Post-Trade Deadline Predictions: World Series

So, if it’s true that starting pitching is the key to winning championships, I think it’s safe to say that the Cubs and Angels are built to win. 

In addition to having the best starting pitching in their respective leagues, the Cubbies and Halos exhibit scary lineups.

A year ago, the Angels were manhandled by the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS, simply because they could not generate enough runs to keep up with the high-powered Sox.

That has changed dramatically.

Even though manager Mike Scioscia is still the master of "small ball", the Angels’ new-look lineup has a lot more pop to it than it did last season.

Three through six in the batting order looks like this: Mark Teixeira, Vlad Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Garrett Anderson.

Talk about a minefield for opposing pitchers to maneuver through!

The trademark of Angels baseball in recent years has been not giving up many runs; hopefully now they can actually score a few. 

With the recent acquisition of Teixeira, the Angels have done more than enough to address their past offensive issues, but I would still give the Cubs a slight edge on offense in this World Series matchup.

Leadoff man Alfonso Soriano is such a dynamic threat, as he has been known to frequently hit ‘em out of the park and steal bases…over and over again. 

Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, two all-around solid hitters, provide the big bats in the middle of the Cubs’ dangerous lineup and drive in a ton of runs.

Then there’s catcher Geovany Soto, who has suddenly morphed into a very potent offensive force.

There’s definitely a reason why the Cubs rank first in the National League in both team batting average and runs scored!

It’s not unusual to see two teams that mirror one another like the Angels and Cubs meeting in late October. They both possess a winning formula: masterful starting pitching, complete with lots and lots of hitting, and maybe even a few big-name sluggers.

Well, I’ve told you who is World Series-bound and why, so the only question that remains is which team will win this thing: the Chicago Cubs or Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim?

I just have this eerie gut feeling that, after 100 years of pain and agony, the time has finally come for the Chicago Cubs to be crowned World Series Champions.

Let’s be honest, it’s their turn to win. The Red Sox "reversed the curse" four years ago, and then a year later the White Sox watered their World Series drought. It’s time that Cubs fans throw the black cat, Steve Bartman, and the Curse of the Billy Goat out the window!

They can think to themselves, with a sense of satisfaction, "Why not us?" 

This year presents the Cubs with as good of an opportunity as any to break through and do it.

Nevertheless, please don’t bet your mortgage on my predictions! I don’t want to be retrieving dirty emails a year from now when everything doesn’t turn out just as I had imagined. 

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