Last night, we figured out which two teams will play in this year’s World Series. And, even though they aren’t the two teams that we expected to reach the Fall Classic, it should still be a fun series. So, who will win? Well, I’ve got the answer.
At the beginning of the postseason, both the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants were Wild Card teams. They both had to play in a win-or-go-home game and they both had to face the best team in their league. So, it’s pretty shocking how they are the only two teams that survived the war that is the postseason.
The Giants’ biggest strength is their starting pitching. Madison Bumgarner, the NLCS MVP, is coming off four-straight quality starts. Tim Hudson, the 39-year-old veteran, has waited 16 years to get to this point, and he made the most of his first LCS start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Then there’s Ryan Vogelsong, who is seemingly unhittable in the postseason. Finally, we can’t forget about Jake Peavy. Together, they’ve been unstoppable.
Like San Fran, the Royals also have a formidable starting rotation. But, it’s their bullpen that has stolen the show. The three-headed monster of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland have been at their best in October, which makes things complicated for opposing teams. They shut down Oakland, L.A. and Baltimore, three of the best offensive teams in the game of baseball.
The Royals win if…
The Royals need to use their strengths to their advantage. They need to test the Giants with their speed and athleticism. KC isn’t a power-hitting team, so stealing bases is a big part of their run-scoring strategy. They also play great defense and rarely make mistakes. If the Royals can limit their mistakes and steal bases, then they are well on their way to winning their first title since 1985.
The Giants will win if…
The Giants’ stars have to play like stars. Buster Posey, one of the finest catchers out there, is on a roll. Pablo Sandoval, who was a hero back in 2012, is finding his stride right now. As I already noted, the Giants’ starting pitching has been phenomenal. The only star that isn’t performing well is Hunter Pence, their energetic right-fielder. Pence needs to step up and his teammates have to continue to play well in order for the Giants to win it all.
My Pick: Royals
The Royals are on fire right now and it will be difficult for the Giants to cool them down. Their bullpen is fabulous, their starting pitching is solid and they can hit. KC is the more well-rounded team and I think that will be pretty obvious once the World Series begins. Also, they have home-field advantage on their side. That’s why I like the Royals in this series.
