The following are my rankings of the eight Major League Baseball playoff teams in five distinct categories - hitting, starting rotation, bullpen, defense and intangibles.

Hitting (MLB runs scored rank in parentheses)

1. Boston (1): To say that the Red Sox offense is explosive is an understatement. The Sox lineup boasts seven players with 19 or more home runs, eight players with 80 or more RBIs and four .300 hitters. The team batted .289 this season, hit 238 home runs and broke the major league record for extra base hits in one season. The 2003 Sox had a higher slugging percentage than the '27 Yankees. Even the Sox #9 hitter, Jason Varitek, hit 25 homers and drove in 85 runs. Pitching and defense wins championships, but it doesn’t hurt to have one of the most potent lineups in major league history.
   
   
2. Atlanta (2): The Braves are known for their pitching, but this year it was the Braves offense that received most of the attention. Gary Sheffield (.329, 39 HR, 131 RBI), Chipper Jones (.303, 27 HR, 106 RBI) and Javy Lopez (.327, 43 HR, 109 RBI) all had MVP-caliber seasons. Those three, along with Andruw Jones (.275, 36 HR, 116 RBI) give the Braves the most potent mid-lineup in baseball. Second basemen Marcus Giles is the fourth Braves regular with a .300 or better average.
   
   
3. New York (4): Make no mistake, the Yankees lineup is dangerous. Three Bronx Bombers drove in more than 100 runs (Matsui, Giambi, Posada) though only one batted higher than .300 (Derek Jeter). The Yankees could certainly use a little more production from Aaron Boone (.247 as a Yankee) and Jason Giambi (.228 with 34 RBIs in the second half). Alfonso Soriano is always a threat (37 HR). The Yankees can also hurt you with their legs. The were ninth in baseball in stolen bases with 98.
   
   
4. Minnesota (9): The Minnesota Twins finished 5th in major league baseball in batting average and 9th in runs scored. They have no big slugger to rely on like most of the other playoff teams so they use their speed to manufacture runs. Torii Hunter is the only Twin with more than 20 homers (26) and 75 RBIs (101). It should also be noted that Hunter batted only .249 this season. Four Minnesota regulars batted .300 or better (Shannon Stewart, AJ Pierzynski, Jacque Jones and Doug Mientkiewicz). There is clearly a large gap between the top three and bottom five offensive teams in the playoffs.
   
   
5. Florida (16): The Florida Marlins received a second dose of good news this week when Mike Lowell returned to the lineup after missing a month with a broken left hand. If Lowell can contribute in the Playoffs, the Marlins chances of advancing will skyrocket. Lowell had 32 HR and 105 RBI before his injury. Other than Lowell, speed is the Florida Marlins greatest weapon. The Fish stole a major league leading 149 bases in 2003, 53 more than any other team in the playoffs. Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo give the Marlins the best 1-2 punch among postseason contenders. Each player batted over .300 and together they swiped 85 bases (64 by Pierre). Derrek Lee smashed 31 homers and drove in 91 and Jeff Conine could also prove to be a great addition. He’s batted only .241 as a Marlin but came up with some huge homeruns last week against the Phillies.
   
   
6. Chicago (20): It looked like the Cubs were finished when Corey Patterson suffered a season-ending injury in early July, but the Cubs went out and acquired Aramis Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Randall Simon to fill in the gaps. Lofton has been the biggest surprise, batting .327, scoring 38 runs and stealing 12 bases in 54 games as a Cub. Getting a big series or two out of Moises Alou (22 HR, 91 RBI) will be important for the Cubs, but nothing will matter more than the play of Sammy Sosa. As Sosa goes, so go the Cubs. In spite of injuries and the corked bat incident, Sosa managed to blast 40 homers and drive in more than 100 runs for the sixth year in a row. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez also has a knack for hitting game-winning homers at Wrigley.
   
   
7. Oakland (14): Oakland’s hitting was anemic for most of the season. The A’s batted only .255 as a team (6th worst in baseball) but were in the middle of the pack in runs scored and homeruns. Outside of Miguel Tejada, the A’s lineup doesn’t scare anyone except the Tigers. Despite a slow start, Tejada batted .278 with 27 HR and 106 RBI. Like Tejada, Eric Chavez picked it up in the second half and batted .282 with 29 HR and 101 RBI for the season. Erubiel Durazo batted only .257 but his patience at the plate is an asset. He walked 100 times this season.
   
