We did this for the National Football League recently, and now we'll do it for the Major League Baseball playoffs...
It's time to put the microscope on the local guys to watch for in the MLB Postseason.
Central Florida is a hotbed of baseball talent.
Welcome to the Orlando Sports Weekly Rundown, I'm David Baumann.
There are a handful of insanely talented local players in the postseason, and I'd like to put the spotlight on them.
In no particular order, here are six unbelievably good players to watch:
1. Corey Kluber, P, Cleveland Indians, Stetson University
Orlando Sports Weekly Rundown Rounds The Bases With Post Season MLB Baseball
Kluber, 31, is one of the most dominant players in all of baseball.
He may have just enjoyed his best season yet (so far).
Originally from Birmingham, AL, Kluber played college baseball at Stetson University in DeLand.
He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2007 and then traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2010.
Blubber has compiled a 76-48 win-loss record with a career 3.13 ERA.
He won the Cy Young award in 2014, is a two-time All-Star (2015, 2016) and led the American League in wins in both 2014 and 2017.
His league-leading 2.25 ERA in 2017 was the lowest of any Indians pitcher to qualify for the title since Gaylord Perry in 1972.
Finishing with an 18-4 record, Kluber will be in top contention for another Cy Young Award this year.
2. Zach Greinke, P, Arizona Diamondbacks, Apopka High School.
Greinke, 33, is one of the most accomplished pitchers in all of Major League Baseball.
Originally from Apopka, Greinke has 172 wins, 107 losses, and a 3.40 career ERA.
He, like Kluber, is a two-time ERA leader (2009, 2015) and a Cy Young Award winner (2009).
He's also a four-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and even has a Silver Slugger Award to his resume.
Greinke is the third-highest paid player in baseball... His two years into a six-year, $206M contract that he signed with Arizona in December 2015.
3. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians, Monteverde Academy
Lindor, 23, has been a star since Day One in the big leagues.
The Indians selected Lindor in the 1st round of the 2011 MLB Draft (7th overall).
Nicknamed, "Mr. Smile," he's already a two-time All-Star, owns a .293 career batting average to go alone with 60 home runs, 218 RBI.
He batted over .300 in his first two seasons, but his average dipped to .273 in 2017.
However, his power numbers increased dramatically. He hit 33 home runs this season, after hitting a single-season best 15 in 2016.
In the field, he's a star too. He won a Platinum and Gold Glove Award in 2016.
Lindor also represented Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
4. Chris Sale, P, Boston Red Sox, Lakeland High School
Sale, 28, was originally drafted in the 21st round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of high school but chose to attend Florida Gulf Coast University instead.
He was then selected in the 1st-Round of the 2010 MLB Draft (13th overall).
Sale is a six-time All-Star and led the AL in strikeouts in 2015 and 2017.
He has a 91-58 record and a 2.98 ERA.
He tied his own record (along with Pedro Martinez) by striking out 10 or more batters in his first eight starts in 2017.
He was the starting pitcher in the All-Star Game for the second-straight year.
Based on total innings pitched, Sale is the fastest pitcher in MLB history to record 1,500 career strikeouts.
His 300-plus strikeout season for the Red Sox this year was the first 300-plus strikeout season for any American League pitcher since Martinez in 1999.
5. Cody Allen, P, Cleveland Indians, Boone High School
Allen, 28, a former quarterback at Boone High School, was selected in the 23rd round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
He made his Indians debut in 2012 and has been steady in relief.
Allen has a 20-23 win/loss record, a stellar 2.67 career ERA to go along with 122 career saves.
He's recorded 30 or more saves in each of the last three seasons and has appeared in at least 67 games in each of the last five seasons.
6. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Colorado Rockies, Umatilla High School
Lucroy, 31, was selected in the 3rd round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
He enjoyed a remarkable career at both Umatilla High School, where they retired his jersey...
And then he went and set multiple records for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns from 2005-07.
Lucroy made his Brewers debut in 2010.
He made two All-Star appearances (2014, 2016).
Lucroy remained with the franchise until he was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2016.
Lucky was traded from the Texas Rangers to the Colorado Rockies midway through this year.
After batting just .242 for the Rangers in 77 games, Lucroy upped his batting average to .310 in 46 games for the Rockies.
He owns a career .281 batting average (solid for a catcher!), along with 96 home runs and 458 RBI.
There you have it... Six solid local players to keep your eye on in the postseason.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...
My favorite part about being a sportscaster (since 2004 in Orlando) is following the homegrown players who make it to their sport's biggest stage.
And there's not much more of a bigger stage than Major League Baseball in October.
David Baumann is a Sports Columnist for 407area.com and can be heard on EK Sports Tuesday nights from 7-9 p.m. on 96.9 The Game FM/740 The Game AM.
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