As we approach the Fall Classic, the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs will go head to head for what may be considered one of the most interesting World Series of all time.
It couldn’t be more exciting, as the two teams with the longest dry spells in history are playing each other. For the last 108 years, the Chicago Cubs have failed to win the title, which many people believe is due to the curse of the Billy Goat. On the other hand, the Cleveland Indians haven’t won the World Series since 1948 (68 years), the longest drought in the American League.
Both the Cubs (National League) and the Indians (American League) have had a successful season, each winning their division with ease. The Cubs finished with an all time high 108 wins, not only leading the entire league in most wins, but setting a new record for the franchises history. Even after losing the star rookie, Kyle Schwarber, they were lead by other key power hitters such as Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, both of whom are contenders for the National League MVP. Both hitters ended the season with a .292 batting average, with a combined total of 71 home runs. The pitching for the Cubs during the postseason has also been phenomenal. Jon Lester, a 6’4” lefty, has had both a commanding regular season and postseason. He had an impressive 19 wins during the 2016 regular season and currently has an ERA of .86 this postseason, the greatest of his career. Other key players include Jake Arrieta (Pitcher), Dexter Fowler (Right Fielder), Javier Biaz (Second Baseman), and Aroldis Chapman (Closing Pitcher). Chapman was a late pickup from the Yankees and has proved to be a valuable asset to the team.
The Indians also had a strong regular season, putting their name on the board for the first time in over 15 years. After a dominant pitching performance all season long by Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, and Josh Tomlin, it showed hope for the team in the postseason. This speculation proved to be factual, as all 3 pitchers have been effective over the last 3 weeks in the postseason, as they all have posted ERA’s under 2.0. Their closing pitcher, Andrew Miller, has been the strongest of all during the postseason. He recorded 4 saves in the ALDS, sending the Indians to the World Series. He has yet to give up a single run over his last 12 innings pitched (all of his innings pitched this postseason). Although the Indian’s pitching has been dominant, their batting has been lacking in consistency. Throughout the regular season, the Indians struggled with scoring runs and relied heavily on their pitching. This has also been the case in the postseason. Luckily, their pitching has been able to “bail out the hitters” the majority of the time. During this postseason, there is only one player batting over .275: Francisco Lindor. He has been a productive player the entire season and continues to amaze. During the regular, he batted .301 with 182 hits and is currently batting .297 in the postseason.
After comparing both teams and identifying their strengths and weaknesses, it seems as if the 2016 World Series will be an interesting matchup. Although the Cubs seem to have better stats throughout the regular season and postseason, the Indians are coming into the World Series with confidence, after defeating the Blue Jays in only 5 games in the ALCS. If the Indians’ pitching can shut down the Cubs’ superior hitting, Cleveland will have a good chance at winning the title. However, if the Cubs are able to overpower the Indians pitching, winning the title would be more in their favor. Since the Indians’ bats haven’t been so hot over the past few weeks, it seems that the Cubs’ pitchers will be able to contain the Indians’ batting. Only one of these teams will end up victorious and will end their dry spell. In my eyes, I believe that the Chicago Cubs will win the Fall Classic. They have both the pitching and hitting to achieve the goal. Based on the way they have been performing, it is clear that they have more talent than the Indians, which will lead them to winning the World Series.

My Final Prediction:
Chicago Cubs win Game 7