It’s hard to assume something wide sweeping about sports as a whole, but if there was ever a more emphatic response to a loss than Kansas City’s, I haven’t seen it.
After losing 11-8 on Monday night in Toronto—a game that was largely decided early, even though Kansas City made a late push—the Royals answered in force, beating the Blue Jays 14-2, scoring nine runs in the final three innings and taking a 3-1 lead in the ALCS.
The Blue Jays already had a tough battle without home-field advantage on their side, but now, with every game an elimination game and the Royals hitting the ball like they are, it is seemingly ever more unlikely that Toronto will make it to the World Series.
On the other side of the bracket, things are even worse for the Chicago Cubs. Returning to Wrigley Field was supposed to give the young team a boost after struggling to score in Games 1 and 2, but New York shut down Kyle Schwarber and company en route to a 5-2 win and a 3-0 lead in the series.
Daniel Murphy has transformed into the best player in baseball by a pretty significant margin in the playoffs and even if the Mets drop the next two, it is hard to imagine them losing out and dropping the series to the Cubs.
But, as the Red Sox proved in 2004, any deficit can be overcome as long as there is still a chance, so things aren’t over for Chicago or Toronto just yet. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the four possible matchups in the World Series and who would come out on top of each.
Cubs vs. Blue Jays
The Blue Jays bats are the best in the league, but an argument could be made they are simply an older version of the youthful power hitting the Cubs bring to the table with players like Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant.
But while Toronto is the best offensive team in baseball and is expected to score in droves each and every night, the pitching battle belongs ever so slightly to the Cubs.
Even if he is mortal and slowly starting to show strains of a heavy workload this season, Jake Arrieta has been one of the best pitchers in the league this year, and betting against him is never a good idea. A combination of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel behind him aren’t bad either, giving Chicago a distinct advantage in the pitching battle.
But Toronto’s bats will prove to be too much for the Cubs to handle—especially after watching Daniel Murphy dominate the early NLCS—and the Blue Jays will keep Chicago from achieving the multigenerational dream.
Prediction: Blue Jays win series 4-2
Cubs vs. Royals
While the Cubs and Blue Jays are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of age, but are still both inexperienced teams when it comes to the postseason, the same cannot be said of the Kansas City Royals.
Last year’s runner-up in the World Series, Kansas City was the best team in baseball no one talked about this year and has held that title throughout the postseason as well. Perhaps because they already had their miraculous run to the World Series last year, the Royals have flown under the radar compared to the other three teams left in the playoffs.
But after taking down one of the sentimental favorites in the Houston Astros and proving they are more than a match for the Blue Jays, the Royals look to have improved on last season’s squad and are ready to win it all.
Chicago’s youth and the pure emotion of being in the World Series will play a huge part in the final result, but Kansas City has the pitching to match the Cubs—even if Johnny Cueto continues to struggle—and the bats necessary to win a long series.
Prediction: Royals win series 4-2
Mets vs. Blue Jays
It is interesting that despite not having won the World Series since 1993 and 1986, respectively, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets are battling to end the two shortest title droughts of the teams left in the playoffs.
In spite of this, the fans of both franchises will be desperate to reclaim the crown that has eluded them for so long in what should be a hard-fought battle.
Toronto has the bats, while New York has the young group of superstar pitchers to even the odds, which means the series could come down to the strengths and weaknesses each team has on the other side of the ball.
While the Blue Jays pitching has improved with David Price on the mound, there are still some heavy question marks in that department, whereas the Mets have a much better offense than most give them credit for. Daniel Murphy is putting in an MVP-level performance, and Yoenis Cespedes can go off at any given time, which should give New York enough of a boost to beat Toronto.
Prediction: Mets win series 4-3
Royals vs. Mets
The argument could be made that this version of the Kansas City Royals has been better than the team that made it to the World Series. A strong pitching rotation and some of the best bats in baseball have the Royals playing at the top of their game so far in the ALCS, and when at their best, they are tough to take down.
But despite everything the Royals have going for them and the experience the team has, the Mets have improved seemingly each game this season, rallying to sprint past the Nationals, taking down the Dodgers and outplaying a young Chicago team.
It hasn’t been the prettiest season, especially with the way the Mets were hitting the ball early in the year, but New York is due for another champion this time around, with its young pitching staff leading the way.
Murphy is crowned MVP, deGrom, Syndergaard and Harvey become the best 1-2-3 punch in baseball, and the Mets battle through a long and hard-fought series, securing their third World Series title in franchise history.
Prediction: Mets win series 4-3
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