in runs with 35 runs in only 14 games. He usually bats in the top 3 of the lineup and he gets on base in a great clip. His defense however is shaky and that is why he plays catcher for the team.
Kunal is the defending MVP winner in SASL and has had another fantastic seasons to his Hall of Fame resume. He batted .641 this season and is in the middle of every Mets rally. In his prime, he used to hit for more power and played a solid OF. However, he is now relegated to playing catcher and hitting singles and doubles. Everyone knows he is a hitter who likes to go opposite field, so the right side of Savages is key if they want to keep Kunal off of the bases.
Advantage: Savages.
PITCHER:
Aasheesh Shravah (Savages) vs Ali Ghumman (Mets)
Aasheesh has taken the pitching role quite well for this team. While he brings a very weak bat to the lineup, he doesn’t walk many on the mound. He is also a very fiery player, who can get under the other teams skin. We have to wait and see if the Savages go with Aasheesh who is a good pitcher, over a worse pitcher but better bat on Sunday.
Ali comes in as the winningest pitcher in SASL history and he has a history of coming up clutch in big games. While some claim he uses dirty tricks like quick pitch, the proof is in the pudding. His team consistently is near the top of the standings, and he keeps his teams in the game more often than not. While his bat isn’t quite what it was a few years ago, he still hit near .500 for the season.
Advantage: Mets.
FIRST BASEMEN:
Jeremiah Morales (Savages) vs Masoom Siddiqui (Mets)
Jeremiah is the prototypical first basemen who hits for power. He led the team with 10 home runs and 42 rbis for the season. The power also comes with some holes in the swing as he has hit .529 for the season. He usually comes with a lot of runners on base, so it is essential he comes thru with runners on base. Jeremiah is very solid at first base on defense with the glove albeit with limited range. Overall, he is one of the best first basemen in the league and has had a terrific rookie season.
Masoom, is another one of those legends the Mets have in their teams. Veteran leadership, solid first base glove, and a deadly bat when he is on. At one point in his career, he was the premier power hitter in the league. He still hit a solid .525 for the season with 28 rbis. With a short right field fence in John Burns, he could not have asked for a better field for his pull heavy lefty swing.
Advantage: Savages.
SECOND BASEMEN:
Pavy Badwal (Savages) vs. Ibrahim Mozawalla (Mets)
Pavy is one of the best hitters in the league, bar none. He led the team with a .782 batting average and usually hits in the cleanup spot. There aren’t many more feared hitters in the league than Pavy. He brings his experience, savvy, knowledge of the game along with his elite skills. It is key that the table setters get on base for him to drive them in. Pavy’s defense has been a big question during his Savages career and that mainly comes in to focus due to his lack of range and inaccurate arm. In the playoffs, smart teams will aim for the weak spots, and Pavy is more than capable of making the big plays in the clutch moments.
Ibrahim is still learning the ropes and is bing thrust in the spotlight here. He finished with a very weak .372 BA but hit 3 home runs. So we know he has some pop, but can he be consistent? In such big games, we don’t expect him to be much of a factor.
Advantage: Savages.
SHORTSTOP:
Hashim Naveed (Savages) vs. John Sans (Mets)
Hashim Naveed, a perennial MVP candidate, has had his worst season as a SASL player. What does that look like? Almost a .600 avg, with 34 runs, 6 home runs and a 1.9 OPS. That is how good this player is. Always a top 3 pick in any SASL draft, he is known as a magician in the field, and the engine that makes the team go. He will need to wreak havoc all over the field, if the Savages want to win Sunday.
Take Hashim out, and John is easily the best SS in the American League. He makes diving plays, as well as the routine plays. The leader on the field, John makes sure the Mets are also positioned properly. His bat has been rather quite this season, where he finished just above .500. But he’s just a couple of seasons removed from a MVP candidate, and players like John shows up to the biggest games.
Advantage: Savages.
THIRD BASE:
Anwar Sadat (Savages) vs. Usman Ghumman (Mets)
Anwar has always had a solid bat in his SASL career and finished the 2018 campaign with a nice .571 average while driving in 24 runs. While his lack of speed means, there are a lot of singles, he isn’t asked for much power with so much pop around him. His job is to pass the baton along and get on base any way possible. We can also see Anwar on the mound, if Savages decide to go with Aasheesh on the bench for another bat, which will be an interesting move as 516 and Ducks crushed his pitching.
Usman, is far removed from his All-Star heydays, when he was known as one of the best outfielders in the game. After years of injuries, now it is hard to watch him run gingerly on the field. He finished with a career worst .354 bating average. A player like Usman is invaluable to a team due to his leadership, high character and grit. But his best days are far behind him.
Advantage: Savages.