   
8. San Francisco (17): The Giants had only one regular with an average higher than .300, only one player with more than 20 homeruns, only one player who scored 90 or more runs and one player with 80 RBIs or more. In all four cases, it was the same player – Barry Bonds. The San Francisco offense is not very imposing as evidenced by the fact that Bonds was walked an amazing 28% of his at bats in 2003. The Giants second biggest threat is Marquis Grissom who hit 20 homers and drove in 79 while batting .300. Despite having Bonds in the lineup, the Giants were in the bottom half of the league in runs scored and batting average. Opponents pitched around Bonds all season and they will have no problem continuing that trend in the postseason.

Starting Rotation (starter's ERA in parentheses)

1. Chicago (3.70): The one club that was not able to set their rotation they way they wanted was the Cubs. They did, however, benefit from clinching on Saturday. That enabled Dusty Baker to save Kerry Wood, who was scheduled to pitch Sunday, for Game One against the Braves. The Cubs best hurler, Mark Prior pitched Saturday and thus will be forced to wait until Game Three for his first postseason start. Prior has been unstoppable since returning from injury in early August. Since then he is 10-1 with an ERA of 1.52. Overall, Prior was 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA. Carlos Zambrano, who will start in Game Two, and Kerry Wood finished with ERAs of 3.11 and 3.20, respectively. If Dusty goes with a four-man rotation Matt Clement (13-12, 4.22) would likely get the call in Game Four.
   
   
2. New York (4.04): Right behind the Cubs are the Yankees, whose top four starters each won at least 64% of their starts and had ERAs of less than 4.25. David Wells is probably the best #4 starter among the playoff teams and has plenty of postseason experience, not unlike his counterparts. How deep is the Yankees rotation? Roger Clemens (17-9, 3.91) will start in Game Three.
   
   
3. Atlanta (4.16): The faces have changed but the Braves rotation remains one of the best in baseball. The Braves top three of Russ Ortiz, Greg Maddux and Mike Hampton combined for 50 wins and each has a solid ERA between 3.80 and 4.00. This is not the unhittable Braves rotation of the past, but with their offense, they don’t need to be.
   
   
4. Oakland (3.59): Oakland’s rotation might be considered the best in baseball if not for the injury to Mark Mulder. Tim Hudson (16-7, 2.70 ERA) has been brilliant all season and will be a formidable foe for Pedro Martinez in Game One of the ALDS. Barry Zito has not quite lived up to his Cy Young performance of last season, but still finished with 14 wins and a 3.22 ERA. He has pitched very well in September (3-1, 2.60). Another lefty, Ted Lilly will replace Mulder as the A’s #3 starter in the playoffs. After a terrible first half, Lilly has been brilliant. He’s 7-3 since the break and was 4-0 with a 0.40 ERA in September (not including Sunday's meaningless game at Seattle where Lilly gave up 5 runs).
   
   
5. San Francisco (3.85): San Francisco may have the best #1 starter in the National League in Jason Schmidt whose 17-5 record and 2.34 ERA could earn him second place in the NL Cy Young award (Eric Gagne is a lock). Sidney Ponson is only 3-6 since coming over from Baltimore, but that is not entirely his fault as his 3.71 ERA will attest. Lefty Kirk Rueter is 10-5 overall and was 3-0 with 3.67 ERA in September. Twenty-one year old righthander Jerome Williams (7-5, 3.30) is scheduled to pitch in Game Four.
   
   
6. Florida (3.93): The Florida Marlins are also expected to go with a four-man rotation in the first round of the playoffs. The Marlins with go with the hot hand of Josh Beckett (3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in September) in Game One. He'll be followed by Brad Penny (14-10, 4.13), Mark Redman (14-9, 3.59) and Dontrelle Willis (13-6, 3.41). Willis has struggled (4-5, 4.91 since the All Star break) after his remarkable start to the season, but seemed to regain his mojo down the stretch.
   
