Cleveland Indians

PROS » For now, a matchup against the Astros seems ideal. Move one seed up, and the A’s are in a nightmare series against the Cleveland Indians. Maybe unfamiliarity could work to Oakland’s benefit. But the cons vastly outweigh the pros for the A’s in this compelling matchup between teams that boast strong lineups, starters and bullpens.

CONS » José Ramirez is getting hot, which is scary. He has 19 hits in his past 43 plate appearances, including seven home runs. He stars in a lineup that also features Francisco Lindor and Franmil Reyes. Even worse for Oakland, Cleveland’s rotation could give the A’s fits. The Indians

have an array of elite right-handed starters in Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, Carlos Carrasco and young Triston McKenzie. The A’s are 9-2 in games against left-handed starters, 24-18 against righthanders, though their hitting splits are about even — .228 against righties and .223 against lefties. The Indians also have a bullpen boasting a 3.71 collective ERA, which is fifth-best in baseball but still inferior to the A’s ’pen.

New York Yankees

PROS » The Yankees haven’t been quite the team they were last season; falling short thus far of sky-high expectations. They’ve fumbled around a .500 record for most of the year while dealing with injuries to

powerful hitters Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. A lot of the A’s success has come late in games, against vulnerable bullpens after wearing down a starter. Despite boasting Adam Ottavino, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman, the Yankees bullpen has been weak. Their 4.49 ERA ranks as the ninthhighest in baseball with nine blown saves.

CONS » Last week, the Yankees hit five home runs in a single inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. It completed a series in which they hit 19 home runs total. This is all to say that the Yankees are still explosive on offense. Plus, the A’s would assuredly face ace Gerrit Cole, who has a 3.00 ERA with 87 strikeouts. He’s no fun.