LEFT FIELD:
Irfan Musliwala (Savages) vs Ramy Abdelhamid (Mets)
Last year, Irfan was the leadoff hitter for Savages, and finished the season as one of the runs leaders as well as a .600+ BA. This year? He barely registers as a impact player with a subpar .458 batting average and only 10 rbis. That is bad when you realize he almost leads the team in at bats. His defense is still excellent and he has one of the best arms in the league. Can he step up and be the X-Factor in this series? He is more than capable of it, but where will his focus be?
Ramy is having his finest season in a long SASL career and is a top 5 MVP candidate this year. His defense is still very solid, although teams can still run on his arm. But his bat is what makes him so darn valuable. He is one of the most intimidating players to pitch to, and he finished his season at .678 BA, along with a 2.1 OPS. Elite player. Mets must get baserunners in front of him, because you can count on him to bring them home.
Advantage: Mets.
LEFT CENTERFIELD:
Charley Robinson (Savages) vs. Harpreet Chadha (Mets)
This maybe the closest of all the matchups. Both are former MVP’s. Charley started his season very slow, but came back on FIRE after the All Star Break. He finished his season close to his usual numbers albeit a drop in power. Finishing with .672 batting average, he only hit 6 home runs. Usually, Charley is one of the league leaders in Home runs. Entrenched in the 3 hole, he is trusted to drive in Hashim and Dex. He also plays the LCF, which may be the most important position in the field. While he doesn’t have a lot of speed, he is very smart and sure handed.
Hapreet is having a typic Harpeet season. Avg in the .650’s with 52 rbis. This guy is one of the best cleanup hitters in the league. Kunal and Ramy gets on base? You are in trouble with Harpreet at the dish. His defense has slipped a bit from his best days, but he can still make the sure plays. It will be interesting to see if Mets put Harpreet in the outfield against the power hitters of the Savages.
Advantage: Even.
RIGHT CENTERFIELD:
Saeed Anwar (Savages) vs. Craig Cymerman (Mets)
Saeed finished his rookie season last year with a championship while starting in the OF. With such valuable experience, we expected him to take a leap in his second year. He only managed to hit .356 this season. For some teams, that won’t get you in the starting lineup. However, his defense and speed is necessary in the Savages team and that makes him a important player. If he can get on base from the bottom of the lineup that is gravy. All he is asked to do, is to play solid fundamental softball in Defense. Everything else is just extra.
Craig brings a lot of speed, an elite glove and range, but mediocre bat. He is one of the best OF’ers in the AL and it is very smart for Mets to use him RCF with so many of Savages hitters liking to hit to that side. His bat is still in progress, but when he hits a gapper, he can scamper home with his speed. Not many talk about Craig, but we should. He is the type of player that can change the complexion of a game from both his defense and offense.
Advantage: Mets.
RIGHT FIELD:
VJ Samaroo (Savages) vs. Naveed Ahmed (Mets)
VJ is another player like Saeed who won in his first year in the league. He is a very solid player with top notch speed. Once he gets on base, he can motor around the base paths like few others. His defense is shaky. If the ball lands in front of him, he does not position himself to stop the ball, instead elects to make the harder play of getting it from the side. This can cost you at crucial times. He is not a power hitter judging by his stats, but he finished his season above .500 and from the bottom of the lineup that is huge.
Naveed is one of the most underrated players in SASL history. From his Ballers days, no one ever talks about him. How does a player hit .640 with a solid glove go so under the radar? Maybe it is because he hardly ever speaks out. He is a true glue guy. He can play at 2b as well, but we expect him to see playing in RF with Kunal being limited and we are confident he will make every single routine play.
Advantage: Mets.
BENCH:
SAVAGES: Zulfikar Musliwala, Manju Shanmugam and Ali Musliwala
METS: Manpreet Singh, Bilal Lateef, Sikander Dhillon
There are no true X-Factors here. All are having average seasons and all are decently versatile. Overall Savages have the edge with Zulfikar as the best bat of the bunch and Manju and Ali capable of giving good innings in case of injury.
Advantage: Savages.
KEYS SAVAGES:
1. Fire and Hunger: Where is that spark we saw last year where they were relentless? The championship hangover is real. Can captains Zulfikar and Charley get them focused?
2. Defense in the right side: Kunal, Ali, Usman, Ramy, Naveed, etc all go to the opposite side where traditionally you have your weakest defender. Can Savages players step up?
3. Pitching: Yasar is gone. Can Aasheesh handle the limelight?
KEYS FOR 516:
1. Win in 2: If the series goes 3, can Kunal, Masoom, Usman etc be a factor? The old legs might go, so they need to win in 2.
2. Bottom of lineup: TURN THE LINEUP OVER! Get Ramy, Harp and Kunal as many at bats as possible. Get on via walk, error, bloops, anything.
3. Infield defense: Besides John, do you trust Masoom, Ibrahim or Usman to cover much ground. It will be a long day if they can’t make the routine plays.
PREDICTION:
SAVAGES IN 3. SAVAGES WIN GAME 1, METS WIN GAME 2.
