McAdam: Are the A's or Yankees the tougher first-round opponent for Red Sox?

A year ago, there was no mystery associated with the Red Sox' ALDS opponent. From the final weekend of the regular season, the Red Sox knew they were going to draw the Houston Astros in the first round.

There was no need to wait around for the outcome of the wild-card game.

This year will be different. The Red Sox won't know until late Wednesday night whether they'll be matched up with either the New York Yankees or Oakland A's.

That makes preparation somewhat problematic, especially when you consider that while the Sox have played the Yankees 19 times -- including six times this month -- they have faced the A's only six times, the last being back in May.

"It's more work because you've got to prepare for both of them,'' said Alex Cora. "When (the Astros) got here (last September), we knew it was going to be the (Red Sox), though they were still trying to win the East. But it was just a matter of time. You had plenty of time to prepare for them. It wasn't just that week.

"But right now, we're preparing for Oakland and the Yankees — it's two teams, but two different teams. Actually, the A's are a lot different than the team we saw in May. So it's more work. But that's what we get paid for — digging into the information and preparing for whatever team we play.''

Would the Red Sox be better off facing one team over the other? A look at the variables:
(All statistics through Thursday's action).

RECENT HISTORY

vs. NYY: W-L 9-7;   Average runs per game:  5.94;  Average runs allowed: 5.06
vs. OAK: W-L: 2-4;   Average runs per game:  3.67;  Average runs allowed: 4.17

It's hard to make generalizations when one team has played six games and the other 16 -- and counting. Still, based on their record, it's impossible to not give the edge to the A's.

Edge: OAK

STARTING PITCHING

NYY: Rank: 15th; ERA: 4.00; IP: 854; Batting average against: .246;  Strikeouts: 871
OAK: Rank: 17th; ERA: 4.17; IP: 819.1; Batting average against: .248; Strikeouts: 605

Statistically, there's not much difference here except when it comes to strikeouts, where the Yankees own a huge edge, indicating they have more of a power staff than do the A's.

The Yankees may lack a true No. 1 starter, but they have several veterans, all with postseason experience. A foursome of Luis Severino, J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia is a formidable one.

The A's, by contrast, have been hit hard by injuries to their rotation. Lefty Sean Manaea -- who no-hit the Sox in April -- is out for the year and Trevor Cahill has had numerous DL stints this season for a variety of ailments (strained Achilles; elbow; back) and hasn't pitched well this month. Their best starter over the last two months has been journeyman Mike Fiers, acquired from Detroit at the deadline. Fellow journeyman Brett Anderson and Edwin Jackson round out the rotation.

Edge: NYY

BULLPEN

NYY: Rank: 4th; ERA: 3.30; IP: 576.1 Saves: 48
OAK: Rank: 2nd; ERA: 3.36; IP: 621.1 Saves: 43

The Yankees have the more recognizable names (Aroldis Chapman, Zach Britton, Dellin Betances), but the A's bullpen has been more consistent, led by closer Blake Treinen, who has been the most consistent and dominant closer in the big leagues. The A's also have some quality set-up men in Jeurys Familia and Lou Trivino, to say nothing of the ageless Fernando Rodney.

Chapman, meanwhile, can routinely hit triple digits with his fastball, but the Red Sox have had some success against him, especially this season, and he's prone to periods of wildness. Britton has come on nicely in the last month and looks more like his old self.

Edge: A's

OFFENSE

NYY: Rank: 2nd; Runs: 830; Homers: 260; OPS: .779; Strikeouts: 1,385
OAK: Rank: 3rd;  Runs: 799; Homers: 223; OPS: .766; Strikeouts: 1,348

The Yankees pack more punch, leading the majors in homers, but the two clubs are fairly evenly matched here. And given that the Yankees play in a far more hitter-friendly ballpark, there's probably very little difference between them when you take into account the ballparks in which they play.

Again, the Yankees have the bigger names, but Oakland has the major league leader in homers (Khris Davis), who might be the most unheralded slugger in the game.

Edge: Even

DEFENSE

NYY: Rank: 17th; Errors: 89; Defensive runs saved above average: 29
OAK: Rank: 15th; Errors: 86; Defensive runs saved above average: 15

Defensive statistics -- traditional and metric-based -- are notoriously unreliable. But the A's advantage in defensive runs saved can't be ignored, given that they have almost twice as many as the Yankees.

The Yankees' outfielders are mostly solid, and Aaron Hicks possesses one of the game's most powerful throwing arms. But rookie Miguel Andujar is a disaster at third, and so, too, is Gary Sanchez behind the plate. Meanwhile, A's third baseman Matt Chapman may be the best defender -- at any position -- in the league this year.

Edge: OAK

INTANGIBLES

The A's get the edge in the dugout, where Bob Melvin has long been regarded as one of the best in the game. Aaron Boone, while managing the Yanks to a strong season in his rookie year, is, comparatively speaking, inexperienced in the dugout.

Then there's this: the A's are playing with no pressure, since they weren't expected to be here. That absence of expectations can make for a dangerous team in October.

One mitigating factor for the Yankees (from a Red Sox' standpoint) is ease of travel. It would be a lot easier to fly to New York then it would be to travel cross-country to the Bay Area. One advantage to having home field, of course, is that, either way, the Red Sox would only have to make the trip once.

EDGE: OAK

[democracy id="20"]

RED SOX POSTSEASON SCHEDULE

Division Series

Oct. 5 — Game 1 at Boston
Oct. 6 — Game 2 at Boston
Oct. 8 — Game 3 at New York/Oakland
Oct. 9 — Game 4 at New York/Oakland*
Oct. 11 — Game 5 at Boston*

ALCS (if Boston advances)

Oct. 13 — Game 1 at Boston
Oct. 14 — Game 2 at Boston
Oct. 16 — Game 3 at TBD
Oct. 17 — Game 4 at TBD
Oct. 18 — Game 5 at TBD*
Oct. 20 — Game 6 at Boston*
Oct. 21 — Game 7 at Boston*

* - If necessary