I actually think the Yankees will take this one.
Their top 2 can hold up against Verlander/Keuchel, and I think they match up better against the other HOU pitchers (Peacock/Morton/McHugh). And the bullpen advantage. And the bats cancel out.
That said, the last time they were in an ALCS against a Texas team they seemed to match up well with, not so.
But as we know, sometimes it's the teams you least expect that go all the way. See: 2006/2011 St. Louis Cardinals.
Supposedly no Tanaka til game 3. He's going Gray/Severino in the first 2
Many games in the playoffs are decided by the bullpen. Yankees will win.
Also the MVP debate will get ramped up for sure, although the postseason doesn't matter. But you can get the media talking heads will bring it up nonstop. Even Costas during Game 1 of Houston-Boston was going on about how Altuve needed to have a good postseason to overcome "other contenders" for the MVP crown.
Well Bob you should know the postseason isn't taken into consideration, but if it was, so far it's been a complete bloodletting:
Judge: 1 for 20, no HR, 2 RBIs, one run, .208 OBP and he struck out an insane 16 of 20 times vs. Cleveland.
Altuve: 8 for 15, 3 HR, 4 RBIs, five runs, .632 OBP and only two strikeouts.
The only reason Judge struck out to that degree is because of how they called his strike zone. Nothing he could do on pitches that low which should have been balls.
I don't know about that. Here or there I can blame on the ump but 16 out of 20 is something else entirely.