Offense galore in the 2/3 match-up
These two teams find themselves in the most interesting matchup of the weekend. Both teams have crazy firepower and can put up runs in bunches. Both teams improved their seeding from last season, HH (formerly Mets) improving to home field advantage in round 1 and 516 removing themselves from SNL.
HH: this team is loudddd and has some absolute mashers when they are on their game – Dan, Masoom, Ahmad, Harp, Ramy. They have 4 of the top 5 leaders in HRs. They were neck and neck with the Savages for the 1 seed. With some controversy in the beginning of the year, this team is hungry to win and show the league.
516: similar to 516, they have their own mashers – Denen, Anthony and Rafael with solid hitting from Jason. A bit more balanced and not as reliant on the HR ball. They were in danger of dropping to SNL but came out with an impressive sweep of the #1 Savages so this team can turn it on when they need to.
Let’s get in to the matchups:
Catcher
Steve (516) vs Kunal (HH)
Kunal gets the clear nod resurging back to getting those patented tailing RF hits on command and even showing some flashes of his old power. Although a lower avg at .465, Steve is no joke and is a HR threat every time he steps up. HH
Pitcher
Sanjay (516) vs Ali G (HH)
Two veteran pitchers who have both seen the playoff spotlight multiple times. Ali G with a bit more expereince as he has the Baller accolades behind him. Both had pretty decent offensive years; Sanjay hitting .517 and Ali G hitting .550 with an OBP of .617. Sanjay has a tendency to lose the strike zone at times with his unorthodox pitching style so it will be important for him to consistently throw strikes to the patient HH who take a tonn of walks. HH
1b
Anthony (516) vs Masoom (HH)
Probably the closest matchup by position between these two teams. Anthony is having a breakout year at the plate batting .604 and Masoom returning to his MVP days batting .652 (HH best hitter behind Dan). Masoom has the offensive edge but Anthony is clearly the better defensive 1b. Saving bad throws from your IF is important so even though Masoom has the numbers, it’s an even match. Even
2b
Jason (516) vs John (HH)
Jason has been an absolute monster at the plate this year leading his team in avg at .731. Previously an OF but now moving to the middle of the IF giving the old outlaws some burn in the OF. John has yet another solid season under his belt batting .577 and moving to 2b from SS. Although John is the better defender and more experienced at the position, Jason’s fire stick gives 516 the advantage. 516
SS
Kyle (516) vs Dan (HH)
Let’s make this quick. No disrespect to Kyle but .824 avg and 2.029 SLG is hard to be compared against. ¼ of Dan’s Plate appearances have been HRs… HH
3b
Denen (516) vs Bilal (HH)
Although Denen had a slow start to the year, he has resurged back to his old self ending up batting .596. Bilal is a solid defensive 3b, prob one of the best in the league but his bat doesn’t compare to Denen. Denen will be a huge factor if 516 wants two wins off HH. 516
LF
Mauris (516) vs Ramy (HH)
Mauris is a solid player, you get line drives and good defense from him. Ramy previously a LCF made the move to LF this year to give room for Craig to run. Ramy had a down year from his MVP season (MVP hangover? Is that a thing?) batting .571 but he landed top 5 in RBIs so he’s not shy for the big moment (aside from that one final where he struck out 6 times? 7? =0). HH
LCF
Rafael (516) vs Craig (HH)
Another close matchup with two stellar players. Rafael had a great year batting .617 with a 1.217 slugging. Craig had a breakout year at the plate batting .579 with an amazing glove – diving and stealing hits left and right. He’s the 2nd best OF in the league behind Savages TK. Hard to choose between these two guys but Rafael’s power and bat gives him the edge. 516
RCF
Saiful (516) vs Harp (HH)
Veteran players who have both been in the league for a long time. Saiful has made his way around teams but has been quiet this year not yelling his patented “CANNONS!!” Both players had similar offensive years; Saiful batting .525 and Harp batting .544 with similar slugging. Even
RF
Pervez (516) vs Ahmad (HH)
WHO THE HELL IS THIS GUY? Who said Halimi was non-impact? This man is killing the ball and clearing fences left and right. He was leading the league in HRs until his teammate Dan overtook him the last few weeks of the season. Pervez is a solid fielder but had a down year at the plate. HH
Recap
Pretty even matchup and will definitely go to 3 games. HH have a tendency to get HR happy and have a tough time adjusting if their balls are getting caught up in the air. Defense between these teams are pretty even with a slight advantage to HH. Can 516 get those key clutch hits and not leave runners on base? Is Dan coming? Lot in the air but we predict a HH win in 3.
Game 1: HH 14-10
Game 2: 516 9-7
Game 3: HH 9-5
