Bullpen play is always crucial in the postseason, and this year is going to be no exception. The team involved in World Series betting will probably be the one with the best bullpen. Check out how they stack up from the regular season in 2010.

Tampa Bay Rays (3.33 ERA, 51 saves, 16 blown saves) – Rafael Soriano is clearly going to be one of the most coveted free agents in this offseason, but for the time being, he is arguably the most valuable closer in baseball. The Rays knew that they were getting a real improvement to close out games when they traded for Soriano, but they didn’t know that they were getting a whopping 45 saves and a guy with a 1.73 ERA. Joaquin Benoit has been fantastic as well, with a 1.34 ERA. But just as we saw with Tampa Bay in 2008, the bullpen is going to be the key to getting the Rays to World Series betting action this year.

Texas Rangers (3.38 ERA, 46 saves, 20 blown saves) – No one saw Neftali Feliz emerging as a real threat this season, but he still nailed down 40 games against just three blown saves this year. This wasn’t a bullpen full of stars this year, as even Feliz had a 2.73 ERA. Those numbers are modest, but not fantastic. Watch out for Darren O’Day and Darren Oliver, both of which had sub 2.50 ERAs this year, as both will clearly be under the gun this year in the playoffs. Those are the men that will have to keep runs off the board to send the Rangers to World Series betting festivities.

New York Yankees (3.47 ERA, 39 saves, 18 blown saves) – You know when it’s the ninth inning and the Yankees are winning, the Sandman is entering. Mariano Rivera is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best closer in the history of baseball, and he is going to be the man that New York turns to for yet another World Series betting run. However, the real man that can be thanked for his efforts is Kerry Wood, who was acquired right at the trade deadline. With Joba Chamberlain struggling all season, Wood is going to be the man that is expected to get the ball to Rivera.

Minnesota Twins (3.49 ERA, 40 saves, 18 blown saves) – Don’t kid yourself about this bullpen. This is the one that is going to be the most feared of the bullpens in the postseason. Manager Ron Gardenhire can turn the ball over to any of Matt Capps, Brian Fuentes, and Jon Rauch in critical situations. Jesse Crain, Jose Mijares, and a host of others got a lot of experience last year in the playoffs for the Twins. Can you imagine just how good these guys would have been if Joe Nathan wasn’t banged up for the season in the Spring?

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