Previewing the 2015 World Series

Well, here we are: after more than 2,000 regular-season games, two Wild Card Games, four Divisional Series and two Championship Series, we have our 2015 World Series. The New York Mets, having vanquished the powerful Chicago Cubs in just four games, will represent the National League. The American League will send their own champions, the Kansas City Royals, who are fresh off of a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

It’s a unique series, the first ever between two expansion teams, and one that promises to be one of history’s most exciting. The once-upstart Royals are now the series’ old guard, back to avenge their loss in last year’s World Series. The Mets are the new upstarts, and they feature an enviable array of powerful pitching arms. Who will come out on top? Here’s our preview.

Home Field

Thanks to the American League’s victory in the All-Star game, the Royals will have home field. That means they’ll host Game 1, Game 2, Game 6 (if necessary), and the all-important World Series Game 7 (if necessary). Home field advantage is particularly relevant in this series because the Royals have a deep home ballpark. That could hurt the Mets, who have based much of their postseason offensive surge on the home run. Will Daniel Murphy be able to hit it out of Kauffman stadium?

Advantage: Royals

At Bat

Kansas City hit the ball well all year long, and they’ve continued to do so in the postseason. They’re batting .271/.328/.449 as a team in the playoffs, and they’ve scored more runs than any other team (including the Mets, though the Mets have played fewer games). Kansas City’s offense rarely strikes out, and they’re noted for their ability to hit power pitchers – bad news for the New York Mets, who rely on young fireballers. The Mets, for their part, have been the best offense in the National League since trading for star OF Yoenis Cespedes.

Advantage: Royals

On the Mound

This New York Mets postseason rotation is nothing short of historic. The Mets boast a whole staff of aces, including elite pitchers Jacob DeGrom and Matt Harvey. There will probably not be a single game in this series in which the Royals will start a better pitcher than the Mets. New York has a team ERA of 2.81, miles ahead of Kansas City’s 4.41 mark. The Royals brought in ace Johnny Cueto to bolster their pitching staff, but he’s been something of a liability of late.

Advantage: Mets

In Relief

The Royals have a noticeably better bullpen than the Mets, and that could be the key for Kansas City as they match up against New York’s aces. Of course, New York’s superior starting pitching could allow them to go deeper into games and avoid this weakness altogether. The Mets also have a stellar closer, Jeurys Familia, who can handle two-inning saves when necessary. It may be necessary, as the Mets can’t really trust eighth-inning man Tyler Clippard these days.

Advantage: Royals

At the Helm

Neither the Royals’ Ned Yost nor the Mets’ Terry Collins are known for being brilliant tacticians, but both have a knack for motivation. Collins did well with a relatively unheralded squad early in the season, which helped earn the confidence of the front office and led to the trades that have made the Mets a complete team and true contender. Yost is also a great motivator, but his in-game management gaffes are usually worse than the average Terry Collins head-scratcher.

Advantage: Mets

Conclusion

There are a couple of reasons for the Royals to have faith in the face of Mets pitching. Most notably, the Royals rarely strike out and are good against power pitchers. But it’s hard to find a reason to pick Kansas City when the Mets are putting elite pitchers on the mound night after night. If Johnny Cueto can’t be trusted, the Royals just won’t have enough aces to match up with the Mets

Our prediction: Mets in five