The Kansas City Royals have made it all the way to the World Series by virtue of one of the most improbable runs in baseball history, but the San Francisco Giants stand between them and a championship.
Although this World Series matchup may be lacking in terms of star power, it should be intriguing nonetheless. While Kansas City hasn't won a title since 1985, San Francisco is in search of its third championship in five years.
It isn't exactly a David vs. Goliath situation, since the Giants had to pull off some minor upsets to get to this point as well, but it is definitely a story of two franchises that have been on different ends of the spectrum in recent years.
This has all the makings of a battle that could go down to the wire. Here is everything baseball fans need to know about when and where to catch every game.
*Games 5, 6 and 7 if necessary.
Players to Watch
Madison Bumgarner
After having arguably the best regular season of his career, expectations were high for Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner entering the playoffs. Although his job is far from done, there is no question that the big lefty has been lights out thus far.
The 25-year-old star was named the National League Championship Series MVP, as he posted a 1.72 ERA in two starts against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants won both of those games, and they have enjoyed an incredible amount of success with Bumgarner on the mound over the past several years, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
Since the World Series doesn't begin until Tuesday, it is possible that Bumgarner could pitch three times should the series go to seven games. Per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports 1, that little break in the action means that San Francisco's No. 1 pitcher will be ready to roll in Game 1:
The Royals have a solid ace in their own right in the form of James Shields, but there is little doubt that the Giants hold the advantage when Bumgarner is pitching.
Not only do Giants fans feel comfortable when Bumgarner is on the bump, but so do teammates such as reliever Jeremy Affeldt, according to John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News.
You want to have Bummy out there as much as you can. He's as cool and as calm a guy as there is. We have full confidence in him. We remember what he did against the Rangers in Game 4 in 2010 when he was just a kid. Anybody who can do that is someone you want out there as often as you can get him there. He is our ace.
Grabbing the lead in any series is huge, but that is particularly true in the World Series. The Royals have yet to lose a game in the playoffs, so it is unclear how they might handle being down.
Bumgarner has a chance to test that by shutting KC down in Game 1, and he will have other opportunities to make his mark as well. He isn't an everyday player, but he may very well impact this series more than anyone else on either team.
Lorenzo Cain
The Royals don't necessarily have a true superstar player who stands out above the rest, but there is no doubt that outfielder Lorenzo Cain shined brightest in the American League Championship Series. Although the 28-year-old speedster had a solid season, with a .301 batting average, 53 RBI and 28 stolen bases, he has taken his game to another level in the playoffs.
After scratching out just two hits in 13 at-bats during the American League Division Series, Cain hit an incredible .533 en route to the ALCS MVP award in a sweep over the Baltimore Orioles, per MLB's official Twitter account:
As great as Cain was at the plate, he may have been even better in the field. He made a number of spectacular catches throughout the series and did everything possible to help out his pitchers. Kansas City's outfield as a whole is elite defensively, and Cain clearly leads the way in that regard.
While defense is often overlooked, Cain is willing to go the extra mile in essentially every area. Even though he bats third and hit over .500 in the ALCS, he still laid down a sacrifice bunt in Game 5.
The great thing about Kansas City is that it is impossible to tell which player will emerge in any given game. Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas carried the load offensively in the ALDS with their power, while Cain starred in the ALCS with solid base hits and smart decisions on the bases.
Giants pitchers can't afford to overlook anyone in the KC lineup. Even though the Royals hitters may not look overly dangerous as individuals, they are great collectively. Cain has proved that he can take over games, though, and San Francisco will have to be cognizant of that.
Buster Posey
Neither the Giants nor the Royals are particularly explosive from an offensive standpoint, but San Francisco certainly has the ability to be when catcher Buster Posey is firing on all cylinders. The 2012 NL MVP hit .311 with 22 home runs during the regular season, and he has been a key contributor this postseason as well.
Posey is hitting .302 to this point in the playoffs, and even though he has 13 hits, he incredibly has yet to pick up anything other than singles. Even so, he has five RBI and four runs, and he has been a constant source of offense for the Giants. As pointed out by MLB Network's Kevin Millar, Posey is simply a natural at the plate:
He is already a two-time World Series champion at just 27 years of age, and he has an excellent opportunity to make it three. While that is certainly his main goal, Posey has a chance to make history in other areas as well. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the elite backstop is closing in on becoming the Giants' all-time leader in postseason RBI:
San Francisco has a knack for timely offense, and Posey leads the way. He is a career .308 hitter and a legitimate superstar, which is something that can't be said of any other position player in this series. Based on that alone, Posey is a very strong candidate to win the World Series MVP award should the Giants come out on top.
Posey has hit a home run in each of his two previous World Series appearances, so the moment never gets too big for him. San Francisco has an advantage over Kansas City based on experience alone, and Posey will feed off his.
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