Who are the key players in the World Series?
Barnett
“My key players in the World Series are Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Blake Treinen. Ohtani has taken the MLB by storm with his 50/50 season and incredible hitting. He ranks at least second for hitting in the MLB, leading the National League in slugging, homers, and OPS, and being second in stolen bases behind Elly De La Cruz. The Dodgers’ addition has garnered significant attention and new viewers, even featuring a graphic indicating when he’s up to bat. Judge is my second choice. Leading the AL and the MLB in homers, Judge has been in a slump during the postseason, which is why I didn’t rank him above Ohtani. Nonetheless, Judge is an amazing slugger, entering the postseason with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs. Treinen has been vital for the Dodgers as their closer, with three saves, ranking second in the postseason, and maintaining a 0.00 ERA with over seven strikeouts. His performance in Game 6 of the NLCS was instrumental, and I look forward to seeing more of Treinen.”
Christian
“My key players in the World Series are first baseman Anthony Rizzo, right fielder Juan Soto, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton and Enrique Hernández. Rizzo has been one of the most reliable hitters this postseason with an average of .429. If he continues at this high rate, he could be vital in a cleanup spot, helping the Yankees generate runs. Soto is also efficient, hitting .333 with eight RBIs and three home runs. He has been one of the Yankees’ best hitters, and his discipline will help him against the Dodgers’ elite bullpen. Stanton is averaging .294 with 11 RBIs and five home runs. He is a strong counter to the Dodgers’ DH, Ohtani. The X-Factor for the Dodgers will be Hernández, their most efficient hitter with an average of .303 and five RBIs and two homers. If he doesn’t come through, the Dodgers may struggle against the Yankees’ offense.”
Who’s most likely to win the World Series?
Barnett
The Los Angeles Dodgers are most likely to win the World Series because compared to the Yankees, they take the lead in OPS, AVG, SLG, OBP, RBI, runs, stolen bases, hits, home runs, walks received and almost everything offensively. The Dodgers’ defense does need some improvement but with these impeccable offensive stats, they make up for it. Their lethal bullpen, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who are the primary starters, and Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen who make for amazing relievers and closers.
Christian
The New York Yankees are most likely to win the World Series, and it may not be as close of a series as most would think. Both the Dodgers and the Yankees are the top seed in their respective conferences, but the Dodgers’ inconsistent play will lead to their downfall. When you watch the Dodgers, you don’t know what you’re getting. In some games, you’ll see a barrage of runs, while in others they’ll randomly tally a low run count. They are second in strikeouts this postseason with 89. Not to mention their defense, charting 47 earned runs, the second-worst this postseason. However, the Yankees’ defense has only allowed more than five runs twice in this postseason. This occurred in games three and four against the Cleveland Guardians allowing seven runs and six runs, respectively. Moreover, the Yankees have an ERA of 3.27, in contrast to the Dodgers’ ERA of 4.36, and have only allowed 30 runs in their postseason run. This lockdown defense and dynamic infield will make the Dodgers throw fits.
Should the Pitch Timer be removed?
Barnett
Yes, the pitch timer should be removed. In recent years, the total number for pitches thrown over 100 mph is at an estimated 3,600. Throwing over 100 MPH causes extreme strain. These pitchers need time to rest their arms while on the mound, and with this clock, it rushes and pressures pitchers, and when they decide to take their time, a ball is added to the count. Same goes for batters. When a batter violates a pitch count, a strike is called. So pitchers can be awarded a strikeout without physically throwing the ball and a batter can be awarded a walk without even seeing the pitch. This kind of kills the traditional values of baseball where outs and at-bats are supposed to be earned. In my eyes, baseball is supposed to be played at its own pace. Most extraordinary moments in baseball have happened when the moment is embraced, savored, and appreciated. When we add a time limit to these moments, it takes away from historic performances, whether it be regular season or playoff season.
Christian
No, the pitch timer should not be removed, but it should be modified. Although pitcher injuries have indeed increased after the pitch timer was implemented, this is only because the time given to pitchers is too low. Initially, the pitch clock allowed 20 seconds for pitchers with runners on base and 15 seconds while the bases were empty. In the 2024 season, they reduced the time allowed to 18 seconds while runners were on base. Fifteen seconds was already too low, as, according to the Michigan Society for American Baseball Research, it usually takes 18.3 seconds, on average, for pitchers to pitch between batters with empty bases. On average, with runners on base, it took 23.2 seconds for pitchers to pitch. The pitch clock could be valuable if it is used properly, as we should not be using it to rush pitchers, but to keep the games at a consistent pace. We should keep the pitch clock, but simply change the time for to 25 seconds while the bases are empty and 30 seconds when there are runners on base. This adds about seven seconds to each stat’s average to account for the pitchers in the slower half of the average. Hopefully, this would reduce the amount of injuries while keeping the game at a faster pace.
