Starting Rotation
With nicknames like “The Dark Knight” and “Thor," the Mets rotation has been hyped to a superhuman status. The four playoff starters are just an average of 25 years old, but, according to Brooks Baseball database, the average fastball velocity of the quartet was over 96 MPH this season. So far the hype hasn’t gotten to the group, as Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz yielded just six runs in 26 innings during the NLCS against the Cubs.
For the Royals, the rotation is more of a question mark. General Manager Dayton Moore acquired Johnny Cueto to be the ace of his staff down the stretch, but Cueto has struggled since arriving in the City of Fountains. Edison Volquez and Yordano Ventura are very viable options behind Cueto, but they will still be the underdogs when facing the monsters on New York’s staff.
ADVANTANGE: METS
Bullpen
Kansas City has seemingly managed to build their pitching staff from the back to the front, with the league’s most dominant pen. Despite losing closer Greg Holland to a late season injury, the Royals won’t be too worried with Wade Davis, who posted a 0.94 ERA in 2015, taking the ball in the ninth. The Mets have leaned heavily on closer Jeurys Familia during the postseason, and they will also rely on the ageless Bartolo Colon for key innings.
ADVANTAGE: ROYALS
Lineup
The Royals average 4.47 runs per game while the Mets averaged just 4.22, but this Mets offense is a lot better now than it was coming out of Spring Training. New York bolstered their offense by acquiring outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from Detroit, and he rewarded them by slugging .604. Then there’s second baseman Daniel Murphy who has been doing his best Mark McGwire 1998 impression. Murphy has homered in six straight games heading into the series.
The 2014 Royals were famous for their aggressive, contact-over-power approach, but this team has more pop than most give them credit for. On the whole, this is a deep, multifaceted lineup from top to bottom. Five-tool talent Lorenzo Cainanchors the lineup and epitomizes their approach. During the regular season Cain hit .307 and slugged .477, while also stealing 28 bases.
ADVANTAGE: ROYALS
Defense
The Royals are regarded as the league’s best defense by both the experts and by most advanced defensive statistics. Catcher Salvador Perez, first baseman Eric Hosmer and left fielder Alex Gordon have all won multiple Gold Gloves at their respective positions. The Royals outfield defense is especially impressive, with the ability to bring defensive specialists off the bench at the end of games. The Mets are not as strong defensively, with shortstop Wilmer Floresconsidered to be a liability at one of the most important positions on the diamond.
ADVANTAGE: ROYALS
The Pick
This doesn’t figure to be a high-scoring series. The Mets feature a historic young rotation, so it is really tough to bet against them. It isn’t impossible to imagine a scenario where all four starters throw a gem in each of their outings and the Mets celebrate a sweep back home at Citi Field. But if there was ever a lineup well equipped to deal with such a formidable rotation, it is these Royals. The team isn’t as prone to strikeouts as the Dodgers or Cubs, and they have actually fared quite well against high-velocity fastballs this season. They have the speed to take advantage of the opportunities when they do get on base, and when they do get ahead, you can bet their bullpen won’t be giving it up.
PREDICTION: ROYALS IN SIX