From the Windup: Individuals of Interest This Coming October

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's weekly, extended look at some aspect of America's pastime.

As I look ahead to the MLB playoffs, I'm faced with the fact that my beloved Cubbies aren't going to be competing. Being a devout baseball fan, though, there's no way I'm not watching the postseason. Without a horse in the race, I'm forced to focus instead on individuals, and there are always plenty of reasons to watch certain players. Thus, I'm going to list 10 players I'm looking forward to watching and five players I wish I could come October.

Five Players I Can't Wait to Watch

Alex Rodriguez: The three-time regular season MVP was possibly the most polarizing figure in baseball before he was revealed to have used PEDs. Now most people just hate him. The stigma A-Rod carries is that he's a lion when there is no pressure, but a lamb when there is. He's actually been a pretty clutch regular season player the past few seasons, but he's been brutal in the playoffs since the Yankees ran up a 3-0 lead in the 2004 ALCS against the Red Sox. Will the presence of Mark Teixeira in the middle of the lineup help A-Rod come shed his "unclutch" image in October?

CC Sabathia: The big man is going to be leaned upon heavily in the playoffs, as the Yankees are thinking about using just a three-man rotation in the first round. I'd be pretty confident in Sabathia holding up his end of the bargain if I couldn't see that career 7.92 postseason ERA in five starts. The worst part? His command seems to disappear -- which is something that could be attributed to either nerves or fatigue. His BB/9 over the course of his career in the regular season has been 2.8. In the playoffs, it's 7.9. That's such a drastic leap it doesn't even sound realistic.

Kendry Morales: The 26-year-old first baseman has emerged as a star in taking over for the departed Teixeira, serving as one of the anchors to the Angels' mighty offense. He's 3-for-13 in the postseason, but he's never been a regular starter before and he's a different player. We'll see if he can step-up under the spotlight of the playoffs.

Josh Beckett: Beckett has always been known as a money pitcher when the pressure is on. His career 7-2 record and 2.90 ERA in the postseason illustrates as much. The thing is, he was pretty bad last season. His career playoff ERA was actually 1.91 before his three October 2008 starts -- when he allowed 22 hits and 14 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings. If the Red Sox hold onto their tenuous wild-card lead, Beckett's going to have to show last year was a fluke and he's still got the magic.

Mark DeRosa: It's no secret I'm a die-hard Cubs fan. Thus, I'm required to hate the Cardinals (and I do). Still, DeRosa was easily my favorite player from the past two Cubs' playoff teams and I'll enjoy watching him get to play in October once again. No real storyline here, just some love for Mr. DeRosa -- a true guy's guy who doesn't seem to take for granted how lucky he is to play baseball for a living.

Five Exciting "Debuts"

As you'll see, these aren't all necessarily debuts in the traditional sense, but, hey, it's my list.

Cliff Lee: Last year's AL Cy Young award winner came over to the Phillies in a trade deadline deal and took the National League by force initially. His ERA in his past three outings is 9.60, though, and he's never appeared in the playoffs. Can he get things turned around and handle the heat in October?

Ryan Franklin: The 36-year-old closer has appeared in 445 games over the course of his 10-season career. He has appeared in exactly zero playoff games to this point. Franklin's taken the closer job by force this season with ice-water in his veins, saving 37 games and sporting a 1.96 ERA. The postseason is totally different than the regular season, though, so can he keep it going?

Clayton Kershaw: Kershaw saw brief relief action in two playoff games last year. This time around, though, he'll be a starter and taking the ball in the first inning of a playoff game is a different animal than coming in as a reliever. Teaming his 8-8 record with his 2.89 ERA shows he can be quite inconsistent. When the 21-year-old lefty is on, there's almost no one better. Which Clayton shows up in the playoffs?

Edwin Jackson: Yes, Jackson has also pitched in the postseason before -- three short relief appearances. After a change of scenery, though, he's been a different pitcher and, again, it's much different to start a game in October. In Jackson's two seasons as a member of the Rays' rotation, he had a 5.04 ERA and a losing record. He was left out of the postseason rotation. This year, he's having his breakout campaign with the Tigers, going 12-6 with a 3.22 ERA. Will it continue on the big stage?

The Young Rockies: Again, I'm cheating here ... this time by including more than one player. Between Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Chris Iannetta and Ian Stewart, there's plenty of new blood. Plus, Franklin Morales and Ubaldo Jimenez are different players than the bright-eyed youngsters they were in 2007.

Five Players I Wish I Could Watch

The Rangers trail the Red Sox by just two games, so it's possible they make a run and take the AL wild card. In the National League, the Giants are 4 1/2 games behind the Rockies. It's an uphill battle, especially considering how well the Rockies are rolling, but still possible. The Marlins and Braves appear left for dead. If things stay the way they are, the following five players are guys I'll be saddened to not see in the playoffs.

Tim Lincecum: It's a shame it appears the Giants will come up short, because Lincecum in the playoffs would be an absolute pleasure to baseball fans who love a good pitcher's duel. Imagine this: If the Giants do snatch the wild card away from the Rockies, their first-round opponent would likely be the Cardinals. How does a Chris Carpenter vs. Lincecum matchup sound? Hell, throw in Adam Wainwright vs. Matt Cain in Game 2. The games will last less time than a typical movie. (Of course, I also want to see the Rockies in the playoffs. Any chance both can pass the Dodgers?)

Pablo Sandoval: Hmm ... let's see: His nickname is "Kung Fu Panda." He's 5-foot-11 and weighs 245 pounds, but he's still stolen four bases. He's only 22, but he's got an OPS of .918. He's a switch-hitter with great gap power (an NL-leading 40 doubles). What's not to love?

Michael Young: 10 seasons, 1,345 games, six All-Star games, a career .302 batting average, and zero career playoff games. You think anyone on the Rangers wants to make up those four games more than Young?

Tommy Hanson: Young fireballers can steal the stage in October (remember Jaret Wright for the Indians?). The 22-year-old Hanson has a 9-3 record with a 2.83 ERA as a rookie. He's struck out 85 hitters in 101 2/3 innings this year, but he's picking up the pace lately, having punched out 39 hitters in his last 34 2/3 innings.

Hanley Ramirez: He's been one of the best and most exciting players in the majors for the past three seasons. He does everything well -- .358 average, .998 OPS, 23 bombs, 24 steals, good fielding range -- but we've never gotten to see him in the playoffs. That's a shame, but he's only 25, so there's plenty of time.