Four teams remain in the MLB playoffs, and no matter who wins, it will be a celebration a long time coming.
The Toronto Blue Jays won a World Series in 1993, making them the most recent champions of the four squads left in the 2015 race. The New York Mets (1986) and Kansas City Royals (1985) have each been waiting a long time as well, although nothing compares to the Chicago Cubs with a drought since 1908.
These fresh faces could lead to an exciting set of games with all four teams looking to finally end a run of futility. R.J. Bell of ESPN Radio provided a look at odds with no squad being an overwhelming favorite:
Each game could be decided by one swing of the bat, so don't miss a second of the action.
American League Championship Series
All games can be viewed online with Fox Sports Go.
This series will be all about hitting. There are talented pitchers among David Price, Marcus Stroman, Johnny Cueto and others, but fans should still expect a lot of runs on the board in each game.
Kansas City is able to score runs thanks to its lineup depth and consistent hitting. The team ranked third in the majors with a .269 team batting average including a .281 mark with runners in scoring position. Although they don't always hit the most home runs, all the players know how to give themselves a good chance to get on base.
"This is a group that finds a way to put the bat on the ball," Royals manager Ned Yost said, via Jane Lee of MLB.com. "And that's the strength of our club. It kind of goes a little bit unnoticed, but the ability to put the ball in play is key. It's a club that's built around defense, speed and the ability not to strike out."
The sabermetric crowd will talk about batting average of balls in play and how the Royals have had good luck over the last two years, but the fact is they consistently hit it where the defense isn't, helping them score big runs in long innings.
Add this skill to the confidence to score late in the game, and Kansas City will not be an easy team to put away.
Of course, the Blue Jays have a different approach at the plate, where they can simply crush the ball. You almost feel bad for a pitcher who has to face Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki in one inning. You certainly have to feel sorry for the man who allowed this home run and ensuing bat flip:
Even with Cueto coming off a big game, the Royals rotation has featured plenty of question marks all year long and could end up causing the team to fall into big holes early. As good as the bullpen has been, Wade Davis won't be able to pitch five innings each game.
On the other side, Price and Stroman should be able to at least limit the damage while giving the Blue Jays a chance to win.
Prediction: Blue Jays win in six.
National League Championship Series
All games can be viewed online at TBS.com.
These two young teams are ready to win now.
The Mets rotation is all about youth with 27-year-old Jacob deGrom anchoring a staff that includes Matt Harvey (26), Steven Matz (24) and Noah Syndergaard (23) all ready to pitch in the NLCS. Despite having varied levels of experience, the four of them now make up one of the deepest groups of starters in the game with each one capable of having a shutdown performance.
Considering deGrom has already beaten Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke this postseason, he won't be intimidated by anyone.
Meanwhile, the Cubs' youth is on display in the lineup with Kris Bryant (23), Kyle Schwarber (22), Jorge Soler (23) and others, with MVP candidate Anthony Rizzo virtually becoming a veteran leader at 26 years old.
Chicago's devastating batting order is a big reason the team has had so much success against the Mets this season, although Bob Nightengale of USA Today provided some context:
The last time these teams played, it was early July, and the Mets did not have Yoenis Cespedes, David Wright, Travis d'Arnaud or Michael Conforto on the active roster. New York's lineup is completely different from what Chicago saw before the All-Star break, which should make this series a much closer battle.
Still, the Cubs are an elite team with tons of talent across the board. They might have been the second wild-card team, but they won 97 games and already beat the only two teams in the majors with better records this postseason.
With Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester anchoring the staff and the hitters capable of knocking the ball out of the park at any time, Chicago should be able to keep up its momentum and move on to the World Series.
Prediction: Cubs win in six.
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