Be honest. When the season started, did anybody think it was going to be a Mets-Royals World Series? But that's what we've got. And one of these two teams will win its first title since the mid-80s. It's been 30 years for the Royals and 29 for the Mets, so, needless to say, both teams are due. And one of these fan bases will get to celebrate a championship for the first time in a generation.
Let's start with the Royals. Nobody expected them to get this far last year. Not only did they get to the World Series in 2014, they got all the way to Game 7. And if not for Madison Bumgarner, they probably would've held a parade in Kansas City last year. Even with most of the team back, and new parts that many felt made them better, there were some that thought last season was a fluke. I even saw some places where the Royals were picked fourth in the AL Central! Instead, they dominate the division from start to finish, end up with the best record in the American League, and win a second straight pennant for the first time in franchise history.
Kansas City has been thinking about this since Game 7 last year, which has driven everything they've done this season. That's why Ned Yost included 85 setup guys on the All-Star roster. He knew that if the AL won this game, it would mean home field for the World Series. And he was fully expecting to be back there.
As for the Mets, I'm not sure even they thought they'd be here when the season started. Everyone knew the Mets were going to be good, but Washington was crowned NL East champions--by everybody--during Spring Training. But as it turned out, the Nationals were a major disappointment, and the Mets improved their offense to go along with that dominant starting pitching. Suddenly the team that many thought was a year or two away was in the driver's seat in the NL East, and, because of that pitching, nobody wanted to face them in October. Well, they had good reason to be weary. Because the Mets used that incredible pitching and an otherworldly performance by Daniel Murphy to get past the Dodgers, then sweep the Cubs, and capture their first pennant in 15 years.
With that pitching, the Mets were definitely building something in Queens. I'm not sure many thought it would lead to a World Series appearance this season. It was a year or two away. But a lot of things went right for the 2015 New York Mets, and they grabbed the bull by the horns. This might not be a one-shot deal, either. All indications are that they're gonna be good for a while.
So we have this refreshingly unexpected matchup where history will be made no matter what. This is the first all-expansion World Series, and it's also the first time that there will be a World Series rematch on Opening Day of the following season. Although, imagine how awkward that might be. If the Royals win, they're gonna raise their championship flag and hand out their rings with the team they beat watching from the visitor's dugout. If the Mets win, Kansas City fans will have to relive another World Series loss just six months later. With those guys who beat them ruining Opening Day.
But which of those scenarios will it be? Will Opening Day be awkward for the Mets, or will it be awkward for the Royals?
Well, Kansas City is one of the most resilient teams in all of baseball. Ask the Blue Jays. It's impossible to put them away. And once they get into that bullpen, it's game over. All they need is six innings from the starter. Plus, they've got that experience. Last year is fresh in their minds. There are a lot of new faces on this Royals roster, but most of the principals are in their second straight Fall Classic. And they don't want to follow in the path of the Texas Rangers as back-to-back World Series losers.
One of the reasons they rely so much on that bullpen, though, is because their rotation isn't the strongest. Last year, the Royals had a legitimate ace in James Shields, who unfortunately was matched up against Bumgarner twice. This year, they're nowhere near as strong. Yordano Ventura is back, but their Game 1 and 2 starters are Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto...who'll go against Matt Harvey and Jacob de Grom. Advantage Mets. The two former Reds will have to go toe-to-toe against the Mets' two best starters for the Royals to hold serve at home and potentially bring the series back to Kansas City.
The Mets, meanwhile, didn't trail at any point in the NLCS. Life's easier when you're never behind. (You can ask the Blue Jays about that, too.) You're a lot looser and everything seems to go your way. While it's unlikely that they'll get every break against the Royals just like they did against the Cubs, the Mets' offense has proven that it'll take advantage of every opportunity it's given. Combine that with the pitching, and it's a lethal combination.
If there's one concern I have about the Mets, though, it's the bullpen. We all know that the bullpen is one of the Royals' biggest strengths. But for the Mets, the bridge between the starters and Familia might be where they're most vulnerable. Other than Colon, who's actually one of the starters, there isn't a single guy in that bullpen Terry Collins has shown much faith in. How long can you rely on the starter going seven and Familia going two, though? Somebody else in that Mets bullpen is gonna have to step up.
There's one last thing that needs to be considered. Since 2007, when the Rockies entered the World Series having won 21 of 22 and got swept by the Red Sox, the team with a long layoff after the LCS has traditionally not fared well in the World Series, especially if the other series goes six or seven. This year, it's the Mets that come into the World Series with that extended rest. They last played on Wednesday, which means Murphy hasn't hit a home run in almost a week, and that all four starting pitchers will be on longer rest than usual. Kansas City, meanwhile, finished up on Friday.
I never really bought into that thing in the past, but it's proven itself over and over again. There has to be some credence to it. That's why I'm picking the Royals to win the World Series. I'll say it goes six games, with Kansas City locking up its first title since 1985 at home.
Although, seeing as I picked both the Dodgers and Cubs, I'm sure Mets fans are fine with that selection. So, congratulations to the Seventh Line Army. Mayor de Blasio should probably start planning another parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
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