Raise your hand if you had the two Wild Card winners playing each other in the World Series after beating the top-seeded team in their respective league and winning the pennant in relatively easy fashion. Okay Bud Selig, you can put your hand down since you're the one responsible for implementing the new format in 2012. Everyone else, please listen up.
The Kansas City Royals (89-73) and the San Francisco Giants (88-74) are both riding postseason waves of magic this October. The Royals are undefeated (yes, this writer said undefeated) while the Giants are looking to capture their third World Series championship in the last five seasons. Both clubs are making noise with their electrifying bullpens and both appear destined to win it all. Unfortunately, there is only one winner and one devastated loser like always. Let's break it down and determine who has the edge and what factors may come into play in this exciting and unpredictable World Series.
Momentum:
No one needs to tell the Royals they are riding high with momentum. They know they haven't lost a single postseason game this October (8-0) and realize all fingers are pointed at them as the true, yet "favorable" underdogs.
The Giants also need no clarification that they are postseason royalty. They have won 15 of their last 17 postseason games dating back to 2010 and possess the playoff experience to win the biggest games. Because momentum plays a large role in the postseason and both teams seemed to have figured themselves out, this factor is too close to call.
Edge: EVEN
Starting pitching:
James Shields, Yordano Ventura, Jason Vargas and Jeremy Guthrie have been good enough as a collective group for the Royals to be where they are right now. While Shields and Ventura have both pitched at least 13 innings this postseason, both boast ERA's above 4.84. Vargas and Guthrie, pitching in less innings, have been far more efficient with ERA's of 2.38 and 1.80 respectively. Kansas City's starting pitching has been tolerable enough to not let games get out of reach while allowing for the bullpen to save the day.
The Giants, on the other hand, have relied heavily on starting pitching these playoffs. Led by formidable ace Madison Bumgarner (5 ER in 31.2 innings pitched and 4 quality starts in 4 outings), San Francisco starting pitcher's ERA is 2.40. Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy have also been stellar on the mound, each posting ERA's below 3.30 in at least 9.2 innings pitched.
Edge: GIANTS
Bullpen:
Without Kansas City's bullpen pitching the way they have the past three weeks, the Royals would easily have been eliminated by the power-hitting Angels or Orioles. Instead, their bullpen is 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA over 35 innings pitched. Relivers Wade Davis, Kevin Herrera, and Greg Holland have all pitched in at least seven of KC's eight postseason games, none of which allowed more than a single earned run for the entire postseason and all of which struck out ten.
Believe it or not, San Francisco's pen has been as good, if not better than Kansas City's. The Giants bullpen is 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA over 35.1 inning pitched. Look awfully similar? Leading in innings pitched out of the pen, Yusmeiro Petit, Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla have allowed no earned runs and only two hits each. Talk about dominant bullpen relief from both pennant winners.
Edge: EVEN
Hitting:
The Royals came into these playoffs last in the majors in regular season home runs with 95. They are currently second in home runs this postseason with 8 and have continued to get on base and hit for average at an amazing rate. Hitting .259 as a team, the Royals are lead by Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, and the home run heroics of Mike Moustakas. Five of the Royals starting nine have scored at least five times and their line-up is as deep as they come in terms of hitting and reaching base safely.
The Giants' lineup can also do damage. San Francisco leads the postseason with 88 hits and is only a run shy of Kansas City's total scored. Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Joe Panik each have at least ten hits and seven Giants have at least a dozen total bases, replacing the home run department where San Fran has only five.
Both teams know how to get on base and turn base runners into quality runs, but Kansas City has a higher on-base percentage (.331 to .313), more home runs (8 to 5) and more stolen bases (13 to 3).
EDGE: KANSAS CITY
Experience
Bruce Bochy has been in the World Series twice already. He knows how to manage one hell of a game, especially when the game is this significant. He's also got a handful of players with plenty of World Series experience. They aren't nervous and no one expects them to be anything less than calm.
Ned Yost has never been on the big stage, nor has the majority of his ballplayers. Kansas City is playing in the World Series for the first time since 1985 when they last won it. Expect a little nerves from a young ball club, but don't expect much intimidation. They are here because they can compete with anyone.
Last Word:
This series will be determined by how effective the bullpens can be and which team can continue to find the big hits late in games. The Giants and Royals are the best in the late-innings. That will surely be the key in this best of seven series. Anticipate nothing less than World Series drama and baseball awesomeness!
Prediction: ROYALS IN SEVEN