World Series 2017: Bold Predictions for Astros vs. Dodgers Showdown

Anyone who picked the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers to cross paths in the World Series made a reasonably safe prediction. That does not mean the battle of MLB titans will go according to plan.

Both teams surrounded young superstars with swarms of depth to enter 2017 as popular title favorites. Each squad also bolstered their claim to the championship by acquiring an ace (Yu Darvish to the Dodgers, Justin Verlander to the Astros) late in the season.

Houston led baseball in scoring, and only the Cleveland Indians relinquished fewer runs than Los Angeles. An appropriate battle of behemoths befits the grand stage, gracing fans with three Cy Young Award winners (Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel), two recent Rookie of the Year-winning superstars (Carlos Correa and Corey Seager), an overwhelming 2017 ROY frontrunner (Cody Bellinger) and a top-shelf MVP candidate (Jose Altuve).

They may not be here without Charlie Culberson, Charlie Morton and Enrique Hernandez. Fans can try writing a series script before Tuesday's opening game, but the real results will deviate.

Of course, it would have been impossible to envision Hernandez's three-home run game to eliminate the Chicago Cubs or Rajai Davis' Game 7 home run off Aroldis Chapman to tie last year's Fall Classic. These bold predictions may not be as daring, but they veer somewhat off the grid.

Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel Both Struggle in Game 1

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A pair of Cy Young Award-winning southpaws will start the World Series when Kershaw faces Keuchel. Don't be shocked if they fail to deliver a pitchers' duel.

After already ceding six home runs this postseason, Kershaw holds a 4.40 career postseason ERA. He's also a future Hall of Famer with a 2.36 career regular-season ERA who stymied the Cubs to three runs in two starts. Maybe aside from peak Sandy Koufax, there's nobody the Dodgers would rather have on the mound Tuesday. 

This isn't a "Kershaw can't handle the October pressure" lecture. The Astros, however, finished 2017 first in batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.346) and slugging percentage (.478). They also demolished lefties with a 120 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), tied for first with the Detroit Tigers.

Playing under National League rules means they can't start Evan Gattis—who crushed a home run off CC Sabathia on Saturday—at Los Angeles. That's fine, as the quartet of Altuve, Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman each posted an on-base percentage above .400 with a 160 wRC+ or higher versus lefties.

Houston's stars treat lefties with the same kindness Homer Simpson affords Leftorium founder Ned Flanders. 

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Keuchel, meanwhile, has struggled away from Minute Maid Park throughout his career. Boasting a 2.93 ERA at home in six seasons, his mark jumps to 4.43 on the road. While Dodger Stadium is perceived as a hitter-friendly locale, its run factor, per ESPN.com, yielded only a slightly favorable edge to pitchers in 2017.

Minute Maid Park proved the least conducive venue to scoring. After containing the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees to one run in two starts at home, the 30-year-old coughed up four at the tougher Yankee Stadium.

Both managers may need to turn to the bullpen sooner than expected, which gives Los Angeles an advantage. Yet it may not be as severe as some onlookers think. 

Houston's Bullpen Bounces Back

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If the Astros lost in the American League Championship Series, everyone would have rightfully pointed their fingers at a bullpen that has relinquished 19 runs and 14 walks over 34 tumultuous postseason innings.

Compare that to the Dodgers' National League Championship Series dominance, as detailed by MLB Stat of the Day:

With both units performing taking opposite trajectories, Houston's relief woes will likely get exaggerated leading up to the Fall Classic. Only a loaded Yankees bullpen notched a higher strikeout percentage during the season, leading the Astros to MLB's sixth-best fielding independent pitching (FIP). 

Although depth is a concern, manager AJ Hinch has to condense his circle of trust anyway. This still must include Ken Giles—who recorded a 2.30 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 62.2 regular-season innings—and Chris Devenski—who registered a 2.68 ERA as an indispensable old-school fireman—despite their October struggles.

Hinch avoided the beleaguered unit in Game 7 of the ALCS by turning to Lance McCullers. The starter relieved Morton with four dominant innings, relying heavily on his curveball to shut down the Yankees.

"I know that he has a lot of confidence in that pitch," catcher Brian McCann said of the curve McCullers tossed 24 straight times to end the game, per MLB.com's Alyson Footer. "He had the feel for it. Once he had that feel for it, that was it. It's one of the best pitches in baseball, it's one of the best pitches you're going to see. That pitch and his competitiveness, he was finishing that up."

Hinch can quell bullpen concerns by moving McCullers there for the series. He would then start Brad Peacock, Collin McHugh or even Keuchel on short rest in Game 4 instead of the 24-year-old righty. Either way, he should look for Giles, Devenski and Will Harris to provide quality innings after struggling in a microscopic sample size.

They may, however, regret not attaining a significant left-handed upgrade to combat Bellinger and a returning Seager. A redemptive showing also doesn't mean their bullpen will outperform the Dodgers, who have the best stopper in baseball.

Kenley Jansen Joins Mount Rushmore of Closers

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On a per-inning basis, Kenley Jansen is already one of the greatest relievers of all time.

His 1.84 FIP only trails Craig Kimbrel (1.81) on the all-time leaderboard. A 33.3 strikeouts-minus-walks percentage tops everyone.

The role of relievers has changed over the years, so Jansen will never throw as many innings as Rollie Fingers or Goose Gossage. Unless he also excels at his craft until retiring on top at age 43, he won't come anywhere close to Mariano Rivera's record-setting 652 saves. Yet NBC Sports' Bill Baer showed that Jansen actually delivered more value in his 20s than the greatest reliever ever:

"

Kenley Jansen and Mariano Rivera, age 22-29 pic.twitter.com/ptO1NNQ8z2

— Bill Baer  (@Baer_Bill) October 18, 2017"

Jansen can change the narrative from All-Star closer to all-time legend with a memorable World Series showcase.

The Cubs failed to conjure a baserunner in four outings against Jansen, who stockpiled eight strikeouts and no walks. He now holds a 1.91 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 28.1 career postseason innings, but middle-relief woes have blocked him from displaying his soul-crushing cutter in the World Series. 

Since the Dodgers won their seven games by a combined 30 runs, manager Dave Roberts has used his superstar reliever for eight innings. Expect the Astros to give them more competition, which means Jansen will extinguish the AL champions in two or even three innings at a time.

If the Dodgers hoist the Commissioner's Trophy, it will be because Jansen commands MVP consideration with multiple untouchable appearances. By the end of this series, viewers will appreciate him not just as the premier active closer but one of the best to ever work from the bullpen.

Note: All advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.