Four Players To Watch In The League Championship Series

The matchups are set for the League Championship Series.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros will meet in the American League Championship Series at Petco Park in the San Diego beginning Sunday night. The National League Championship Series will pit the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas starting Monday night.

Houston knocked off the Oakland Athletics in one AL Division Series and Tampa Bay got past the New York Yankees in an ALDS that went the full five games. Both National League Division Series finished in sweeps as Los Angeles beat the San Diego Padres and Atlanta took care of the Miami Marlins.

Here is a look at four players to watch in the LCS round:

RANDY AROZARENA, RAYS

Few people outside the Tampa/St. Petersburg area knew Arozarena’s name prior to the ALDS. In fact, it is safe to assume not too many on Florida’s Gulf Coast were familiar with the 25-year-old rookie outfielder.

However, the Yankees certainly know Arozarena after he went 8 for 19 (.421) with three home runs in the LDS. That followed a 4-for-8 performance that included two doubles and a triple in the Rays’ two-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays in an American League Wild Card Series.

The Rays acquired Arozarena in an offseason trade from the St. Louis Cardinals. He has played in just 42 regular-season games since debuting last year with a total of 99 plate appearances.

CARLOS CORREA, ASTROS

The team that everyone loves to hate is back in the ALCS for the fourth straight year. Presumably, they have gotten this far without stealing opposing team’s signs electronically.

It is Correa who is leading the Astros’ October surge after they were just 29-31 in a regular season that was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. He is 10-for-20 (.500) in six postseason games with four home runs and 12 RBIs.

The 26-year-old shortstop hit the go-ahead two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics in the Astros’ Game 4 clincher of the ALDS. Correa finished the series with three homers and 11 RBIs.

WILL SMITH, DODGERS

The 25-year-old catcher made his mark in the history books when he became the first Dodgers player to have a five-hit game in the postseason in the 12-3 rout of the Padres in clinching Game 3 of the NLDS.

Smith had been 0 for 12 in this postseason until that point. However, he has shown the ability to come through with big hits during his first two season in the major leagues.

Smith hit .289 with eight home runs in 37 games during the regular season. As a rookie, he batted .253 with 15 homers in 54 games. The only blemish on Smith’s record is he had minus-9 defensive runs saved in the short 2020 regular season.

FREDDIE FREEMAN, BRAVES

The veteran first baseman has gone just 3 for 18 in five postseason games with no extra-base hits. However, Freeman is the face of the franchise, clubhouse leader and his regular-season performance suggests his bat will not stay cold for long.

Freeman was named Baseball Digest’s Major League Player of the Year and is a prime contender to win NL Most Valuable Player. The 31-year-old batted .341 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs in 60 games while leading the league in runs scored (51) and doubles (23).

This marks Freeman’s fifth postseason but the first time he has advanced to the LCS round.