Ranking Each World Series Contender on Offense, Pitching, Star Power and More
A lot goes into building a World Series contender.
Teams need a good balance of youth and experience, role players and superstars, strong starting pitching, timely hitting and a reliable bullpen.
With four teams left standing in the hunt for the 2020 World Series title, let's take a deep dive into where each team stacks up in a number of different important areas.
Think of this as a cheat sheet of sorts for what's to come in this year's Fall Classic.
Young Talent
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Which team has the most impact players who are 25 years old or younger?
1. Braves: The Braves are flanking breakout ace Max Fried with Ian Anderson (22) and Kyle Wright (25) this October, while Bryse Wilson (22) will take the ball in Game 4. On the offensive side, rising stars Ronald Acuna Jr. (22) and Ozzie Albies (23) are still building toward their respective primes, with Austin Riley (23) and Cristian Pache (21) now joining them in the starting lineup.
2. Dodgers: Reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger (25), starting catcher Will Smith (25) and NLCS Game 3 starter Julio Urias (24) are all among the best young players in the game. Flame-throwing reliever Brusdar Graterol (22), rookie right-hander Dustin May (23) and breakout reliever Victor Gonzalez (24) also fill key roles on the staff.
3. Rays: The Rays offense has been led by breakout star Randy Arozarena (25) throughout the postseason, while shortstop Willy Adames (25) and designated hitter Austin Meadows (25) are also young players on the rise. Lefty reliever Jose Alvarado (25), top prospect Shane McClanahan (23) and swingman Josh Fleming (24) could all see time out of the bullpen.
4. Astros: Left fielder Kyle Tucker (23) posted a 123 OPS+ with 27 extra-base hits in a breakout 2020 season. Rookie standout Cristian Javier (23), ALCS Game 3 starter Jose Urquidy (25) and setup relievers Blake Taylor (25), Enoli Paredes (25) and Andre Scrubb (25) are also part of the next wave of young talent in Houston.
Seasoned Veterans
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Prefer grizzled veterans? Let's dive into who has the most talent 33 years old or older.
1. Astros: Designated hitter Michael Brantley (33) and ALCS Game 4 starter Zack Greinke (36) are the headliners of the over-32 group for the Astros. They are joined by first baseman Yuli Gurriel (36), right fielder Josh Reddick (33) and the catching tandem of Martin Maldonado (34) and Dustin Garneau (33).
2. Braves: The lights-out Atlanta bullpen has received key contributions from closer Mark Melancon (35), middle relievers Darren O'Day (37) and Chris Martin (34), and multi-inning veteran Josh Tomlin (35). Nick Markakis (36) rejoined the starting lineup after opting back into the season, while backup catcher Tyler Flowers (34) and Pablo Sandoval (34) round out the bench.
3. Dodgers: Third baseman Justin Turner (35) is in his 12th MLB season, and he'll turn 36 years old on Nov. 23, ahead of what could be his final foray into free agency. Closer Kenley Jansen (33) and scrapheap find Jake McGee (34) are key cogs in one of baseball's best bullpens.
4. Rays: Veteran starter Charlie Morton (36) is the only player on the Tampa Bay roster over the age of 33. He didn't match last year's success during the regular season, but he's thrown the ball well in two postseason starts, including five scoreless innings in Game 2 of the ALCS.
Upcoming Free-Agency Motivation
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The opportunity for an upcoming free agent to boost his stock on the sport's biggest stage could provide some added fuel to the fire.
1. Braves: Slugger Marcell Ozuna has positioned himself nicely for a significant payday after agreeing to a one-year, $18 million deal while saddled with a qualifying offer last winter. Veteran outfielder Nick Markakis could call it a career, while key relievers Mark Melancon, Shane Greene, Darren O'Day and Josh Tomlin will also hit the open market.
2. Astros: George Springer and Michael Brantley both had extremely productive seasons offensively, and the Astros face a big decision on whether to make a push to re-sign one or both of them. Shortstop Carlos Correa is a free agent after the 2021 season, so they will need to take that into account when it comes to this winter's spending. Right fielder Josh Reddick is also a free agent.
3. Dodgers: Will third baseman Justin Turner return to the Dodgers? If he's willing to sign a short-term deal, he would be the perfect bridge to top prospect Kody Hoese. Utility man Enrique Hernandez, outfielder Joc Pederson and relievers Blake Treinen, Jake McGee and Pedro Baez will also be looking for new contracts.
4. Rays: The only upcoming free agents on the postseason roster for Tampa Bay are catcher Mike Zunino and lefty reliever Aaron Loup. It will be interesting to see what the Rays do about the catcher position, since it has long been a revolving door in the organization.
World Series Track Record
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Experience counts for something. Which roster has the most World Series winners and the most total World Series rings?
1. Astros (7 players, 7 rings): There are seven players still on the Houston roster from the team that won the World Series in 2017—George Springer, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers Jr., Yuli Gurriel and Josh Reddick.
