Opinion: This World Series could be a true Fall Classic
Purbalite Pick ‘Em: Who will win the World Series?, Johnny Staley and Austin Bechtold debate
October 25, 2017
Even though the teams in the World Series this year have not been to the Fall Classic in many years, the Astros and Dodgers field two of the best teams in recent memory.
The Dodgers won 104 games this year and the Astros won 101 games. This will be the first time since 1970 that two 100-win teams will be facing each other in the World Series.
However, the two teams have not made the World Series in many years. The Dodgers’ last appearance was in 1988, and the Astros were last in it in 2005. The two teams do differ in their World Series victories, as the Astros are aiming for their first championship in franchise history and the Dodgers have sx victories themselves.
There is certainly no lack of star power in it this year. The Astros field some of the best offense in the Major Leagues, led by MVP candidate Jose Altuve who lead the MLB in batting average this year. The Astros also have young stars like Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Alex Bregman. They also hold a strong pitching staff with Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel being two certified aces. Both pitchers have won a Cy Young Award.
The Dodgers also have no real holes in their lineup with stars like Justin Turner, Corey Seager, and Chris Taylor. They also have likely NL Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger, who hit an astonishing 39 home runs in his rookie campaign. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw was second in the MLB in ERA and is widely seen as the best pitcher in the game.
The World Series will be even more interesting in the fact that the Astros did not join the American League until 2013.
The Series will come down to the starting pitching. In the past years the teams in the Series have a quick tendency to go to their bullpens when the starter gets in trouble. If a starter does go deep it will be a huge advantage for the bullpens going further in the series. Both teams have a strong pitching staff and there is no clear advantage on paper. The team that edges the other team in starting pitching should win the series.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license.
