By: David Washburn
Another MLB season goes by, and I think we’ve all come to expect the LA Dodgers are back in the Fall Classic. This year, they face off against a surging Tampa Bay Rays team that is armed to the teeth with young talent, and only look to get better. The Dodgers are loaded with not just star power. But superstar power!
Watching this Rays team assemble key pieces subtly the past couple of seasons has made this World Series berth all the more satisfying as a baseball fan.
Tampa Bay traded Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow in exchange for Chris Archer. I think after letting this trade age a little bit, we can all agree that the Pirates were robbed of cornerstone talents.
Tampa Bay also traded for Manuel Margot, Randy Arozarena, Charlie Morton, Hunter Renfroe, Mike Zunino, Joey Wendle and Willy Adames. This team is pieced together very well. They have some homegrown talent also in Kevin Kiermaier, Brandon Lowe and Blake Snell.
How does Tampa stack up against the team out west?
The Dodgers have a team full of familiar faces. Proven faces. Experienced faces. Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Chris Taylor, and the guy who puts them over the top, former AL MVP, Mookie Betts.
They are a deep lineup, a phenomenal bullpen and starting rotation that helped lead them to the best record in baseball. I believe it is fair to say that nobody is surprised this season, looking at how dominant the Dodgers have been. They were rivaled only by the Padres and even then it wasn’t close.
My prediction: LA in 6
I believe that Tampa is the only team right now that can probably hang with the Dodgers, but I believe that the Dodgers are just too much to stop right now. They are riding a season long hot streak and I think this team has experienced defeat too much in years past to not have a fire in their belly to clutch that elusive championship.
I think Tampa Bay will prove their place on the big stage but they will simply be outmatched by depth, and experienced veterans who are sick of losing. The Dodgers are probably the best losers in the last five years and this feels like their time to take the World Series Championship Trophy. I expect the Dodgers to completely steamroll their way to victory.
If the Rays are going to make a liar out of me, they will have to prove they’re every bit as good as they’ve been. They will need to showcase outstanding pitching performances. Their offense will need to come alive and be more than just Randy Arozarena, and their bullpen will need to be stingy with runs. The Rays showed off some serious leather on the defensive side of the ball so this will certainly need to continue on the big stage. The Rays will need to do all of the little things well.
My World Series MVP Prediction: Cody Bellinger
The guy is a former NL MVP. Why wouldn’t you expect him to be the World Series MVP? He has had a less than stellar season with his offensive output but he is surrounded by star power that can carry the team. I think after his big Game 7 homerun in the NLCS, he might be back. I believe Belli will ride this momentum into the World Series. I expect him to make a statement early with his bat.
But let’s not act surprised if we see Mookie Betts shine and win this honor.
If there were a game that you wanted kids to see, and make baseball interesting and fun, this may be the series to watch. There are too many exciting players and you have the two teams with the best records in their leagues competing for it all. The Rays are being portrayed as an underdog, but don’t think they aren’t deserving of this spot. And as much as I believe the Dodgers are the better team, and as much as I think the Rays are loaded, the Rays are not going to go down easy, and the Dodgers will have a grueling dog fight on their hands.
It will be exciting. It will be dramatic. It will be what baseball is supposed to be.