The high-flying Nashville Bluebirds, fresh off a dominant 109-win season, now set their sights on the underdog Hawaii Tropics, who are riding momentum from their first-round victory over Des Moines. Nashville enters as the FL’s top seed — and with good reason. The Bluebirds not only posted the league’s best record but also led the FL in both runs scored and runs allowed. Meanwhile, Hawaii needed four games to dispatch the Kernels allowing an average of 2 runs per game.
But this series presents a steep climb.
Head-to-Head Breakdown
Hawaii and Nashville met eight times during the regular season, and it wasn’t close: the Bluebirds went 6-2, outscoring the Tropics 40-19. Nashville’s deep lineup carved up Hawaii’s pitching, and their rotation effectively neutralized the Tropics’ contact-heavy approach. In particular, Bin-ying Yen and Jim Ploughman combined for 24 innings with 20 strikeouts and only 3 runs allowed in those games.
On the other side, Hawaii’s SP Kinzo Iwamoto was tagged twice by Nashville, giving up 16 hits and 6 walks in just 12.1 innings. That sets a troubling tone as he’ll be leaned on to produce in this series.
Season Comparison
Here’s how the two teams stack up:
Team Records & Stats
| Category | Nashville Bluebirds | Hawaii Tropics |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 109-53 (.673) – 1st | 94-69 (.577) – 2nd |
| Home / Road | 60-21 (.741) / 49-32 (.605) | 53-28 (.654) / 41-41 (.500) |
| Versus Opponent | 6-2 (.750) vs HAW | 2-6 (.250) vs NSH |
| Runs Scored | 826 – 1st in FL | 794 – 4th in FL |
| Runs Against | 519 – 1st in FL | 670 – 6th in FL |
X-Factors
For Nashville, the emergence of De-shi Kuo at first base (9-for-18 with 4 doubles and 8 RBI vs. HAW) adds yet another headache for opposing pitchers. Combine that with the OBP-machine Carter Cramer and Nashville’s core is relentless.
Hawaii will need someone unexpected to catch fire. Carlos Antunez (.375 AVG vs NSH) could be a key bat in the middle of the order, but the pitching must hold up. Semih Gurani and Niegloslaw Woywtika will be leaned on to keep the games close and give Hawaii’s hitters a chance.
Prediction
There’s always room for chaos in the playoffs, and the Tropics proved that in Round 1. But Nashville is a different beast. They’re rested, elite on both sides of the ball, and beat Hawaii soundly all season. If Hawaii can steal one in Nashville and get to their home field, they’ve got a fighting shot — but the margin is razor-thin.
Pick: Nashville in 5
@Dington & @Jwalk100
