The Mets and the Royals are set to face off in what should be a tight, hard-fought World Series. Both teams seem to be evenly matched, stronger in some areas and facing questions in others. But neither team has a distinct advantage over the other, which means another seven game series isn’t out of the question.
And speaking of questions, here are five of them to consider while waiting for the first pitch tonight:
Can the Royals handle the Mets’ pitching staff?
The Mets’ pitchers shut down the powerful Dodgers offense, then completely shredded the homer-happy Cubs lineup to ribbons. But the Royals are a different animal than the Cubs or Dodgers: they’re a more patient team, one that doesn’t rely only on the home run ball to score. They’re fast, use the gaps to their advantage, and can hit for average (they were tied for the second-highest team batting average in baseball this year, and are the best hitting team this postseason by a wide margin). The Mets’ starting pitchers have been dominant and pushed them to the brink of a championship. But the Royals are better equipped to handle a tough pitching staff than any team New York has faced this month, so long as one of the starters isn’t Madison Bumgarner. They’ll give the Mets their toughest challenge yet.
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 21: Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets celebrates on field after defeating the Chicago Cubs in game four of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field on October 21, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The Mets defeated the Cubs with a score of 8 to 3 to sweep the Championship Series. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
2015 World Series
This is really just another way of asking if the moment is too big for the Mets, something we’ve asked before every playoff series this year, and every time the Mets prove that it isn’t too big. The World Series is different, though, so it’s fair to ask again (albeit in a different way). Their starting pitchers have never been on a stage like this, though the rest of the playoffs haven’t phased them at all. Their lineup is full of guys who’ve never been this far, and as a whole the Mets are facing a team they won’t be able to run right over like they did the Cubs. Plus the Royals have been there before, are used to the pressure, and are using the fuel of having the winning run at the plate in the 9th inning of Game 7 last year to propel them to a championship. Everything seems stacked against the Mets yet again; will they be able to take that pressure and thrive like they’ve done the previous two rounds?
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 29: Alex Gordon #4 of the Kansas City Royals looks on from the dugout against the San Francisco Giants during Game Seven of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 29, 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Did the Royals learn anything from last year?
They came as close as a team can possibly get to winning the World Series without actually doing it, and it’s clear that the sting of that failure has stuck with the Royals for almost a year now. A loss like that can galvanize a team to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s hard to blame the Royals if they felt disrespected from the moment spring training started: their offseason moves were ridiculed, and just about every major prognosticator had them missing the playoffs completely. Yet here they are again, and that perceived disrespect has likely fostered an us-against-the-world attitude in their clubhouse. Most of their players experienced what it takes to reach the top of the mountain last year, and the bitterness of watching the Giants celebrate on their home field probably still sits in their stomachs. Will the Royals take what they learned and experienced last year and use it to finally get over the hump?
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 26: Johnny Cueto #47 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during a workout the day before Game 1 of the 2015 World Series between the Royals and New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium on October 26, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Is the KC pitching staff capable of keeping up with the Mets starters?
If there’s one area where the Mets have the clear advantage in this series, it’s the starting rotation. New York’s quartet of young power arms has torn through the National League this year and is the strength of their team; Kansas City, on the other hand, doesn’t have a rotation that’s quite as intimidating. Edinson Volquez and his 6.56 career postseason ERA takes the ball in Game 1, followed by Johnny Cueto and his 6.93 postseason ERA. Next is Yordano Ventura, who was brilliant in the 2014 World Series but who’s also been wildly inconsistent this postseason. Last is Chris Young, who probably won’t get a start if the Royals are in a series hole. Not exactly a murderer’s row of pitchers there. It was a good enough rotation to take Kansas City this far, so it’s not like it’s barren of talent. But when compared to the Mets and their electric staff, the Royals will have some work to do to keep up.
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 21: New York Mets fans cheer after game four of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field on October 21, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The Mets defeated the Cubs with a score of 8 to 3 to sweep the Championship Series. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Which long-suffering fan base will finally celebrate a championship?
Kansas City fans had their hearts ripped out right in front of their faces last year in Game 7. Mets fans hadn’t seen a winning season since 2008, a playoff appearance since 2006, and a World Series appearance since 2000. Neither team has won it all since the Reagan administration. Both of them had to deal with in-state rivals winning multiple championships in the meantime. Each fan base is starving for a World Series win. One of them is going to be ecstatic for years to come. One of them is going to feel like they’ve been punched in the stomach, then the face, then the stomach again. Which one is going to celebrate?
