(1) Nassau Yankees vs. (8)  Central Park Cubs

As a new franchise in the Manhattan-Bronx division, the Yankees have fared well, earning a top seed on the back of 16 regular season wins. With a top-heavy lineup that features several plus-.350 hitters such as Alex Weber-Shapiro (.492, 24 RBIs) and five pitchers with sub 3.00 ERA (with at least 10 innings pitched) the Yanks could be as well-rounded as anyone.

The Cubs will be looking to replicate their success from last year’s playoffs, when they emerged as a true Cinderella team. They will be relying heavily on performances from pitchers Rob Rowan (1.85 ERA) and Sean Merriam, who logged over 67 innings this summer.

(2) NY Pirates vs. (7) Beers

A potential upset in the making, the Pirates have had a strong campaign in their first foray in the NYCMBL, but will contend with possibly the strongest 7-seed in recent memory. The NY Pirates are led by their hot-hitting catcher, Chris Stayton (.545, 16 RBI) and a deep pitching staff, led by Terrence Vogenberger, that posted a 2.97 ERA as a unit.

            The Beers on the other hand, are led by a pair of aces from Cornell. Taylor Wood (1.87, 86 Ks) has been lights out all year, while the mid-season acquisition of Mike Kazely (1.27) has made the Beers a force to be reckoned with.

(3) Gotham A’s vs.  (6) Highlanders

These two teams split a four game season series this year, so this could be one to watch. The A’s feature a dependable lineup with  Chris Gaskin (.394) pacing the hitters, but lack a definitive shutdown ace. Right-hander Angel Mercado has been solid, however, posting a 3.13 ERA in 67 innings.

            The Highlanders, a new team, feature some familiar faces such as pitcher Jonathan Bonhomme (formerly of the Express), and are consistent on both sides of the ball. With four everyday pitchers under the 3.00 ERA mark, and hitters such as Zamil Fernandez (.455) and Will Terrero ( .438, 2 HR) leading the way, they could be a tough out in the postseason.

(4) Tigers vs. (5) Giants

The Tigers don’t have a ton of pitching depth, but they do have a formidable weapon in the league’s strikeout leader, Joe Carey (1.05, 108 Ks), who will be called upon to shut down the Giants’ bats. Carey has been almost as good on the offensive end, hitting .391 with 1 HR on the year, while his battery-mate Dan Rojas (.397, 2 HR) has been a force at the plate as well.

            The Giants are hitting .305 as a team and show little drop from 1-9 in their order. Eric Lehrer and Luis Guerra (.404 )lead the team in hitting but most of the runs are driven in by Andrew Frederico, who has 25 RBIs on the year. Giants’ ace Kevin Oldfield has done an admirable job this year, going 6-3 with a 2.31 ERA.