   
7. Boston (4.30): The month away from the mound at midseason may have been the best thing to happen to Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox this season. This is the sharpest that Pedro has been at this time of the year since 1998. Clearly, the Red Sox cannot make a run for the pennant if Pedro does not bring his best stuff to the playoffs. After a tough start, Derek Lowe has turned things around and looks like the bona fide #2 starter that he was last season. Lowe ended the year 17-7 and has a 2.97 ERA over his last nine starts. Grady Little will use Lowe in Game Three of the Division Series because he has pitched so well at Fenway. Tim Wakefield will start Game Two. Wake has pitched very well in September (2.15 ERA) after a shaky August. John "Bad First Inning" Burkett will probably get the call in Game Four if the Red Sox are ahead in the series. Otherwise, it will be Pedro on three days rest.
   
   
8. Minnesota (4.70): It looks like Johan Santana (12-3, 3.07) will be Ron Gardenhire's choice to start Game One against the Yankees with Brad Radke and Kyle Lohse taking the mound in Games Two and Three. It could be Santana or lefty Kenny Rogers in Game Four. The bad news for Twins fans is that Kyle Lohse, Brad Radke and Kenny Rogers each had ERA’s above 4.50 this season. The good news is that Lohse was 8-2 with an ERA of 3.70 over the last two months, Kenny Rogers was 5-3 with a 3.25 ERA over the same period and Radke was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in September. I have rated the Twins last among playoff rotations based on their overall season performance, but there is no question that this group could be tough in the postseason.

Bullpen (bullpen ERA in parentheses)

1. Oakland (3.60): Unlike many closers of today, Keith Foulke is a guy who is capable of pitching more than one inning. Foulke accomplished this feat 15 times this season on his way to a 9-1 record and 43 saves in 48 chances. Foulke also gave up 10 homeruns this season which could be important as he faces a Red Sox lineup that hit 238 dingers in 2003. Chad Bradford and lefty Ricardo Rincon did a great job setting up Foulke.
   
   
2. Minnesota (3.73): The Twins have a very reliable closer in lefthander “Everyday” Eddie Guardado, who saved 41 in 45 chances, and a solid set-up man in Latroy Hawkins, who had an impressive 1.86 ERA in 74 appearances. JC Romero has had a bad season, but pitched well during the final four weeks of the season.
   
   
3. San Francisco (3.49): Tim Worrell has hardly been automatic this season in the closer role. Worrell has blown 7 of 45 save chances and the Giants lost four of those games. His 2.87 ERA is high for a closer. Take away the closer role and the Giants probably have the best bullpen among playoff teams. They have a dependable group including Joe Nathan, Felix Rodriquez and lefty Scott Eyre.
   
   
4. New York (4.04): The Yankee bullpen was as shaky as Boston’s for most of the season but they seem to have regained some consistency over the past month. Mariano Rivera had major problems in August, but saved nine games without giving up an earned run in September. Lefthander Chris Hammond has been excellent since the All Star break though Jeff Nelson and Gabe White have struggled.
   
   
5. Atlanta (4.01): John Smoltz had nearly as good a season as Eric Gagne. The former starter saved 45 of 49 games and had a minuscule 1.12 ERA this season. His health status remains a concern for Braves fans. Smoltz was sidelined with tendinitis in his right elbow and has pitched only four times since August. Lefty Ray King, Roberto Hernandez, Kevin Gryboski and Trey Hodges have all had problems at times for Atlanta. Lefty Kent Mercker proved to be an excellent midseason acquisition. He has a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings in his third tour of duty with the Braves.
   
   
6. Chicago (4.15): Joe Borowski came out of nowhere to become the Cubs closer in 2003 after Antonio Alfonseca was injured early in the season. Borowski saved 33 in 37 chances with a 2.63 ERA. Alfonseca has struggled all season (5.83 ERA), but the Cubs have the benefit of two solid lefties in Mark Guthrie (2.81 ERA) and Mike Remlinger as well as righty Kyle Farnsworth.
   
   
7. Florida (4.32): The Florida Marlins have something that no other playoff team does – two closers. Braden Looper held the closer role for most of the season, but blew back to back saves in mid-September. Since then, veteran Ugueth Urbina has been closing games for Manager Jack McKeon. Uggie has been excellent since joining the Marlins with a 1.41 ERA and has four saves in the past week. Chad Fox has also been an excellent late season acquisition (2.13 ERA) after being released by the Red Sox (D'oh!).
   
