McAdam: ALDS Preview

For Red Sox fans, the two American League Division Series will have a familiar look to them when they get underway Friday night: two of the four remaining teams in the AL postseason are from the East (Yankees, Rays) and combined to make up almost a quarter of the Sox' schedule (combined Red Sox record: 12-26).

A third -- the Houston Astros -- were playoff opponents for the Red Sox in each of the previous two postseasons. In 2017, the Astros beat the Sox in four games in the ALDS and last October, the Sox dethroned the defending world champs in five games in the ALCS.

Finally, the Minnesota Twins round out the field.

Here'a a look at the two ALDS that start Friday:



NEW YORK YANKEES vs. MINNESOTA TWINS

SEASON SERIES: Yankees 4-2

YANKEES STRENGTHS: Offensive might, from top to bottom, leading the majors in runs scored....Bullpen depth, with a handful of high-leverage options, especially since Chad Green has turned things around recently.

YANKEES WEAKNESSES: Starting pitching -- the same as a year ago. Luis Severino is healthy, but he made just a handful of appearances down the stretch. James Paxton is untested in the postseason environment.

TWINS STRENGTHS: In a word: power. The Twins set a record for most homers in a season (307), though that was just one more than the Yankees...The Twins' top two starters -- Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi -- are really good and Odorizzi can neutralize some of New York's RH power (Gary Sanchez, Edwin Encarnacion, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton).

TWINS WEAKNESSES: Minnesota's infield defense is suspect, in a short, closely-contested series, that could be a big factor...Also, while the Twins' bullpen is statistically right there with that of the Yanks, the Twins haven't been on this stage as much.

ANALYSIS: This should be a competitive series. The Twins' history of struggles against the Yankees shouldn't mean much this time around. The series may come down to which team does a better job keeping the ball in the ballpark, especially with three potential games at Yankee Stadium.

PREDICTION: Yankees in five.

TAMPA BAY RAYS vs. HOUSTON ASTROS

SEASON SERIES: Tampa Bay 4-3

RAYS STRENGTHS: Starting pitching, with the prospect of Charlie Morton, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow pitching the first three games....A deep, versatile bullpen well-managed by Kevin Cash.

RAYS WEAKNESSES: Lack of power. The Rays ranked 21st in homers and having to rely on building rallies against the Astros' rotation is problematic....Also, the Rays are unlikely to get much support from their fan base at home, which, after two games in the noisy Minute Maid Park, could be a letdown for a franchise which hasn't been to the postseason in six years.

ASTROS STRENGTHS: Um, their rotation is pretty decent....The bullpen has settled in nicely....The lineup features a number of elite players, all of whom have been exposed to the postseason before.

ASTROS WEAKNESSES: Hard to spot, truthfully. They'll have the weight of expectations on them and anything less than a trip to the World Series will be considered a failure. But that's what happens when you're this good.

ANALYSIS: If you have to play Houston in a playoff series, I guess it's better to get them in a shorter series. In terms of pure stuff, the Rays' rotation can nearly match the Astros. But the Houston lineup will, in the long run, be too tough to overcome.

PREDICTION: Houston in four.