For only the fourth time since 1995, the Major League Baseball teams with the best record in the American and National Leagues will face each other in the World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (43-17) take on the Tampa Bay Rays (40-20) in Game 1 Tuesday night of a Fall Classic that is dripping with intriguing storylines.
The Dodgers are riding an emotional high entering their third World Series appearance in four years, after they rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves in the N.L. Championship Series.
The Rays will be playing in their second World Series in franchise history (their only other appearance was in 2008) after blowing a 3-0 lead against the Houston Astros in the ALCS before regrouping to win Game 7.
Here are the top three storylines for the 2020 World Series.
1-Pitching wins in the playoffs. The Rays, top to bottom, have the best collection of arms in the major leagues including Game 1 starter Tyler Glasnow, fellow starters Blake Snell and Charlie Morton, and bullpen fireballers Diego Castillo, Peter Fairbanks and Nick Anderson.
The Dodgers are no slouches in the pitching department either, boasting the likes of Clayton Kershaw (L.A.’s Game 1 starter), Walker Buehler and Julio Urias as well as closer Kenley Jansen and relievers Joe Kelly and Pedro Baez.
2-Big market/budget vs. small market/budget. The Dodgers had MLB’s highest prorated payroll as of Aug. 1 at $95.6 million while the Rays were 28th at $29.3 million during the league’s 60-game shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Depending on which team wins the World Series, it will give more credence for other clubs to spend more, or less, on their roster.
3-Clutch performers and unsung heroes. Tampa Bay leftfielder Randy Arozarena has had an outstanding playoffs and was named ALCS MVP after collecting nine hits and four home runs against the Astros. He is hitting .382 and has seven homers this postseason, a big league record for a rookie, and will be counted upon to continue his torrid run.
The Dodgers have a much more talented lineup than the Rays, highlighted by Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and Max Muncy, but L.A. got some of their biggest hits in the NLCS from the likes of Cory Seager, Will Smith and Kiki Hernandez.
Which team is going to win?
When the expanded MLB playoffs began Sept. 29, I predicted that the Dodgers and Rays would meet in the Fall Classic and Los Angeles would be crowned champions.
I’m not going to sway from my original prognostication as the Dodgers have the one thing the Rays don’t, the pain of recent World Series loses.
Runners-up in 2017 and 2018, the Dodgers — who haven’t won it all since 1988 — are simply due to be rewarded by the baseball gods.
And they’re hoping to obtain baseball immortality.
Rick Zamperin is the assistant program, news and senior sports director at Global News Radio 900 CHML.