It is finally here, The Fall Classic. After another marathon season, it all comes down to this sprint that is the World Series.
It's hard to argue that these two are not deserving participants, the Kansas City Royals had the best record in the American League, while the New York Mets have been simply unstoppable in the post-season.
I would love for the Pittsburgh Pirates to still be playing but these are two very worthy finalists.
The Mets have been on fire in October, after storming home and feasting off the Washington Nationals' ineptitude they claimed the National League East division title, and momentum has taken them through to the World Series.
They proved too strong for the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in the Division Series, and then obliterated the feel-good story that is the Chicago Cubs in the Championship Series. They beat them 4-0.
That does not happen very often, and certainly not against one of the other hottest team in baseball.
They did on the back of one man's bat, Daniel Murphy. Who? You’re forgiven. Murphy, a second baseman, hit 14 home runs in 130 games for the Mets in the regular season. He's hit seven in nine games in the 2015 post-season, at a remarkable average of .421.
Against the Cubs, his average was .529, he was recording a hit in more than half of his at bats. That is something special. For a team with much heralded pitching, it was the bat of the unheralded second baseman which led them this far. Can he continue?
It’ll be tough, such was the Mets dominance that they will have a six day rest between matches. In baseball, that's difficult. At this stage of the season, you want to be playing every day, you don't want to break. I think that break may be in issue in Game One but from there, I can't foresee it being a problem.
The Mets come up against one of the best-rounded rosters in all of baseball, the Kansas City Royals. Last year they went all the way to the World Series, but lost to the San Francisco Giants. With much of that team still on board they will be desperate to go one better in 2015. They have a strong offence, led by the outstanding Eric Hosmer and their pitching staff – while not as dominant at the Mets – is deep and effective. Their bullpen too is one of the best in the game.
I continue to look at this Royals side and think they are very beatable, but truth be told they are an excellent side, with no clear superstars. A World Series appearance and the best record in the AL speak for itself. After the AL won the All-Star game, the Royals have home field advantage, so four out of the seven games will be played in Kansas City. That is a massive advantage. They have lost just once there this post-season, and their record in 2015 at Kauffmann Stadium was 51-30 – one of the best in the game. Home field advantage is crucial, but the big question is, will Lorde be attending?
Verdict: This is really difficult to pick, and I can definitely see this series going to Game Seven. If Daniel Murphy continues his hot bat then I think it's hard to look past the Mets. Their rotation is deep and dominant, and their offence is hot. It'll be the Mets first Championship since 1986, and just their third ever. And anyway, if a New York team is going to win, at least it won't be the Yankees, right?
Prediction: Mets win 4-3.
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