World Series matchup is set
And so it begins.
The San Francisco Giants have reached the World Series for the second time in three years. They will now face off against the Detroit Tigers, who are fresh off a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees, in a best-of-seven showdown. Regardless of your team affiliation, there is no denying that the matchup this year boasts some heavy hitters and some of the best pitching in all of baseball. Each team has displayed their supremacy in the regular season and carried that momentum into the playoffs. The Fall Classic will now determine who lives on in glory and who is remembered as the team that couldn’t quite reach the top—or isn’t remembered at all.
Both teams feature formidable hitters. For the Giants, the focus will be on catcher Buster Posey, owner of the highest National League batting average during the regular season and the most likely candidate for the National League MVP Award. Posey is a beastly hitter with phenomenal defensive instincts. Though he hasn’t been too amazing this postseason (save for a grand slam in the last game of the National League Division Series), he’s a crucial element to the dynamic defense that the Giants possess and could easily heat up again.
Of course, one shouldn’t assume that the Tigers lack a figure as revered and talented as Posey. In terms of 2012 baseball accomplishments, there is no doubt that the one to top the list is Miguel Cabrera, winner of the Triple Crown this year. This award—given to the player who leads his division in home runs, RBI and batting average—was last achieved in 1967, and honestly, I don’t see it happening again in my lifetime. Solid is too weak an adjective to use for Cabrera’s hitting prowess, and the Giants pitching staff should take special care not to underestimate his ability to hit anything near the strike zone.
Hitting aside, the San Francisco and Detroit teams both have excellent pitching. But the Giants may have a better rotation overall. Starting pitchers Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong and Madison Bumgarner have all shined this year, making up for the lackluster year from two-time Cy Young Award-winner Tim Lincecum and veteran Barry Zito—although both Lincecum and Zito seem to have found their strides recently.
The Tigers, on the other hand, have some decent starting pitchers in Max Scherzer and Doug Fister, but it is Justin Verlander who single-handedly makes their rotation downright frightening. He doesn’t seem to possess any negatives—Verlander throws upwards of 100 miles per hour, can stay in the game beyond the standard 100 pitches (sometimes up to 130) without losing much stamina and forces hitters to swing at ridiculous pitches, most notably his slider. Although the Tigers don’t have the depth of the Giants’ rotation, wVerlander’s raw power could tear apart the Giants offense if they aren’t prepared.
The question still remains: who is better? Neither team’s trip to the World Series is a fluke—they each fought their way to the position and they certainly know the stakes. Ultimately, it is up to Giants manager Bruce Bochy and Tigers manager Jim Leyland to supervise the talent at their disposal and overpower the opposing side; with each team’s incredible track record and superstar lineup, they certainly have their work cut out for them.
