The final round of this strange 2020 MLB season is upon us, with the Tampa Bay Rays facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers. For the first time since 2013, the teams with the best record in their respective leagues will be facing off in the World Series. Game 1 of this series is expected to take place on Tuesday, from Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.
Tampa Bay Rays (#1) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (#1)
The best teams from each league are set to face off on the grand stage, but with very different histories. The Los Angeles Dodgers are no strangers to the World Series, as they have made an appearance in 3 of the past 4 seasons, including 2020. Despite being consistently one of the best teams in baseball, the Dodgers have not won a championship since 1988. The Tampa Bay Rays, on the other hand, are looking for their first championship in the history of the franchise. Both teams have shown throughout the course of the season that they have all the tools to win; it will just be a matter of who wants it more. Throughout this season, Rays manager Kevin Cash has had the luxury of deploying three of the top pitchers in MLB: Charlie Morton, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. Additionally, the Rays bullpen has been dominant, to say the least, throughout the season, so it will be crucial for their pitching to hold down a tough Dodger lineup. On the offensive side of things, Randy Arozerana has surely been the center of attention for the Rays, as he has hit 7 home runs thus far in the postseason.
The Dodgers have also experienced a ton of impressive pitching in the likes of Walker Buehler, Jose Urias, and even Kenley Jansen, who did not allow a single run in the NLCS. Offensively the team has been able to pick up timely hits in order to give their team a chance to win. The Dodgers will need to rely on a turnaround performance of sorts from the likes of Clayton Kershaw, who has put together a history of poor postseason outings. The Rays will have the opportunity to play in front of fans for the first time this entire postseason, as the Dodgers will do it for the second time (NLCS). This is set to be a very exciting series between two teams that really want to win. Unfortunately for them, only one will come out on top, and as many baseball fans know, anything can happen in the postseason.
Potential Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: Tyler Glasnow vs. Clayton Kershaw
Game 2:Blake Snell vs. Tony Gonsolin
Game 3: Charlie Morton vs. Walker Buehler
Game 4: Ryan Yarbrough vs. Julio Urias
Game 5: Tyler Glasnow vs. Dustin May*(If necessary)
Game 6: Blake Snell vs. Clayton Kershaw *(If necessary)
Game 7: Charlie Morton vs. Walker Buehler*(If necessary)
Note: The World Series is the first postseason series that will have off days between some games, so I expect both teams will utilize their top-tier rotation and bullpen arms more frequently.
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