Who do you think is going to win the world series?
In the American League, I think the Rangers have the best chance to get to the World Series because they have the best record in the American League. The Rays and the Indians are going to play to see who will verse the Rangers. Of these three teams, I think the Rangers have the best chance. Yu Darvish is the Rangers strongest pitcher with amazing stats and is in the running for the Cy Young award this year.
Looking at the National League, I believe the Cardinals will win. Even though the Cards do not have the best record, as they are behind the Braves, the Braves seem to be struggling right now. The Braves' best pitcher is injured with an ankle injury, which hurts their chances. I also think the Cardinals have the best chance of winning because they have Adam Wainwright, who has pretty good pitching stats.
From these predictions, I think the Cardinals will face the Rangers in the World Series with the Cardinals being the 2013 World Series Champions. Who do you think will win?
Interesting insight Drew. I can see you've really done your research for your predictions. I would agree that Cardinals have a great chance to win the World Series this year. They always seem to get it done during the playoffs. Even though I am a Cubs fan, I will be cheering for the Cards since they won the NL Central.
ReplyDeleteIt should be a great post-season with great match-ups and games. Thank you for posting this.
I just read the "Bleacher Report" that suggests the World Series will be between Dodgers and the Red Sox. http://bleacherreport.com
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of friends in Boston, so I'm hoping that the Bleacher Report is right!
I love how passionate you are about sports! Keep blogging and sharing your thoughts.
I love how you talk about pitching as an important part of winning in the playoffs. Often times the team with the best pitching is the one that takes home the trophy. I can remember teams who were not nearly as good on offense winning the World Series because of great pitching. One that comes to mind is the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, when they had Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling as the 1, 2 punch. Look for low scoring games dominated by pitching.
ReplyDeleteI will make some observations in each league, listing my top 2 teams. I will also talk about one team that I see having unexpected success. Although I believe almost every team has a great shot at winning, I will call them my sleeper pick.
With pitching in mind, I would have to say Detroit holds the advantage in the AL, with Cleveland coming in a close 2nd. The Tigers have two of the best on the mound in Scherzer and Verlander, who are always tough to beat. Mix that with a potent offense and you have a definite contender. The Indians have been playing very well, winning 10 straight games to clinch their top Wild Card spot. Look for them to continue the trend into the playoffs. One team I will not write off are the Red Sox. Their pitching has been there, with Bucholz returning late in the season from injury. The reason I like this team so much is their will to win. They have come from behind time and time again to win games this season. Look for them to score runs. The question with them will be on the mound. Boston is my sleeper to watch out for in the AL.
AL Champion: Boston Red Sox. I believe their pitching will be good enough to complement the offense. They beat Detroit in a very tight series to advance to the World Series.
In the NL, there are also several teams that catch my eye. One team is the Pirates. Their pitching has been awesome, especially Francisco Liriano. To go with that is a great bullpen, which is often overlooked as an important part of winning. They are a great team that looks to make some noise in their first playoffs since they still had Barry Bonds in 1992. Back then, he was still the size of your average human. Also a contender are the Dodgers from LA. Even though they lost Matt Kemp to injury, their pitching will be steady. Puig will look to carry their offense in his absence. My sleeper in the NL is the Braves. They are a great team, but are overlooked due to some of the other teams that made it in. They are a dangerous team that could make things very interesting.
NL Champions: Pittsburgh Pirates. I want this team to be in this position more than ever. They are a team that has struggled for 20 years and now have the talent to do great things. They finally have all the pieces. I will be rooting for them in the NL and hope their fans get to experience a World Series birth after the pain of the 1992 NL Championship Series loss in Game 7. If you haven't heard about it, this is worth doing some research on.
In the World Series, I predict the Red Sox vs. Pirates. The Red Sox are a team that had a terrible season last year, but really turned it around. The Pirates are in a similar situation, only their drought lasted 20 more years. Both teams have what it takes, but the experience in tight games will be the factor. As I mentioned before, Boston has came from behind time and again, delivering walk-off hits in the 9th and extra innings. They show poise, which is confidence under pressure. This is a situation that will surely come in the series, and I look for the Red Sox to capitalize. My pick for the 2013 World Series Championship is the Boston Red Sox.
As I read through my predictions I think about all the other possibilities. I can honestly see Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and the Dodgers all winning the title. It would not surprise me if any of them did, because they all have strengths that could allow them to do so. Boston may lose in the first round, and it would not surprise me. That is why I love the playoffs so much. You just never know how things will play out. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Tough question, Drew! Smart thinking, too. I could never root for anyone other than my very favorite Atlanta Braves! I hope they will win. I'd love to see them play the Tigers!
ReplyDeleteWhat a well-thought-out post, Drew! I enjoyed reading it, even though I am a Dodgers and Angels fan. You are so right about the importance of pitching; that's one reason my teams didn't do so well. :) Keep up the blogging and baseball-watching!
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world, the Houston Astros would be winning the World Series. Though the world isn't perfect, so I have to agree with a lot of what you said in your piece! The Cardinal's pitching is going to be hot as it has been throughout the entire year. They have a really good chance. The last time they played in/won the World Series, they had a lot of clutch performances from players who weren't known for making big plays, I would lookout for more of that this postseason too.
ReplyDeleteDon't overlook the Boston Red Sox. They've quietly been arguably the best club in all of baseball this year. A lot of guys in that program know what it takes to make it all the way in the postseason. They have a lot of experience and an amazing fan base behind them.
Also, keep an eye out for the dark horse, the Tampa Bay Rays!
Awesome article, keep up the great work!
Drew, Drew, Drew...how could you overlook your former favorite team, the Boston Red Sox? I am shocked and disappointed. I understand that they had a bad season last year, but they are back and awesome this year! I will be cheering for them through the series and championship! GO RED SOX!!!
ReplyDeleteYou win some, you lose some. It's been a fun series, thanks Cards! You know a lot more about baseball than I ever will, but my heart belongs to Red Sox!
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