When the playoffs began, if you predicted the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants to face off in the World Series, it's time to start playing the lottery. This may be an unlikely matchup for the MLB championship game, but it's poised to be a good one.
While neither the Giants nor the Royals were dominant teams during the regular season, both have become postseason juggernauts. A mixture of good pitching, solid defense and clutch hitting has been the formula for success for these squads. With so many similarities between them, a potential epic World Series looms large.
Before both of these teams take the field again, let's first overview the complete series viewing information and glance at the many similarities shared by San Francisco and Kansas City with some side-by-side postseason statistics.
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*Denotes "if necessary" games
Pitching Comparison
Only the Washington Nationals—in just four games—hold a better postseason ERA than both the Royals and Giants. Kansas City's starting rotation has endured roller-coaster outings, but a solid bullpen has been instrumental in the team's winning streak. San Francisco's starters have fared a bit better, and like the Royals, the Giants have a clutch bullpen.
Here's a look at how these teams have fared on the mound during the 2014 postseason:
Neither team is allowing much success at the plate to opposing hitters, and those comparative statistics couldn't be much closer. A slight edge goes to the Giants due to the prowess of NLCS MVP Madison Bumgarner. He's pitched like a true ace throughout the playoffs to this point.
Although, even if the Royals starters struggle a bit, the team's bullpen can be counted on to get back into the mix—especially with performances like we've seen from Wade Davis recently, via MLB:
The duration of starting pitchers in each contest will be key for both teams, as a worn-out bullpen could yield uncharacteristic runs to these efficient lineups.
Hitting Comparison
The Royals and Giants rank first and second, respectively, in postseason batting averages. It only makes sense that those lineups will face off in the World Series against rotations that have been good at keeping runs to a minimum.
Kansas City has been a little more explosive on the offensive end, leading all playoff teams in runs and RBI despite playing only eight games. Still, San Francisco hasn't been a slouch, either. Take a glance at how both teams' totals so far:
If the Giants have a bit of an edge on the mound, the Royals have one at the plate. Eric Hosmer has been tremendously efficient so far, recording 13 hits and eight RBI in 29 at-bats while batting .448. Meanwhile, Mike Moustakas continues to utilize the long ball with a team-high four postseason home runs.
San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt have all been solid at the plate during the postseason, each holding a batting average of .286 or higher. However, Travis Ishikawa has been a very nice surprise as well, especially after delivering a walk-off home run that sent the team to the World Series, via MLB Gifs:
There's talent at the plate for both of these teams. We'll find out soon enough which can keep its momentum going in the World Series.
Fielding Comparison
Once again, we find ourselves looking at a very even comparison between these teams. Both have committed a few errors in October; however, they have also made some highlight-reel plays to get their pitchers out of a jam.
The raw statistics don't tell the whole story, but here's a side-by-side look:
While the statistics slightly favor the Giants, the Royals have continued to put together some incredible showings on the field. In fact, we only need to look as far back as Game 4 against the Baltimore Orioles to find one such play. Here's a look at an insane grab by Moustakas, via SportsCenter:
Yes, he did catch that.
Solid defensive play from both of these teams was a big reason for their World Series berths, and we should be expecting much more of the same when the stakes are at their highest.
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