The Fall Classic is here! It may have been a messy road to this point, but we have made it, and the result of this abbreviated 2020 season with an extended playoff is the two best teams facing each other: the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers captured baseball's best record for the 2nd straight season, though their campaign last season didn't end too well. This year, they won 43 of the 60 games played, and their postseason started with a Wild Card Series sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers--the team they defeated in the NLCS two years ago. The Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, but they started the NLCS with a 3-1 deficit against the Atlanta Braves, only to win the next three. The Dodgers are in their third World Series in the last four seasons, but under manager Dave Roberts, they are still looking to finally win one, and win their first one overall since 1988.
In 1988, the Tampa Bay Rays didn't exist. The team debuted ten years later in 1998, and ten years after that, they won their first pennant in 2008. Playoff appearances hadn't really been plentiful since then, but this year, the Rays exploded and captured the American League's best record. After sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series, the Rays won a five game ALDS over the New York Yankees, and needed seven to win the pennant over the Houston Astros despite a 3-0 lead. This is the fourth World Series to feature a Florida franchise, the first two being 1997 and 2003--both featuring the Marlins, who won both times.
If Tampa Bay wins, it'll be the second straight season (and third in four years) that MLB will crown a first time champion. With the World Series being Tampa Bay vs Los Angeles, someone is about to win a second sports championship in only a few weeks. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup on September 28, while LA won the NBA Championship just nine days ago. TB has a good chance of winning the World Series, but I have to go with the Dodgers. It's about time that Roberts proves others wrong and gets it done.
Prediction: Dodgers in six
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