World Series 2018: Bold Predictions for Dodgers vs. Red Sox Showdown

There will be no shortage of star power on display in the 2018 World Series.

The Boston Red Sox finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, as Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez led a high-powered offense and veteran lefties Chris Sale and David Price anchored a starting rotation that has hit its stride in October.

The Los Angeles Dodgers needed a Game 163 to secure a sixth straight NL West title, but they're back in the World Series after the Milwaukee Brewers took them to seven games in the NLCS.

Who will come out on top when two of baseball's most storied franchises do battle in a best-of-seven series for the 2018 World Series title?

Ahead we've made a few bold predictions for this year's Fall Classic.

There Will Be at Least One Major On-Field Incident

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Dodgers sluggers Manny Machado and Yasiel Puig tend to rub both opposing fans and players the wrong way at times, and that was on full display during their NLCS series with the Brewers.

Bench-clearing incidents are usually few and far between in the World Series, as players don't want to risk being suspended for the most important games of their careers.

That said, don't be surprised if we see some fireworks this year.

Puig has always played with the pedal to the metal, and Machado has fully embraced the heel role ahead of his upcoming free agency.

Whether it's a hard slide, a hit batter, trash-talking on the bases, or something else entirely, we're betting that someone is pushed a bit too far and things escalate to the point that the benches clear.

Mookie Betts Will Shine at Second Base

There's already been talk of the Red Sox using Mookie Betts at second base when the series shifts to Los Angeles. Designated hitter J.D. Martinez would then take over in right field, and the Red Sox would still have their two MVP candidates in the lineup.

Betts played primarily second base at the start of his pro career, before moving to the outfield upon arriving in the big leagues, but that was five years ago.

At the big league level, he's played a grand total of 128 innings at second base, with all but six of those coming during his rookie season.

The other six innings came this season, and he handled his two defensive chances cleanly in that game.

So what can we expect out of Betts in three full games when every out is crucial?

Expect him to impress.

The 26-year-old is one of the best athletes in the game, and while right field is a different animal entirely, you don't win won back-to-back Gold Glove awards in the outfield without possessing at least a few skills that translate to the dirt.

Here's predicting at least one brilliant, run-saving defensive play from Betts at second base before the World Series is over.

David Freese Will Add to His Postseason Resume with MVP Honors

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David Freese authored one of the greatest postseasons in MLB history back in 2011 while he was playing with the St. Louis Cardinals.

He hit .397/.465/.794 with eight doubles, five home runs and 21 RBI in 18 games, winning NLCS and World Series MVP after delivering one clutch hit after another.

Now 35, he's settled into a platoon role with the Dodgers after coming over in an August trade, playing first base against left-handed pitching.

He was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in Game 6 of the NLCS, and he could play an even bigger role in the World Series.

The Red Sox will send lefties Chris Sale and David Price to the mound in Games 1 and 2, and then presumably again in Games 5 and 6 if the series gets that far.

Freese hit .321/.387/.489 with six doubles and five home runs in 155 plate appearances against left-handed pitching during the regular season.

We'll say the Dodgers win the series in six games and Freese adds another World Series MVP trophy to his resume, as he takes Sale and Price both deep at least once.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.