Updated 2014 World Series MVP Odds as Fall Classic Enters Home Stretch
The San Francisco Giants evened the 2014 World Series at two games apiece Saturday, as the National League champions scored seven unanswered runs to defeat the Kansas City Royals 11-4 in Game 4.
The Royals are two wins away from their first World Series title since 1985, while the Giants are nearing their third title in the past five years.
Ace Madison Bumgarner will take the mound for the Giants in Game 5 on Sunday night, while James Shields will attempt to right the ship after a poor showing in Game 1.
Predicting who will shine in the World Series, or the playoffs in general, is always tricky, and oftentimes, it's the players you least expect who come up with the key hit. That said, what follows is an effort to handicap the odds for World Series MVP honors based on players' performances to this point in the series as well as their potential impacts in the remaining games.
Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
1 of 10
World Series Stats: .188, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Buster Posey hasn’t been particularly impressive through the first four games of the Fall Classic, but as the best player on the field, it’s still too early to disqualify the 2012 NL MVP and two-time World Series champion from the race.
Posey has collected just three singles in 16 at-bats so far—amazingly, he’s gone the entire postseason without an extra-base hit—but he’s consistently put the ball in play (one strikeout) and has one RBI in each of the last two games.
However, a few big hits in the series’ remaining games could boost Posey’s stock in a hurry.
Odds: 14-1
Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals
2 of 10
World Series Stats: .267, 3 R, 2B, RBI
Lorenzo Cain has come back to earth a bit in the Fall Classic after taking home MVP honors in the American League Championship Series (.533, eight hits, five runs), but he’s still having a solid series at the plate and in the field.
Cain’s best game in the series thus far was Game 2, when he went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, though he also swung the bat well in Game 4, with a pair of singles in five at-bats.
Odds: 12-1
Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
3 of 10
World Series Stats: .267, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Eric Hosmer’s late-season success has led to a breakout performance in the postseason, as the 25-year-old leads the Royals in most offensive categories, including hits (17), batting average (.386), OPS (1.104), walks (nine) and RBI (10).
Hosmer got off to a slow start in the World Series, as he went just 1-for-10 with one RBI and one run scored over the first three games. However, that one hit was a big one, an RBI single on the 11th pitch of the at-bat in Game 3 against left-hander Javier Lopez, and he then stayed hot Saturday in Game 4 by going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
Odds: 10-1
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Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants
4 of 10
World Series Stats: .235, 3 R, 2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI
Joe Panik is hitting just .235 in the World Series, but the rookie second baseman has impressed with his patient approach, ability to consistently put together strong at-bats and knack for coming up with big hits. Oh yeah, and his defense hasn't been too shabby either.
The 23-year-old also has shown good pop in the Fall Classic, as he smacked a triple in series’ opening game and added a pair of doubles and RBI in San Francisco’s 11-4 rout of the Royals in Game 4.
Odds: 10-1
Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals
5 of 10
World Series Stats: .353, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI
Other than Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar has been the Royals’ top right-handed hitter in the postseason, batting .302 with four doubles, one home run, seven runs scored and four RBI over 12 games.
Escobar has done most of his damage in the World Series, as he’s collected at least one hit in each of the four games while playing his usual plus defense at shortstop.
Odds: 9-1
Wade Davis, Kansas City Royals
6 of 10
World Series Stats: 2 G, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K
Wade Davis’ dominance in the postseason has been key to the Royals’ success. He’s sitting on a 0.79 ERA and .132 opponents’ batting average with 14 strikeouts in 11.1 innings (10 appearances).
The hard-throwing right-hander has thrown a pair of perfect innings against the Giants in the World Series, as he struck out two of the three batters he faced in Games 2 and 3 to set the stage for Greg Holland in the ninth.
Odds: 9-1
Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants
7 of 10
World Series Stats: .333, 2 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI
Pablo Sandoval, a two-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2012 World Series, caught fire during the NLCS, batting a robust .400/.478/.550 with three doubles and three runs in five games.
It’s been more of the same for the switch-hitting third baseman in the Fall Classic, as he’s now hit safely in three of four games with an overall batting average of .333, and he’s also added two more doubles and four RBI. On top of that, Sandoval has driven in a pair of runs in two different games in the series (Games 1 and 4).
And for what it’s worth, Sandoval has a .378/.395/.703 batting line, three home runs, three doubles and eight RBI in nine career World Series contests.
Odds: 7-1
Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals
8 of 10
World Series Stats: 2 G, SV, 2 IP, H, 3 K
Greg Holland, who was recently named Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year, closed out all three games against the Los Angeles Angels in the American League Division Series and is a perfect 7-for-7 in save chances in the postseason, while opposing hitters are batting just .114 against the right-hander.
Holland has appeared in two games so far in the World Series, notching a save in Game 3, and half of his recorded outs have come via the strikeout.
Odds: 7-1
Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants
9 of 10
World Series Stats: .467, 4 R, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB
Hunter Pence got off to a slow start to the postseason, even failing to drive in a run against the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series, but the Giants right fielder began to heat up in the National League Championship Series and is now officially on fire in the Fall Classic.
Pence picked up his first home run of the postseason in Game 1, launching a two-run home run to center field off of James Shields in the first inning, but he was held in check by Royals pitchers in Games 2 and 3, as he went a combined 2-for-7 without scoring or driving in a run.
However, Pence is now one of the front-runners for the series’ MVP award after going 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI in Game 4.
Odds: 5-1
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
10 of 10
World Series Stats: 1-0, 1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 1.29 ERA, BB, 5 K
Madison Bumgarner has been the definition of an ace this October, posting a 1.40 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in 38.2 innings, and each of his five starts has been of the quality variety.
Bumgarner had worked 21.2 consecutive scoreless innings in the Fall Classic dating back to 2010 before Salvador Perez hit a solo home run in Game 1, and his 32.2 consecutive scoreless playoff innings on the road is a major league record.
The 25-year-old left-hander has the potential to lock up the World Series MVP award with another strong outing Sunday in Game 5, especially if he can give the Giants a 3-2 series lead headed back to Kansas City.
Odds: 3-1
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