The road to an Arizona Complex League championship begins Saturday night as the ACL West champion Mariners welcome the ACL Reds to the Peoria Sports Complex in a one-game semifinal matchup.

Seattle enters the postseason with the second-best record in the Arizona Complex League, earning home-field advantage after finishing 36-24. Waiting for them is a Cincinnati club that proved throughout the regular season it can score in bunches, setting up what should be one of the league’s premier pitching staffs against one of its most dangerous offenses.

Strength vs. Strength

Few teams swing the bat like the Reds.

Cincinnati finished the regular season first in the ACL in home runs, second in RBIs, and third in batting average, giving the lineup power from top to bottom. The Reds won both regular-season meetings, capitalizing on timely home runs and taking advantage of free passes whenever Seattle’s pitching lost the strike zone.

The Mariners counter with the league’s most dominant pitching staff.

Seattle finished the season first in team ERA, while also allowing the fewest hits, issuing the fewest walks, and holding opponents to the lowest batting average in the Arizona Complex League. If the Mariners control the strike zone the way they have all season, they’ll like their chances against any lineup.

Players to Watch

Nick Becker

Becker has consistently been one of Seattle’s catalysts against Cincinnati. Across the previous meetings, the shortstop homered, doubled, drove in runs and repeatedly found ways to get on base.

He has missed the Mariners’ last two games, and Seattle is hoping he’ll be healthy enough to return for Saturday night’s semifinal. If Becker is back in the lineup, his ability to set the tone at the top of the order could provide a major boost for the Mariners’ offense.

Yorger Bautista

Bautista remains Seattle’s engine at the top of the lineup. The center fielder delivered several clutch extra-base hits against Cincinnati during the regular season while continuing to impact games with his speed and defense.

Leandro Romero

Romero also enjoyed success against the Reds, driving in key runs and consistently putting together quality at-bats in the middle of the order.

Where the Mariners Can Improve

The biggest key for Seattle is limiting free baserunners.

In the losses to Cincinnati, the Reds capitalized on walks, hit batters and mistakes in the field before delivering timely extra-base hits. Seattle’s pitchers rarely struggled with command throughout the regular season, but when they did against the Reds, Cincinnati made them pay.

Offensively, the Mariners also need to capitalize on scoring opportunities early. Seattle hit several home runs against Cincinnati during the regular season but also left innings unfinished by not stringing together enough quality at-bats with runners aboard.

With a trip to the ACL Championship Game on the line, Saturday night’s showdown has all the ingredients of postseason baseball. At Peoria Sports Complex, the Mariners will look to prove that elite pitching can overcome elite power and continue their march toward a league title.