2. Dodgers (2 players, 2 rings): Mookie Betts and Joe Kelly were teammates on the 2018 Boston Red Sox team that won the World Series. Kelly joined the Dodgers in free agency on a three-year, $25 million contract after winning that title, while Betts was acquired this past offseason in a blockbuster trade.
3. Braves (1 player, 3 rings): The only World Series winner on the Atlanta roster is Pablo Sandoval, who won three rings during his first run with the San Francisco Giants. Tip of the cap to Josh Tomlin, who started two games in the 2016 Fall Classic for the Cleveland Indians.
4. Rays (1 player, 1 ring): The only player on the Tampa Bay roster who has even played in the Fall Classic is Charlie Morton. The veteran right-hander won a ring with the Astros in 2017, earning the victory in Game 7 of the World Series with four stellar innings of relief.
Star Power
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It takes an entire team to win a World Series title, but it never hurts to have some star power on the roster. Who's ready for some subjectivity?
1. Dodgers: Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw are two of the biggest names in the sport, and reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger is a bona fide star as well despite an up and down 2020 season. Shortstop Corey Seager and right-hander Walker Buehler also belong among the game's elite, while guys like Max Muncy, Justin Turner and a resurgent A.J. Pollock reside on the fringe of this conversation.
2. Braves: The Braves have a trio of stars anchoring their high-powered offense in Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna, and there's a case to be made for Dansby Swanson to fall into that category as well after he ranked sixth among all position players with 2.6 WAR this season. On the pitching side, Max Fried belongs in the star conversation as one of the game's most promising young arms.
3. Astros: Love them or hate them, George Springer, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa are all star-caliber players. Veterans Jose Altuve and Zack Greinke have earned the moniker as well, though they have not exactly performed up to that level of late. Kyle Tucker is a rising star, and Michael Brantley is perennially one of the most underrated players in baseball.
4. Rays: The brightest star on the Tampa Bay roster right now is a 25-year-old outfielder with 42 games worth of MLB action to his credit in Randy Arozarena. Second baseman Brandon Lowe was on the path to stardom before going ice cold in October. On the pitching side, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have elite stuff and fit the bill when things are clicking, while Nick Anderson is the best reliever among the four teams left standing.
Small Ball
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In today's power-centric game, manufacturing runs is something of a lost art. Which of the four remaining teams does it best?
1. Rays: The Rays lineup showed a bit more pop than in years past, but the bread and butter of their offensive attack was still on-base ability. They finished second in the majors in walks (243) and 11th in on-base percentage (.328) despite hitting just .238 as a team. They also swiped 48 bases, sixth among all teams and tops among the remaining World Series contenders. Manuel Margot (12 SB), Kevin Kiermaier (8 SB) and Joey Wendle (8 SB) led the way on the bases.
2. Astros: An offensive juggernaut in recent seasons, including last season when they hit the third-most home runs of any team, Houston finished just 19th in the majors with 69 long balls in 2020. Instead, they used elite contact ability to drive their offense, with a 19.7 percent strikeout rate that was the lowest in all of baseball. They don't run a ton, but speedster Myles Straw is capable of making an impact as a pinch-runner.
3. Dodgers: Considering they led the majors with 118 home runs during the regular season, it's somewhat surprising that the Dodgers also finished with the third-lowest strikeout rate in baseball at 20.3 percent. No one is going to confuse them for a small-ball team, but they can work a walk and put the ball in play. Mookie Betts (10 SB) is the only real base stealing threat on the roster.
4. Braves: A team doesn't score 29 runs in a game and double-digit runs 10 times in 60 games by playing small ball. Five different Braves players hit 10 or more home runs, and catcher Travis d'Arnaud was close with nine long balls. They stole just 23 bases as a team, and eight of those were from Ronald Acuna Jr.
Defense
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Defense remains the most overlooked and underrated part of the game.
1. Rays: According to FanGraphs' all-encompassing "DEF" metric, the Rays were the best defensive team in baseball in 2020. Mike Zunino is a standout defender behind the plate, Brandon Lowe and Willy Adames are rock solid up the middle and Kevin Kiermaier remains one of the game's elite defensive outfielders. If you're a fan of an old-school measure like fielding percentage, the Rays check in at .992 so far this postseason, tops among all teams to advance beyond the Wild Card Series.
2. Dodgers: The 29 Defensive Runs Saved that the Dodgers tallied as a team this year trailed only the St. Louis Cardinals (33) among all teams. Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger are elite defensive outfielders, and Corey Seager plays steady at shortstop, though third baseman Justin Turner has lost a step and the right side of the infield is average at best. Will Smith threw out 23 percent of base stealers and allowed just one passed ball as he continues to settle in behind the plate.
