Post by White Sox GM (Michael) on Sept 21, 2014 18:25:07 GMT -5
The 2014 World Series is upon us!
2014 World Series
#1 Oakland Athletics (203-67-24)
vs.
#2 Chicago Cubs (197-82-15)
This matchup features the AL West Champion Oakland Athletics and the NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs.
The Oakland A's won yet another close matchup this week, edging out the White Sox in the final day of the series. The offense is powerful, finishing first or second in the AL in runs scored, home runs, RBI, and SLG. The team may not hit for a great average, but it has four 20-plus home run hitters, quite a feat in the midst of a pitcher's era. Chris Carter leads the team with 37 home runs, while Yoenis Cespedes and Kyle Seager both topped 90 ribbies. Carlos Santana and Matt Carpenter are on-base machines, pacing the team with 106 and 91 walks, respectively. Leonys Martin and Norichika Aoki add a speed dynamic to the team.
On the pitching side, Lance Lynn has pitched like an ace all season. Hisashi Iwakuma has skidded recently, but he's also had another strong season, as have Wade Miley, Jason Vargas, and Mat Latos, the latter an injury concern moving forward. The bullpen is led by holds hoarders Darren O'Day (23 holds), Pedro Strop (18), and Dale Thayer (12), all of who maintain ERAs near or below 2. As a result, the A's rotation as a whole was top-three in the AL in five pitching categories.
The Chicago Cubs won fairly easily against the NL's #1 seed, the Arizona Diamondbacks; they will have to repeat the performance against the other #1 seed in order to hoist the trophy. The offense doesn't feature any true stars, but it is well-rounded, and it receives contributions in all categories. For example, their leading home run hitter is Ian Desmond (23 homers), but they also have seven hitters on the 25-man roster with at least 15 round-trippers, and the Cubs led the NL in homers as a result. The Cubs were near the top in all cumulative stats, as a matter of fact, receiving help from Jayson Werth, Charlie Blackmon, and rookie sensation Jorge Soler. The Cubs didn't fare as well in rate stats, but they also were second in stolen bases, half of which came from Dee Gordon, who swiped an insane amount of bags (64).
As these previews say every week, the Cubs really impress from the mound. Aces David Price and Jon Lester are only the start, though their combination of innings, high strikeout totals, and ERA certainly doesn't hurt. Cole Hamels has been almost as dominant, especially in the second half, although he didn't pitch as many innings. Jordan Zimmermann was terrific again, sporting the usual low-strikeouts, low-ERA combo, and late-season acquisition Brandon McCarthy is a lite version of Zimm. Then there's #1 draft pick Gerrit Cole, breakout star Tyson Ross, World War II veteran Tim Hudson, headhunter Marcus Stroman...you get the point. The rotation is stacked, even if they won't all be pitching in the World Series. The bullpen is phenomenal, too, including closers Aroldis Chapman and Huston Street and holds accumulators Andrew Miller, Joe Smith, and Tyler Clippard. Chapman and Miller especially also add a lot of strikeouts. Needless to say, this rotation is one of ODC's finest.
Ultimately, this is a matchup of two well-balanced teams, which is exactly what you'd expect in the World Series. The A's may have a slight power advantage, or a more clear rate-stat advantage on the hitting side. The Cubs definitely have the more impressive starting rotation and also have a bullpen advantage that isn't marginal. Either way, it's too close to make a definitive prediction over one week. As we know from our league's history, anything can happen in one matchup, especially when two powerhouses clash. We just have to sit back, wait for a week, and see these strong squads play it out.
Happy Fall Classic, everyone! Good luck to the Athletics and Cubs, and may we see a close matchup that goes down to the final day!
2014 World Series
#1 Oakland Athletics (203-67-24)
vs.
#2 Chicago Cubs (197-82-15)
This matchup features the AL West Champion Oakland Athletics and the NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs.
The Oakland A's won yet another close matchup this week, edging out the White Sox in the final day of the series. The offense is powerful, finishing first or second in the AL in runs scored, home runs, RBI, and SLG. The team may not hit for a great average, but it has four 20-plus home run hitters, quite a feat in the midst of a pitcher's era. Chris Carter leads the team with 37 home runs, while Yoenis Cespedes and Kyle Seager both topped 90 ribbies. Carlos Santana and Matt Carpenter are on-base machines, pacing the team with 106 and 91 walks, respectively. Leonys Martin and Norichika Aoki add a speed dynamic to the team.
On the pitching side, Lance Lynn has pitched like an ace all season. Hisashi Iwakuma has skidded recently, but he's also had another strong season, as have Wade Miley, Jason Vargas, and Mat Latos, the latter an injury concern moving forward. The bullpen is led by holds hoarders Darren O'Day (23 holds), Pedro Strop (18), and Dale Thayer (12), all of who maintain ERAs near or below 2. As a result, the A's rotation as a whole was top-three in the AL in five pitching categories.
The Chicago Cubs won fairly easily against the NL's #1 seed, the Arizona Diamondbacks; they will have to repeat the performance against the other #1 seed in order to hoist the trophy. The offense doesn't feature any true stars, but it is well-rounded, and it receives contributions in all categories. For example, their leading home run hitter is Ian Desmond (23 homers), but they also have seven hitters on the 25-man roster with at least 15 round-trippers, and the Cubs led the NL in homers as a result. The Cubs were near the top in all cumulative stats, as a matter of fact, receiving help from Jayson Werth, Charlie Blackmon, and rookie sensation Jorge Soler. The Cubs didn't fare as well in rate stats, but they also were second in stolen bases, half of which came from Dee Gordon, who swiped an insane amount of bags (64).
As these previews say every week, the Cubs really impress from the mound. Aces David Price and Jon Lester are only the start, though their combination of innings, high strikeout totals, and ERA certainly doesn't hurt. Cole Hamels has been almost as dominant, especially in the second half, although he didn't pitch as many innings. Jordan Zimmermann was terrific again, sporting the usual low-strikeouts, low-ERA combo, and late-season acquisition Brandon McCarthy is a lite version of Zimm. Then there's #1 draft pick Gerrit Cole, breakout star Tyson Ross, World War II veteran Tim Hudson, headhunter Marcus Stroman...you get the point. The rotation is stacked, even if they won't all be pitching in the World Series. The bullpen is phenomenal, too, including closers Aroldis Chapman and Huston Street and holds accumulators Andrew Miller, Joe Smith, and Tyler Clippard. Chapman and Miller especially also add a lot of strikeouts. Needless to say, this rotation is one of ODC's finest.
Ultimately, this is a matchup of two well-balanced teams, which is exactly what you'd expect in the World Series. The A's may have a slight power advantage, or a more clear rate-stat advantage on the hitting side. The Cubs definitely have the more impressive starting rotation and also have a bullpen advantage that isn't marginal. Either way, it's too close to make a definitive prediction over one week. As we know from our league's history, anything can happen in one matchup, especially when two powerhouses clash. We just have to sit back, wait for a week, and see these strong squads play it out.
Happy Fall Classic, everyone! Good luck to the Athletics and Cubs, and may we see a close matchup that goes down to the final day!
