If the past two postseasons are any indication, the American League is no longer just a slugger's league.
The junior circuit has used recent Octobers to showcase its young pitching talent, beginning when the 24-year-old Bobby Jenks closed for the White Sox during their title run in 2005, and continuing last season when the Tigers rode Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman, both 23 years old, to their first pennant since 1945.
This year will be no different. Each team that would make the playoffs if the season ended today would rely heavily on homegrown pitching talent for its postseason run. Here are four young arms that could be making their playoff debuts this October:
Fausto Carmona, 23, Cleveland Indians
Carmona's 2006 campaign was nothing short of abysmal, and went from bad to worse after he took over the team's closing duties when Bob Wickman was traded to Atlanta in July. In four appearances from July 30 to Aug. 5, Carmona gave up 11 runs in 2.2 innings, blew three consecutive save opportunities, and became only the second reliever ever to lose four games in a week.
But 2007 has been a much different story for the young Dominican. A spring injury to starter Cliff Lee forced Carmona into the rotation, where he has served as a dominant No. 2 behind ace C.C. Sabathia. His 3.31 ERA is tops amongst Cleveland starters.
Carmona won five straight starts from July 7 to July 25, the last of which was a 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Having shown an ability to hold his own against the league's best, Carmona may play a key role in the postseason if the Indians hold onto their solid lead in the Central.
Jered Weaver, 24, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
One year after his older brother Jeff became a World Series hero for the Cardinals, Weaver is hoping to have a similar impact with the Angels. The lanky right-hander won his first nine decisions, and 15 of the next 20. He has posted a 3.20 career ERA after making his Major League debut last May and finished fifth in the race for AL Rookie of the Year after going 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.
This year, Weaver has blossomed into a formidable No. 3 starter, behind 16-game-winner John Lackey and a surprisingly dominant Kelvim Escobar. The first-round draft pick in 2004 has only mustered a 10-6 record, but deserved a few more, having allowed three or fewer runs in 18 of his 23 starts. As L.A. pulls away with its third division title in four years, Weaver may be given the ultimate chance to live up to his billing.
Joba Chamberlain, 21, New York Yankees
If any of the Yankees' farmhands were going to make a contribution to the 2007 team, it was supposed to be Phil Hughes, a can't-miss prospect projected to be the club's future ace. But while Hughes has struggled at the back end of New York's rotation, Chamberlain, a fist-pumping, flame-throwing reliever who started off the year at Class-A Tampa, has completed a meteoric rise through the Yankee system.
The rookie, who has 17 strikeouts in 11.1 major league innings, has solidified New York's bridge to Mariano Rivera. He boasts a fastball that hits triple digits, tempting comparisons to Detroit reliever Joel Zumaya. The Yankees' front office has so far forced Joe Torre to give his young stud a day off for every inning he pitches, but that could quickly change if the Yankees hold on to their tenuous lead in the wild card race.
Clay Buchholz, 23, Boston Red Sox
Buchholz is the wild card of the group because the depth of the Boston rotation leaves his postseason role up in the air. The Red Sox are unlikely to supplant either of their 40-year-old veterans, Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield, for a rookie, nor would they demote their $103.11 million investment, Daisuke Matsuzaka, to the bullpen.
But Buchholz has forced Boston's front office to at least consider him for the team's playoff roster, especially after he became the first Red Sox rookie ever to throw a no-hitter Saturday night. In two starts since his call-up on Aug. 17, Buchholz is 2-0 with a sub-1.00 WHIP. His success won't earn him a spot in the team's playoff rotation, but he may have a role in the Boston bullpen as a long reliever.