   
8. Boston (4.83): The Red Sox bullpen has been in a word, atrocious. The faces have changed over the course of the season, but the results - or should I say, lack of results - have been similar. The Scott’s – Williamson and Sauerbeck – haven’t been able to get anyone out since joining the Sox. Sauerbeck has not been able to find the strike zone, walking 18 in 16 2/3 innings in a Boston uniform. The good news is that Byung-Hyun Kim has not allowed an earned run since August 30th. Unfortunately, his problems against the Yankees are well-documented. Red Sox starters are not exactly workhorses so the bullpen will be tested in the playoffs. If they cannot turn things around, the Sox will be golfing soon.

Defense (fielding percentage rank in parentheses)

1. Minnesota (5): Two-time gold glover Torii Hunter is a one-man highlight reel in centerfield. Hunter is so good that fans are shocked when he doesn't make the spectacular catch. Hunter is not the only Twin that is among the league's best. Doug Mientkiewicz has won a gold glove at first base. Cristian Guzman has fought injuries but remains near the top of the league in fielding percentage as does third baseman Corey Koskie. The Twins are a team that almost never hurts itself with poor defense and will often save a game with their gloves.
   
   
2. Florida (3): The Marlins have played excellent defensive at nearly every position. Catcher Ivan Rodriquez may be a bit past his prime but he remains one of the best in the game and forces would-be base stealers to think twice before testing him. The double-play combination of Luis Castillo and Alex Gonzalez (one of two Alex Gonzalez's playing shortstop in the NL playoffs) is one of the best among the postseason contenders. Third baseman Mike Lowell was first in the NL in fielding percentage and participated in 27 double plays despite missing a month. Centerfielder Juan Pierre and Rightfielder Juan Encarnacion combined for only three errors all season.
   
   
3. San Francisco (4): The Giants are a steady defensive team with a pretty good outfield. Eight-time gold glove winner Barry Bonds continues to play great defense in left, leading the NL in fielding percentage. Jose Cruz Jr has become one of the best defensive rightfielders in the game. He was second in the majors in both fielding percentage and outfield assists. Centerfielder Marquis Grissom is a four-time gold glover (1993 to 1996) but was last among qualified centerfielders in fielding percentage thanks to eight errors. Catcher Benito Santiago threw out only 19% of basestealers in 2003. Only the Phillies Mike Lieberthal was worse.
   
   
4. Oakland (12): The A's Eric Chavez may be on his way to his third consecutive gold glove at third base, Ramon Hernandez has become a very solid catcher and Miguel Tejada will regularly turn base hits into outs, though he has made 21 errors. The A's are a team that won't necessarily help or hurt themselves in the field. They typically play steady defense and support their great pitching well.
   
   
5. Chicago (16): The Cubs have improved defensively since the early part of the season, but no one will confuse this club with the Mariners or Twins. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez is the club's biggest defensive liability as he led the majors with 33 errors. The Cubs have a very good defense up the middle. Catcher Damian Miller threw out 39% of baserunners attempting to steal and made only three errors, shortstop Alex Gonzalez led the National League with a .984 fielding percentage (10 errors) and Mark Grudzielanek proved to be a good addition at second base. Kenny Lofton remains a gifted centerfielder at age 36.
   
   
6. Boston (19): I'm not sure that the Red Sox have a single player that could be considered well above average defensively. Johnny Damon makes an error about once every two years, but his lack of arm strength is an invitation for baserunners to go from first to third on just about every single to center. In fact, the Red Sox may have the weakest outfield throwing arms of any team in baseball. Todd Walker's range is questionable at second base and he's made some costly errors. Jason Varitek is a solid catcher but he has thrown out only 27% of would-be base stealers. Nomar Garciaparra made 20 errors this season, but only 12 since May 5th.
   
   
7. New York (23): The Yankee defense has been very suspect over the past three years. Derek Jeter ranks second worst in the majors among qualified shortstops in fielding percentage. Alfonso Soriano collected the fourth most errors among second basemen with 19. Jorge Posada threw out only 28% of runners attempting to steal. Bernie Williams has won four gold gloves but isn’t the same player he once was. Put it all together and you have a team that is very weak up the middle.
   
   
8. Atlanta (24): The Braves have one of the best, if not the best, centerfielder in the business in reigning five-time gold glove winner Andruw Jones. Take away Jones (and Greg Maddux) and the Braves are a mess defensively. The team's 121 errors were the fourth worst in major league baseball. Shortstop Rafael Furcal has very good range, but was second in the league with 31 errors. The Braves are below average at every position on the diamond except for centerfield.

