The core conflict in this series is no secret: the Mets' power starting pitching against the Royals' contact hitting. Sheehan: Royals in sevenīecause Ned Yost is a witch. This should be a tight series, but to me, the needle points to the team that wins the arms race. The contact-centric Royals are especially adept at countering hard stuff, which will put pressure on New York's defense and may confer a slight advantage relative to power-focused teams, but it's not as though the Mets lack for quality off-speed stuff, and Kansas City's lack of patience at the plate may let those hard-throwing starters stick around longer. New York is also the only team that will start a lefty, albeit not until Game 4 ( Steven Matz). Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey have answered the bell with a strong start nearly every time this postseason, missing enough bats to cover for the team's shaky infield defense and working deep enough into games to help offset a bullpen that lacks the depth of the Royals' unit. Go around the diamond position by position, and it appears that the Royals have the edge more often than not, but the Mets' advantage in starting pitching nonetheless stands out. Jaffe: Mets in sixĢ015 World Series: Mets vs. New York's advantage in starting pitching is substantial, and with Jeurys Familia shutting the door and with New York’s lineup dangerous and clicking, I think the Mets will get enough early leads to render Kansas City's bullpen largely irrelevant. There are a great many reasons to pick the Royals to win this Series, but the one reason to pick the Mets overwhelms them all. I expect the starting pitching mismatch to tip the series in the direction of the Mets. But it’s hard to get around the fact that in every game of the series, New York’s starter will boast the better regular-season ERA by a significant margin. The Royals are a wonderfully talented and resilient club, and it is easy to imagine them winning a couple of games in the seventh and eighth innings if the Mets are forced to resort to their shaky middle relievers. But I can’t get past this simple fact: When it comes to pure stuff, the Mets will have the starting pitching advantage in every game of the series. The Royals have the more athletic team, the better defense, the better bullpen and the better lineup (at least under AL rules), all of which play well in what should be closely contested games. MORE MLB: Full postseason schedule, start times, TV listings Who will win the World Series? Verducci: Mets in seven.Neither the Royals nor Mets have hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy since the 1980s: Kansas City won its first and only title in '85, while New York last was crowned as world champion the following year.Įach team now has the opportunity to break a three-decade drought and bring a championship home, but which of the Mets or Royals will emerge victorious? Sports Illustrated's MLB experts-Tom Verducci, Albert Chen, Ben Reiter, Cliff Corcoran, Jay Jaffe and Joe Sheehan-are here to make their picks and predictions for the Fall Classic and break down what should be a thrilling World Series. For New York, which swept the Cubs for the National League pennant, this is the team's first appearance in the World Series since 2000, when it fell to the Yankees. For Kansas City, which downed the Blue Jays in the ALCS, this season marks a second straight trip to the Fall Classic after an unlikely repeat as the American League's champions, as well as a chance to make up for last year's heartbreaking World Series loss in seven games to the Giants. Ten teams entered the postseason, but after three grueling weeks of games, only the Mets and Royals remain to fight for the World Series.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |