The Baltimore Orioles surprised many this year on their way to winning 96 games and easily running away with the AL East crown, finishing 12 games ahead of the second-place Yankees. Their opponent in the American League Division Series, the Detroit Tigers, were the team many expected to finish atop the AL Central, and while they did, they had a tumultuous time getting there.

These two teams played each other six times this season, with the Tigers winning five of the contests, outscoring the O’s 33-20 over the six games. However, the two teams haven’t met since May 14th, and much has changed since then.

Let’s delve into both clubs and see how they got to this point.

How The O's Got Here

The O’s made the playoffs by hitting more home runs than any other team in baseball, getting solid pitching from their starters, having a dominant bullpen, and playing elite defense. Their 211 home runs are 25 more than the second-place Rockies, and they were the only team to break 200, led by nERD score of 0.49, while the Tigers posted a score of 0.30. Using these numbers alone, we'd give a slight edge to the O’s, but with their underrated pitching and ability to hit home runs along with the home field advantage, they should be favorites to advance regardless. Detroit has bigger names and more postseason experience, but the O’s are a more complete team.