Brassball NLCS - Metropolis vs. Fleetwood Series Preview

One year ago, the Metropolis Avengers met the Fleetwood Walkers in the National League Division series that was as close as possible.  It went the full seven games and wasn't decided until the 12th inning when Jose Bautista hit a homer to win the game 1-0 and the series 4-3 for Metropolis. 

This time the teams meet with even more on the line - a trip to the Brassball World Series.  Metropolis is hoping to defend its 2012 Brassball Championship while Fleetwood is looking to claim its first-ever National League Pennant.  Before the series starts, let's take a look at both teams and how they got to the NLCS.

Metropolis had the better record in the regular season, with 117 wins, but despite the gaudy record, the Avengers struggled in extra-inning games (11-10) and one-run games (21-21).  The Walkers won fewer games (108-54) were better at winning the close ones, going 10-4 in extra innings and 28-23 in one-run games.  That is somewhat surprising given the Avengers' dominating bullpen, but it may show the Walkers simply know how to win the close games, something that could be critical in the NLCS.

Metropolis led all of Brassball in pitching, compiling a stunning 2.57 ERA on the season and allowing just 432 runs, a full 179 fewer than Fleetwood allowed with their 3.73 ERA.  On the other hand, Fleetwood led all of Brassball in hitting (.287) and runs (961).  Metropolis was sixth in hitting (.278) and trailed only Fleetwood with 941 runs scored.  Fleetwood also led the league in OBP (.360) and SLG (.475) while Metropolis came in third in OBP (.352) and fourth in SLG (.454).  

Both teams had solid defenses, as well.  Fleetwood fielders had the second fewest errors (77) while Metropolis was in the middle of the pack with 94.  Avenger catchers, however, completely shut down the running game, allowing just 39 stolen bases all season. 

As would be expected for teams in the NLCS, both the Walkers and Avengers have top-tier talent, both on the mound and at bat.  At the plate, Fleetwood is led by MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera's .327/.375/.626 batting line.  He also led all of Brassball with 52 homers, 145 RBIs and 127 runs scored.  Mike Trout was a star in his own right, going .324/.408/.542 and finishing just behind Cabrera with 118 runs scored.  Keeping those two off the bases (and in the park) will go a long way for the Avengers, but it’s obviously easier said than done. 

On the mound, the Walkers will lean heavily on Cy Young candidate Zach Greinke (21-8, 2.79 ERA) and James Shields (17-6 3.54) at the front of their rotation.  Colby Lewis (5-4, 4.17) and Chris Capuano (15-10 4.66) are solid at the back of their rotation, but have been less reliable over the regular season.  

After last year’s early playoff exit, Fleetwood worked hard to rebuild their bullpen.  They made a big trade with Springfield, adding relievers Tom Wilhelmsen (1.46, 14 saves), Santiago Casilla (2.20), and Chris Perez (3.07) from the Isotopes.  Lefty Darren Oliver (2.57) is also likely to play an important role, as he is the rare lefty that can be trouble for right-handed hitters.  Put them together and the Walker bullpen is a clear strong suit, as it compiled a 2.64 ERA on the year, much better than the 4.22 starters' ERA. 

Metropolis has an MVP candidate of its own in centerfielder Andrew McCutchen (.337/.401/.580).  Playing the role of Mike Trout for the Avengers is veteran second baseman Robinson Cano (.290/.349/.490).   Supporting those two stars, the Avengers also rely heavily on platoons at first base, left field and right field, playing the match-up with each day's opposing pitcher.  While that plan worked quite well during the regular season, it could expose Metropolis to the strong Fleetwood bullpen in late inning maneuvers. 

The Avengers really shine on the mound, where their deep rotation and bullpen get a little assistance from their pitcher-friendly home park, the Hall of Justice.  Their undisputed ace is knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who is neck-and-neck with Grienke for the Cy Young after going 21-4 with a 2.49 ERA.  Mid-season acquisition Kris Medlen will likely slot in as the #2 starter, as he was a perfect 8-0 with a 2.06 ERA after coming to Metropolis from Springfield.

As good as the Metropolis starters are (2.81 ERA on the season), their bullpen is even better, combining for a 1.96 ERA.  They are deep with flamethrowers from both the left and right side.  In fact, the highest regular-season ERA for any reliever on the Metropolis post-season roster was Aroldis Chapman's 2.16.  Metropolis has four relievers with ERAs under 2.00 – Huston Street (1.40), Raul Valdes (1.41), Craig Kimbrel (1.56), and Randy Choate (1.80 after coming to Metropolis from Springfield). 

At the end of the day, predicting the outcome of any seven-game series is more of a guessing game than it is a science, and that is particularly true when the teams are as deep, well-matched, and experienced as the Avengers and Walkers.  It would seem that the key may be whether Metropolis can control Cabrera and Trout, but every year there are unexpected post-season heroes.  Instead of Trout or Cano or Dickey or Shields being the star, it may be Franklin Gutierrez or Chris Ianetta that makes the headlines.  It’s postseason baseball between two excellent teams, and no one knows what will happen. 

That’s why they play the games.