Wild-card matchups: Guardians vs. Rays

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS. TAMPA BAY RAYS FIRST BASE THE MATCHUP: Josh Naylor/Owen Miller (Cleveland) vs. Ji-Man Choi (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Naylor (.254, 20 HRs, 79 RBIs)/Miller (.243, 6 HRs, 51 RBIs); Choi (.233, 11 HRs, 52 RBIs) THE EDGE: Guardians. None of the three are top-shelf defenders, but Naylor's production and penchant for delivering bit hits late, gives Cleveland the nod. SECOND BASE THE MATCHUP: Andres Gimenez (Cleveland) vs. Isaac Paredes (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Gimenez (.297, 17 HRs, 69 RBIs); Paredes (.205, 20 HRs, 45 RBIs) THE EDGE: Guardians. Gimenez was an All-Star and is a Gold Glove candidate after a breakthrough season. Paredes has some pop, but there's no question Cleveland wins this one. SHORTSTOP THE MATCHUP: Amed Rosario (Cleveland) vs. Taylor Walls/Wander Franco (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Rosario (.283, 11 HRs, 71 RBIs); Walls (.172, 8 HRs, 33 RBIs)/Franco (.277, 6 HRs, 33 RBIs) THE EDGE: Guardians. This one isn't close either. Rosario matched batting champ Luis Arraez (Twins) with three or more hits in 17 games this year. THIRD BASE THE MATCHUP: Jose Ramirez (Cleveland) vs. Yandy Diaz (Rays) THE NUMBERS: Ramirez (.280, 29 HRs, 126 RBIs); Diaz (.296, 9 HRs, 57 RBIs) THE EDGE: Guardians. Ramirez is one of the best players in the majors and Diaz, a former Cleveland player, looks like the Incredible Hulk, but yet doesn't hit a lot of home runs. He's also battling a shoulder injury. CATCHER THE MATCHUP: Austin Hedges/Luke Maile (Cleveland) vs. Francisco Mejia/Christian Bethancourt (Rays) THE NUMBERS: Hedges (.163, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs)/Maile (.221, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs); Bethancourt (.255, 7 HRs, 15 RBIs)/Mejia (.242, 6 HRs, 31 RBIs) THE EDGE: Rays. There isn't much offensive production at this position for either team, but Tampa has a bit more. Cleveland would win the leadership battle here, if that means anything. RIGHT FIELD THE MATCHUP: Oscar Gonzalez (Cleveland) vs. Randy Arazorena (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Gonzalez (.296, 11 HRs, 43 RBIs); Arazorena (.263, 20 HRs, 89 RBIs) THE EDGE: Rays. Last year's AL Rookie of the Year, Arazorena gives Tampa Bay the nod here, but Gonzalez has had a top-shelf first season as well this year. CENTER FIELD THE MATCHUP: Myles Straw (Cleveland) vs. Manuel Margot /Jose Siri (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Straw (.221, 0 HRs, 32 RBIs); Margot (.274, 4 HRs, 47 RBIs)/Siri (.241, 4 HRs, 14 RBIs) THE EDGE: Even. There's no doubt Cleveland gets the defensive nod in Straw, a Gold Glove candidate who led the league in assists. But he has been an offensive liability. LEFT FIELD THE MATCHUP: Steven Kwan (Cleveland) vs. David Peralta Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Kwan (.298, 6 HRs, 52 RBIs); Peralta (.255, 0 HRs, 18 RBIs) THE EDGE: Guardians. Kwan is arguably the AL's Rookie of the Year and a case could be made that he's Cleveland's MVP this season. DH THE MATCHUP: Owen Miller or Josh Naylor (Cleveland) vs. Harold Ramirez (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Ramirez (.300, 6 HRs, 58 RBIs) THE EDGE: Even. If it's Naylor, Cleveland gets the nod. If it's Miller, it's the other way around. ROTATION THE MATCHUP: RHP Shane Bieber, RHP Triston McKenzie and RHP Cal Quantrill (Cleveland) vs. LHP Shane McClanahan, RHP Tyler Glasnow and RHP Corey Kluber THE NUMBERS: Bieber (13-8, 2.88 ERA), McKenzie (11-11, 2.96) and Quantrill (15-5, 3.38); McClanahan (12-8, 2.54 ERA); Glasnow (0-0. 1.35 ERA), Kluber (10-10, 4.34 ERA). THE EDGE: Guardians. Cleveland gets the nod due to Bieber and McKenzie, two of the AL's top starters this season, but it's a close one. McClanahan has been elite but Glasnow just got back on the mound after Tommy John surgery in August of last year. BULLPEN THE MATCHUP: RHP Emmanuel Clase, LHP Sam Hentges, RHP James Karinchak, RHP Trevor Stephan and RHP Nick Sandlin (Cleveland) vs. RHP Jason Adam, RHP Pete Fairbanks, LHP Jeffrey Springs, LHP Brooks Raley and LHP Garrett Cleavinger (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Clase (3-4, 1.36 ERA, 42 SVs); Hentges (3-2, 2.32 ERA, 1 SV), Karinchak (2-0, 2.08 ERA, 3 SVs), Stephan (6-5, 2.69 ERA, 3 SVs), Sandlin (5-2, 2.25 ERA); Adam (2-3, 1.56 ERA, 8 SVs), Fairbanks (0-0, 1.13 ERA, 8 SVs), Springs (9-5, 2.46 ERA), Raley (1-2, 2.68 ERA 6 SVs), Cleavinger (1-0, 2.41 ERA) THE EDGE: Guardians. Clase was arguably the majors' top reliever during the regular season. That's enough to give Cleveland the nod between two top-shelf relief units. MANAGER THE MATCHUP: Terry Francona (Cleveland) vs. Kevin Cash (Tampa Bay) THE NUMBERS: Francona (92-70, first place Central Division, No. 3 seed); Cash (86-76, third wild card, No. 6 seed) THE EDGE: Guardians. Tito is likely to win the AL's Manager of the Year award after one of his best performances on the job during a Hall of Famer career. PREDICTION: Rays, 2-1. Guardians winning the series 2-1 also makes sense. The only thing that doesn't is a sweep. Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on Twitter.