2016 World Series Preview: Cubs vs Indians
This is why baseball is great. We enter this World Series, probably the most tense and emotional championship in all sports, with two teams looking to end long suffering championship droughts. The Cleveland Indians will be looking to win their first World Series since 1948 while the Chicago Cubs will be looking to win for the first time since 1908! Yeah, you heard that one right, 1908. It is well documented about how the Cubs have been cursed and haven’t won in so long, but the Indians drought coincided with how Cleveland couldn’t hoist a trophy from a major sport in over 50 years. History will be made regardless of who wins this World Series. Lets take a look at each team.
Cubs
Pitchers
Jake Arrieta
Aroldis Chapman
Carl Edwards Jr.
Justin Grimm
Kyle Hendricks
John Lackey
Jon Lester
Mike Montgomery
Hector Rondon
Pedro Strop
Travis Wood
This pitching staff is sneaky good and only got stronger as the season went on. Wood, Strop, Rondon, Montgomery, and Grimm have all been rock solid and with converted starter, Carl Edwards Jr. and Aroldis Chapman, its scary good. Chapman throws absolute gas and is probably one of the best relievers in the game. The rotation is pretty good as you have Lester who is having a Cy Young caliber year, Hendricks having a breakout season, Lackey a proven postseason competitor, and, despite a down year, a fantastic pitcher in Arrieta.
Catchers
Willson Contreras
Miguel Montero
David Ross
Manager Joe Maddon seems to like to use three catchers. Contreras is probably their best catcher, but he also can play the field. Montero provides some pop off the bench and Ross, who is retiring, is a proven leader and great clubhouse guy.
Infielders
Javier Baez
Kris Bryant
Anthony Rizzo
Addison Russell
Ben Zobrist
The infield is very talented. You have Bryant and Rizzo who are MVP candidates, Russell who has power, Baez who is a five-tool player, and Zobrist who is a proven veteran. Baez has been tremendous this postseason so he could be a huge x-factor.
Outfielders
Albert Almora Jr.
Chris Coghlan
Dexter Fowler
Jason Heyward
Kyle Schwarber
Jorge Soler
Almora is great defender and has been hitting well of late. Coghlan is a utility player, but also a solid bat off the bench. Fowler had an awesome season this year as he really paced the offense from the leadoff spot. Heyward was disappointing in 2016 (and so far in this postseason), but its the playoffs, anything can happen. Soler will get some starts, but most likely will be some thump off the bench. Also, Schwarber is back on the team after missing almost the entirety of this season, but he will be relegated to designated hitter and pinch hitting duties.
This team won 103 games this years and they are good. I mean like really, really good and they know it. They have confidence, swagger, and they know what this fan base has gone through so they will be determined to win it all. Their offense finally hit its stride against the Dodgers in the NLCS, their pitching is downright awesome, and their defense is probably the best in the league. Plus, they have arguably the most tactiful and creative manager in all of baseball, Joe Maddon.
Indians
Pitchers
Cody Allen
Trevor Bauer
Mike Clevinger
Corey Kluber
Jeff Manship
Zach McAllister
Ryan Merritt
Andrew Miller
Dan Otero
Danny Salazar
Bryan Shaw
Josh Tomlin
Manship, Shaw, Otero, Allen, and McAllister have made this bullpen one of the best in the league and probably the best in the league now that Baltimore is out of the playoffs. Miller is arguably the best relief pitcher in the league right now as he always lights out and proved to be inhuman in the ALCS with his ALCS MVP award. Clevinger will be in the bullpen as he is a long relief option. Bauer has been outstanding this season (though he is dealing with an injury) and Tomlin came out of nowhere to make this rotation hard to beat. Kluber is arguably the best pitcher in the American League as he won a Cy Young Award. Salazar is coming back from an injury and that helps a lot as he is a fantastic pitcher. Merritt pitched well in a spot start in the ALCS against the Blue Jays and was outstanding.
Catchers
Yan Gomes
Roberto Perez
Perez provides depth and dependability as well as calling a good game. Gomes had a disappointing season and was injured, but he finally came back and has played well.
Infielders
Jason Kipnis
Francisco Lindor
Michael Martinez
Mike Napoli
Jose Ramirez
Carlos Santana
This infield is very good as you have Kipnis, one of the best second basemen in the game, Lindor, an exciting shortstop who could be a star soon, Ramirez, who is one of the more clutch hitters in the game, and Napoli, who is still very dangerous with the bat. Santana is an everyday designated hitter, but he can still rake.
Outfielders
Lonnie Chisenhall
Coco Crisp
Rajai Davis
Brandon Guyer
Tyler Naquin
Chisenhall is one of the more underrated players in the game as he is very productive. Crisp returns to the team to give them depth and Guyer is one of the more underrated players who has come up clutch for this team since being acquired from Tampa Bay. Naquin had an outstanding rookie year and looks to replace the production that has been missed since their best player, Michael Brantley, has been hurt. Davis is a very speedy player who is also able to start some games. There is plenty of depth in their outfield.
So this team has been flying under the radar all season and most people picked against them in every series they played this postseason, so they want to prove everyone wrong. To me, they have nothing to prove as I think they are very good and was going to win the AL Pennant by midseason. Their rotation is probably the best in the league, their defense is outstanding, they have some speed, the hitting is very good, and their bullpen is lights out. Plus their manager, Terry Francona, has been known to end droughts as he won two with the Red Sox.
So this couldn’t be a better matchup in this World Series as both are great teams and also the history behind their droughts. Its going to be historical. But there has to be a winner. I thought it was going to be a tough decision, but after what I have seen from both teams during the regular season and postseason, it was a bit easier. My prediction? I am picking the Indians to win this in seven games. I would not be surprised to see the Cubs win it as I thought they were going to do it before the season started, but after I saw what the Indians could do with the amount of talent and consistency they had, I just thought that this team had the “it” factor. Cubs are just a year away from hoisting that trophy, but the Indians win this year’s Fall Classic.
