ALCS 2016: 5 reasons Indians will win

3. Balanced, speedy offense

The Indians lineup does not jump out at you the way the Blue Jays does. Admittedly, Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis should receive more shine in the national landscape, but they play in a small market. Francisco Lindor showed this year that he may be a better pick than Carlos Correa when discussing the future of the shortstop position in the American League.

The Blue Jays offense will get all the press entering this series, but the Indians outscored them by 18 runs this year, hit more doubles, stole more bases, and had a higher slugging percentage and OPS. What’s more, the Indians managed to do all that while ranking just 10th in the AL in home runs.

How did they do it, you ask? With a balanced and speedy offensive attack, that’s how.

The Indians were second in the league in batting average, first in stolen bases, second in doubles, and fourth in walks. They managed to get consistent production from every spot in their batting order. One through nine, the Indians are a team that waits for their pitch, makes solid contact, and limits the strikeout. This is the same offensive approach employed by the Royals last year when they bounced the Blue Jays in the ALCS.

It’s hard for a team like the Indians to be shut down four times in a seven-game series. They are able to manufacture runs due to their ability to steal bases and move runners up. There are no weak spots in the lineup that can be easily pitched around. An attack centered on walks, doubles, and stolen bases will win out over the inconsistent fireworks provided by Toronto’s hit-or-miss lineup.