The Mets and Royals—two teams that haven’t brought home the World Series trophy since the mid-1980s—are set to face off in this year’s Fall Classic, and anyone who says they predicted this matchup before the season began should be checked for Pinocchio-itis (elongation of the nose).
While most figured the long-suffering Royals’ 2014 run to the World Series was a one-hit wonder, the Mets weren’t even in the discussion of teams considered good enough to have a fluke run to the series. But here both teams are, and the matchup is a good one—the Mets’ starting rotation and improved hitting, against the Royals’ aggressive offense and stellar defense. Here’s how the teams match up:
Offense
The Royals are not a patient hitting team. They’re up there hacking. Kansas City walked the second-fewest times (383) of any team this season, yet they struck out only 973 times, far fewer than anyone else (second-best was Atlanta at 1,107). Unorthodox leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar—who has not walked yet this postseason—exemplifies this more than anyone. In Game 5 of the ALDS against Houston, the MVP of the ALCS saw just seven pitches in four at-bats.
The Royals have a deep lineup—so deep that Alex Gordon and Alex Rios are the team’s 8-9 hitters—and the team is aggressive on the basepaths. Lorenzo Cain’s winning score from first base—on a single in the 8th inning of Game 6—was the second time he did that this postseason. In addition, the team has a designated base stealer in Jarrod Dyson ready to come off the bench at any time.
For the Mets, all the talk and attention is on Daniel Murphy—and rightly so. The clutch infielder is the first player ever to homer in six straight postseason games. Once a major weakness of the team, New York upgraded their hitting when they acquired Yoenis Céspedes, Kelly Johnson, and Juan Uribe and promoted top prospect Michael Conforto in late July.
Questions remain for New York, though, such as the health of Céspedes’s ailing shoulder and whether Murphy can stay hot. Slight advantage: Kansas City.
Starting Pitching
The Royals’ starting pitching has been their biggest weakness all season, and it really hasn’t improved in the postseason. They have no idea what to expect from Johnny Cueto (7.88 ERA) or the talented Yordano Ventura (5.09). As a team, their starters’ ERA in the postseason is a dreadful 5.56.
