Four Players To Watch In The World Series

One of baseball purists’ biggest fear about the pandemic-altered season was that a fluke champion might eventually be crowned.

It was a justifiable concern.

The regular season was shortened from 162 games to 60. The postseason field was expanded from 10 teams to 16.

That provided a feeling of randomness and the thought that an out-of-the-blue team could end up winning the World Series.

However, the Fall Classic begins Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas and the teams with the best regular-season records will be meeting as the Los Angeles Dodgers face the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Dodgers went 43-17 before beating the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves in the National League playoffs. The Dodgers won eight more games than any other team in the NL.

The Rays had a 40-20 record, giving them three more wins than any other AL team. They then defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros in the AL playoffs.

The Dodgers will try to win their first World Series since 1988. The Rays will attempt to capture the first title in the franchise’s 22-year history.

Here is a look at four players to watch in the World Series:

CLAYTON KERSHAW, DODGERS

The 32-year-old left-hander has done just about anything you would want a pitcher to do during his 13-year career, including winning the NL Most Valuable Player award in 2014.

Kershaw has also won three Cy Young Awards, an NL pitching triple crown, five NL ERA titles and been selected to eight All-Star Games. And, oh by the way, he has won a Gold Glove, thrown a no-hitter and compiled a 175-76 record with a sparkling 2.43 ERA.

What Kershaw has not done is win a World Series ring or consistently dominate in the postseason. Kershaw is 11-12 with a 4.31 ERA in 35 playoffs games and will again try to win that elusive championship in the Dodgers’ third World Series appearance in four years.

He starts Game 1 against Tyler Glasnow with a 2-1 record and a 3.32 ERA in three starts this postseason.

COREY SEAGER, DODGERS

The shortstop came up big for the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series when they overcame 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to the Atlanta Braves to win the series in seven games.

Seager was selected as the NLCS MVP, hitting .310 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 30 plate appearances. That followed an outstanding regular season for the 26-year-old as he batted 307 with 15 homers in 52 games.

Prior to his outburst against the Braves, Seager was just a .211 career hitter in the playoffs with four home runs in 36 games. However, he is currently the hottest hitter in baseball not named Randy Arozarena.

The Dodgers nearly traded Seager to the Cleveland Indians for shortstop Francisco Lindor in the offseason. Instead, Los Angeles wound up acquiring star right fielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Spox.

RANDY AROZARENA, RAYS

Speaking of Arozarena, the rookie outfielder continued his torrid postseason pace in the Rays’ seven-game victory over the Astros in the American League Championship Series.

Nicknamed the Cuban Rocket, Arozerana went 9 for 28 (.321) with four home runs, including a two-run home run that opened the scoring in the decisive Game 7. Overall, in the playoffs, the 25-year-old has seven home runs, the most ever for a rookie in one postseason and one away from the overall playoff record.

To think, Arozarena was an afterthought in last year’s postseason as a reserve outfielder with the St. Louis Cardinals.

His previous claim to October fame was posting to social media Cardinals manager Mike Shildt’s profane celebratory speech following St. Louis’ victory over the Braves in the National League Division Series.

NICK ANDERSON, RAYS

Much has been made of the Rays manager Kevin Cash’s saying his team had a “stable full of horses who throw 98 (mph)” following a regular-season dustup with the Yankees.

Anderson can be considered the lead horse of a bullpen that, remarkably, has had 13 different pitchers post saves between the regular season and postseason. Anderson had a team-high six saves and a miniscule 0.55 ERA in 19 regular-season games.

In the playoffs, the right-hander has given up six runs in 11 1/3 innings but is still Cash’ primary go-to guy in high-leverage situation.

The 29-year-old Anderson is also quite a human-interest story. He spent three seasons playing in independent minor leagues and sat out 2015 while working as a home remodeler.