Intangibles

1. New York: The Yankees have experience and confidence. They have a manager who has won it all four times. Unfortunately for Yankee fans, they also have an owner who may fire everyone if they don’t deliver another ring. The Yanks will also have home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
   
   
2. Florida: The Florida Marlins should feel like they have nothing to lose in the 2003 playoffs. They were dead and buried before Jack McKeon took over in May and now they are playoff bound. In other words, they are playing with the house’s money. The Fish have been playing and winning meaningful games for several weeks. The games last week against the Phillies were, for all intents and purposes, playoff games. Having Mike Lowell back in the lineup should give Florida a tremendous spark. On the down side, the Marlins will not have home field advantage in any series, no matter how things play out.
   
   
3. Chicago: Though most fans expected that the Cubs would improve in 2003, I don't think many anticipated a 20-game turnaround and a Division Title. I suspect that the fans expectations will remain subdued which will take a lot of the pressure away from the Cubs. On the other hand, the North-siders have a very young pitching staff with very little postseason experience which always carries the possibility of disaster. The unbelievable Wrigley crowd will give the Cubs a tremendous boost, especially if they can take one of two in Atlanta. Like the Marlins, the Cubs have been in a tight battle for a playoff spot all season. The important games of the past week should have the Cubs well-prepared for the postseason.
   
   
4. Atlanta: Despite winning 12 consecutive division titles, the Braves are considered a failure by some since they have only won one World Series over that time. They have also failed to reach the Series the past three years. The pressure will be on Bobby Cox and his team but home field in the first two series will help the cause.
   
   
5. San Francisco: The Giants should feel very confident heading into the playoffs. It takes 11 wins to take home the title and the Giants won 10 last year. They may be forced to confront those demons should they again get within one game (actually two innings) of winning it all this year. Like the Braves, the Giants playoff spot was assured a long time ago and there is always the danger that the team may have lost its competitive edge after a month of meaningless games.
   
   
6. Oakland: Oakland has a giant monkey on their back having lost three consecutive years in the first round of the playoffs. They have been knocked out by the Yankees twice and the Twins once. If they beat the Sox, they will have a chance for revenge against one of those two teams. The A's are not a very good road team so they should be rooting for the Twins in round one.
   
   
7. Minnesota: The Twins may claim that they want to play the Yankees but deep down, I’m sure they would rather avoid the pinstripes. The Twins are 0-13 against the Bronx Bombers over the past two years. Game One is always critical but in the case of the Twins, it means everything. They need to believe that they can beat the Yankees and if they lose Game One, those doubts may be stronger than ever.
   
   
8. Boston: Red Sox supporters better hope that the Sox players don’t put as much stock in the Curse of the Bambino as the fans. Curse of not, eighty five years of failure can put great pressure on a team. The Sox are also below .500 against lefthanded starters. They could face lefties in three of five games against Oakland and might face lefties in as many of four of seven games should they play New York in the ALCS. Not having home field in the AL playoffs will hurt as well, especially for the Sox who have a team batting average that is 53 points better at Fenway than on the road.

The Totals (like in golf, the lower scores are the best)

As the numbers indicate, this is one of the most evenly-balanced playoffs in recent memory. The Yankees probably deserve the #1 spot given that they are the only team among the eight that has won a World Series in the past five years. The Cubs came in second mainly because of their great starting rotation. The Red Sox are a distant eighth and probably should be because pitching and defense wins championships and the other teams have a better combination of both. It is hard to slug your way through three rounds against tough competition. On the plus side, the Sox have the starting pitcher who is most capable of dominating the postseason. Game One of the best-of-five Division Series is always crucial, but this year that is especially true. The Red Sox will be in an almost impossible situation if Pedro loses Game One in Oakland. The Twins have lost 13 in a row to the Yankees and a 14th loss in Game One may irreparably damage their confidence. The young Marlins and Cubs will have a difficult time beating the Giants/Braves three times in four games so they could both use a win in Game One. If they can, it will be the Giants and Braves that will feel the most pressure going into Game Two. I truly believe that all eight of these teams are very capable of winning the World Series (though my mind cannot grasp a Red Sox championship). By the same token, all of these teams have weaknesses and could very well be swept in the first round. I'll go out on a limb and predict that the A's will defeat the Marlins in the World Series in six games. We'll call it Small Market Madness.