As the Detroit Tigers head into their third straight postseason appearance, Manager Jim Leyland has a very unique "problem": which pitcher should start the first game?
Many Major League Baseball Teams have trouble naming a definitive ace. The Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins have so much pitching trouble that neither team has a player good enough to be labeled a true ace. Detroit, however, has the opposite problem.
All four of the pitchers in the playoff rotation can make an argument that they should get the ball in game one. Though the rotation as a whole is better than any other in the American League, deciding which player gives the Tigers the best chance to win game one is extremely important.
The easiest argument is that future Cy Young winner Max Scherzer should get the nod. Scherzer had a breakout year in 2013, winning 21 games with an ERA under three and 
WHIP under one. After becoming one of the toughest pitchers to hit in the MLB during the second half of 2012, the young righty didn't miss a beat this season.
In September, Scherzer further solidified his claim, despite picking up two of his three season losses. Four of his final five starts were quality starts, including a seven-inning shutout in his final start against Minnesota to clinch the Central Division.
Isn't it obvious that the best pitcher in baseball, whose 21st win locked up a playoff spot, should lead the charge into another World Series run for the Tigers?
It should be that simple, but not in Detroit.
Scherzer's teammate, Anibal Sanchez, also had the best year of his pitching career during 2013; his first full season with the Tigers. Sanchez was Detroit's most consistent starter this season despite a brief stint on the disabled list holding him just under 200 innings pitched.
Though Sanchez finished the season with the best ERA in the American League, the most impressive thing about the new Tiger was the fact that his ERA never reached 3.00 at any 
point during the regular season. After giving up four earned runs to the White Sox on July 11th, his ERA rose to 2.93, the highest it reached at any point in 2013.
All numbers aside, Anibal Sanchez has an extra gear that separates him from the other pitchers on the Detroit roster. If all four starters had their best stuff every single start, the 29-year old Venezuelan would be the most dominant.
There were two games during the 2013 season that revealed Sanchez's true potential. On April 26th, he pitched eight scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves, one of the best teams in the entire MLB. Of the 24 outs he recorded, 17 of them were strikeouts. His electric fastball and devastating changeup combined to befuddle the Braves, who were coming up empty all night long.
Sanchez's best start was his near no-hit performance against the Twins on May 24th. Joe Mauer's single in the top of the 9th was the only blemish against 12 strikeouts in Sanchez's only complete game of the season.
Since Sanchez has the greatest potential, shouldn't he start game one in Oakland?
That depends on whether Leyland wants to go with potential or stability. Last season, the most dependable pitcher during Detroit's postseason run was the forgotten man, Doug Fister.
Fister started one game against each playoff opponent and baffled all three of them. Against both Oakland and New York, the entire Tigers pitching staff was dominant on the 
way to the World Series. When the stage was brightest, Fister was the starter that brought his best stuff to San Francisco.
Fister's dependability regardless of the situation is his greatest attribute. After watching the Giants drop eight runs on a team that allowed just six runs to the Yankees in the previous series, Fister shut them down for six innings; allowing just four hits and one run. The 6'8 righty finished the postseason with a 1.40 ERA, the best on the team.
If the bright lights of the World Series can't phase Fister, then Leyland can count on him to bring his best stuff to Oakland. Fister's performance in the postseason since putting on a Tigers uniform would potentially be enough to earn him the start on Friday if it wasn't for the true Tigers ace: Justin Verlander.
Following a 2011 MVP and 2012 Cy Young runner-up, fans were disappointed with Verlander's performance in 2013. It takes a special run to record more than 200 innings and strikeouts with a 3.56 ERA and garner so much criticism. Either way, Verlander's resume is loaded with reasons to give him the ball.
Perhaps the most valuable characteristic in a starting pitcher is 
durability. In an era of Tommy John surgeries and inning limits, having a pitcher that has thrown over 200 innings for seven straight seasons is truly remarkable. But that's what the MVP has done. Leyland knows that when he calls on Justin Verlander, he's going to take the mound for every single one of his starts; no matter what.
If the accolades alone aren't enough to solidify Verlander as the number one candidate, then consider the matchup itself. Tigers fans remember all too well how close the 2012 ALDS against the A's was. When the offense sputtered and Jose Valverde imploded, the ace of the staff was there to save the day.
After giving up a home run to Coco Crisp in the first at bat of the series, Verlander settled down to go seven three-hit innings and win game one. Five days later, the fireballer completely shut down the Athletics to move the Tigers into the ALCS. Verlander simply decided that he wasn't ready to go home for the year and threw nine shutout innings, striking out more than double the number of batters that reached base.
As the Tigers celebrated the game five win, Verlander did so having struck out 22 A's batters during 16-straight scoreless innings following the leadoff home run. If Oakland is going to advance this postseason, they should have to do s0 through the pitcher they couldn't solve in 2013.
Oakland still hasn't been able to figure out Verlander during a down year. He has been the best Detroit starter against them during the 2013 regular season, boasting a 3.27 ERA. Sanchez is a close second with a 3.75 ERA, but Scherzer's 4.91 and Fister's 12.60 are nowhere near as impressive.
Before making his decision, Jim Leyland will have seen all the statistics, the matchups and the history. Every remaining manager in the Major Leagues would love to have the "problem" facing Leyland, because no matter what order he chooses, his team will have the starting pitching edge in every single ALDS game.
What it boils down to is Verlander is not only the ace of the staff but the face of the franchise. He makes $180 million dollars to be the leader of the pitching staff, so he needs to be put in a position to do so. Though his 2013 campaign wasn't what fans were expecting, over the past eight years Justin Verlander has earned the right to lead his team into the playoffs.
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