I’ve always had a soft spot for elite pitching though. Much more than hitting, I’m a stats nerd when it comes to strikeout to walk ratios, WHIPs and microscopic ERAs. 

So I was basically all-in rooting for the Oakland A’s Thursday following the Jon Lester trade, which nets the team a ridiculous four pitchers sporting an ERA under 3 and a WHIP under 1.20. Mind you, all but former Cub Jeff Samardzija built those numbers primarily in the tougher hitting American League. Lester and Scott Kazmir are lefties while Samardzija and Sonny Gray are righties; it’s a pretty nice setup, to be sure.

That said, about an hour after Oakland landed Lester from the Red Sox, Detroit landed a haymaker of its own as the Tigers brought in their own dominant lefty, David Price. At the moment, Price, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello comprise an exceptionally effective rotation, and that’s without counting the fifth member of the rotation, who is struggling through a tough 2014 campaign. You may be familiar with him: Mr. Justin Verlander,

If Verlander can round into form sometime within the next few months (Verlander had offseason surgery that may be contributing to his struggles), then Detroit can come close to matching Oakland on the mound and beating them at the plate. Oakland bests Detroit in runs scored at the moment, but the Tigers look to have more sustainable offensive firepower, with Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez still anchoring the lineup.

Still, I’d give Oakland the nod if the two teams matched up today. The Athletics sport one of the best defensive teams in the league and one of its filthiest closers in Sean Dolittle; the Tigers aren’t as snug defensively and while he’s experienced and sports a big name, closer Joe Nathan is no longer the lights-out stopper he was before. 

When you get to the postseason, where everyone more or less has shown some ability to generate runs and quality innings pitched over the long haul, things like defense, strikeout rate and having a hammer to close out games means a heckava lot more than in the regular season. These are the things that create separation between quality teams. Oakland has all of these things in spades and after league-wide flurry of trade activity, still should sit atop the heap as the World Series favorites. 

•I’ve been playing some NBA 2K12 on my Playstation of late, mostly because I love basketball and I’m too cheap to buy NBA 2K14. Chris Bosh is a bad, bad man and will resurrect my Knicks franchise, and bombing 30 foot 3-pointers with J.R. Smith never gets old. That is all.

•Some fantasy football leftover thoughts from the last column: I’d avoid Peyton Manning this season. Famous last words, possibly. But Manning’s schedule looks to be significantly tougher against the pass this season, with matchups against the NFC West now on the docket. He’ll still be Peyton Manning, but the price tag he’ll carry with him after last season probably makes him a no go for me. Incidentally, Drew Brees is facing one of the easiest pass defense slates in the league — at least on paper — his weapons are healthier and you should be able to get him after Manning. That would be preferable.

Two years ago, Green Bay lost Greg Jennings. This offseason the team lost James Jones, and Jermichael Finley still hasn’t re-signed with the team. Aaron Rodgers still lives and breaths, meaning Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb should have plenty to eat this coming season. 

For those averse to the Falcons — yes, that’s just about all of us, I suppose — Matt Ryan probably doesn’t smell like a fun pickup. Keep in mind, though, that the Falcons upgraded their offensive line significantly this offseason, Julio Jones will be back and Roddy White was never healthy last season. With even a poor offensive line, Ryan was very good over last season’s first five games when playing with Jones, and that came against a slate of difficult pass defenses. Tony Gonzalez’s loss hurts, but if White can once again be Roddy White, that’s an upgrade. 

You can get him on the cheap this season, though you may have to hold your nose to do it.