MLB Teams Battle for the World Series

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Max Faulkner / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A throwing error allowed Josh Donaldson to score and win the series for the Toronto Blue Jays.

After a grueling six month season, history will be made again in October.

Ten baseball teams have been competing in the playoffs to advance to the Fall Classic. Players have fought through awful injuries and the scorching sun to make it to October. Some teams are looking to continue their dominance in professional baseball, while others are looking for their first World Series win in years, or even history.

Currently, there are four teams remaining in the postseason:

The Chicago Cubs are currently the number one team in Major League Baseball. They have the best record (103 – 58) of the season and are hunting for their first World Series win in 108 years – the longest drought in the history of baseball.

“I believe the Cubs will win the World Series so they can break the curse,” senior Reece Horne said.

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo helped the Cubs throughout the season, hitting .292 and over 30 home runs. Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks both won more than 15 games and each had about 170 strikeouts.  

“I think the Cubs will win it all because they have great pitching and powerful hitting,” senior David Ziegler said.

The Toronto Blue Jays are on a mission to bring the World Series back to Canada after their last victory in 1993. An organization that has faced difficult times is now a high contender for the crown after sweeping the Texas Rangers in the divisional series.

The Blue Jays will now go to war with another team who is battling to end their slump – the Cleveland Indians.

The Cleveland Indians (94 – 67) have returned to the postseason in style, finishing first in their division ahead of the Detroit Tigers. The Indians were a dominant team in the early twentieth century, but have suffered from multiple playoff droughts.  

“Yes, the Indians will be knocked out early,” Ziegler said on the topic of major upsets before the playoffs began.

However, this was not the case, as Cleveland was not thinking of their past failures. They swept the Boston Red Sox in the divisional series, ending David Ortiz’s career on a sad note.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (91 – 71) are seeking major redemption. They have won the NL West division four years in a row, but have not found success in the postseason. In 2013, the Dodgers were able to reach the National League Championship Series, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games. The Dodgers have several All-Stars, including ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, young shortstop Corey Seager, and veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

“I think Clayton Kershaw will perform the best throughout the playoffs because he is elite and has experience,” Horne said.

The Dodgers will be facing the Cubs in the NLCS.

Some teams have already been eliminated:

The Texas Rangers, the top team of the American League (95 – 67), were looking to go deeper in this year’s postseason following an early exit in the first round last year. Unfortunately, history repeated itself as the Rangers were swept in the first round by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Washington Nationals, winners of the NL East, were battling to finally make it over the hump and past the NLDS.  New manager Dusty Baker was hired this past offseason and led the team to the postseason, where they attempted to win their first World Series in franchise history. The Nationals fell short to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ending their season in the first round.

Other teams that have been eliminated from the postseason include the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets.

The four remaining teams will contend over the next two weeks, all fighting for the same coveted prize – a World Series title.