3. Braves: Dansby Swanson (10 DRS) turned in a Gold Glove-caliber season at shortstop, and his double-play partner Ozzie Albies was a finalist for the award a year ago. Ronald Acuna Jr. has made strides in center field this year, Cristian Pache might be the best defensive prospect in all of baseball and Freddie Freeman is a steady presence at first base. Travis d'Arnaud is in the lineup for his offense, and he doesn't throw particularly well, but he's at least an above average pitch-framer.
4. Astros: It's hard to put the Astros anywhere but fourth when a key member of their infield has abruptly forgotten how to throw the ball. Until the city of Houston no longer needs to hold its collective breath every time it's hit to second base, defense is a major question mark for the Astros.
Relief Pitching
8 of 10
A lights-out bullpen is the ultimate weapon in October.
1. Rays: That's right, we're going "1" and "1A" here, that's how close this is. The Rays have an impressive stable of high-octane arms in their relief corps, and their 2.91 ERA in 43.1 innings has helped pick up the slack when Tampa Bay starters have failed to pitch deep into games. The Rays are a perfect 5-for-5 on save chances, and their fluid ninth-inning situation has seen Nick Anderson, Diego Castillo and Pete Fairbanks all tasked with closing out games.
2. Braves: Prior to the offensive explosion from the Dodgers in Game 3, the Atlanta relief corps had a 2.22 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and .181 opponents' batting average in 28.1 innings this postseason, which was all tops among the four teams still standing entering play on Wednesday. They might not have the same electric stuff as the Tampa Bay bullpen, but they've been an equally important unit.
3. Astros: The Astros bullpen has a 2.76 ERA in 32.2 innings this postseason, but those numbers are a bit skewed by the 11.1 scoreless innings thrown by Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier in a pair of bulk relief outings. The more traditional relievers are responsible for a pair of blown saves and a loss, and while the new faces in the Houston bullpen have exceeded expectations all year, this group doesn't quite stack up to the first two on the list.
4. Dodgers: Can the Dodgers count on Kenley Jansen to close out games? Manager Dave Roberts went with Blake Treinen in the ninth inning of a tie game in Game 1 of the NLCS, and he gave up three runs while recording just one out. Jake McGee also gave up a run before finishing up the inning. The bullpen was a strength all season for the Dodgers, but things appear to have come unraveled.
Power Hitting
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The long ball has taken center stage in today's game.
1. Braves: Losing Adam Duvall to an oblique injury eliminates one of Atlanta's sluggers, but the trio of Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna will still strike plenty of fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. Travis d'Arnaud, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson join Freeman with two homers each this postseason, so they are capable of doing damage up and down the lineup
2. Astros: Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve have gone deep five times this postseason, and the Astros have exploded for 19 home runs in 10 games. Michael Brantley (3) and George Springer (3) have also gone deep multiple times, and there are strong track records of postseason power up and down their lineup.
3. Dodgers: After launching an MLB-high 118 home runs during the regular season, the Dodgers had gone deep just five times in their first seven playoff games before hitting five home runs in a 15-run outburst on Wednesday. Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger both fit the description of a power hitter, while Mookie Betts (16), AJ Pollock (15) and Corey Seager (15) all ranked among the NL home run leaders, but the bats have gone quiet in October.
4. Rays: The Rays have hit 18 home runs in 11 games this postseason, but power was not a focal point of their offense during the regular season when they hit 1.3 home runs per game and posted a .425 slugging percentage that ranked 15th in the majors. Nine different players have gone deep this postseason, so it's been all about making the most of opportunities.
Starting Pitching
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Starting pitching still wins championships.
1. Rays: The trio of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Charlie Morton gives Tampa Bay three pitchers capable of an ace-caliber performance. That said, it's Ryan Yarbrough in the No. 4 starter spot who earns them the No. 1 spot here. The left-hander had just three hits and two earned runs in five strong innings on Tuesday night.
2. Dodgers: With Walker Buehler on a short leash after dealing with a blister problem in September, Clayton Kershaw scratched from his Game 2 start with back spasms, Tony Gonsolin knocked around in his first postseason start and Dustin May deployed as a reliever/opener so far, the Dodgers' starting pitching has not been the strength many expected it to be in October.
3. Braves: The top two guys in the Atlanta rotation—Max Fried (3 GS, 2.65 ERA, 18 K, 17 IP) and (Ian Anderson (3 GS, 0.00 ERA, 22 K, 15.2 IP)—have been nothing short of dominant. However, Kyle Wright turned in a clunker on Wednesday, and Bryse Wilson will be making his postseason debut as the Game 4 starter. Starting pitching remains the big X-factor for Atlanta.
4. Astros: With Zack Greinke battling arm soreness, Justin Verlander sidelined and Gerrit Cole wearing pinstripes, the Houston rotation is a shell of what it was a year ago. Framber Valdez and Lance McCullers Jr. both pitched well enough to win their ALCS starts, but the rotation is not what it once was for the Astros.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and MLB.com.
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