2028 WORLD SERIES! CHICAGO WHITE SOX vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Jan 21, 2017 21:41:19 GMT -5
Anthony_TwinsGM, Ross White Sox, and 5 more like this
Post by Phillies_GM_Fin on Jan 21, 2017 21:41:19 GMT -5
SBL WORLD SERIES PREVIEW: CHICAGO WHITE SOX vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Season Success:
Chicago:The White Sox rode the long ball (led the AL with 244) to put runs on the board, and then used effective strikeout pitching coupled with strong defense turning balls into outs to a tie for 2nd (86 wins) in the Larry Doby division.
St. Louis:
The Cardinals used pitching (2nd in starter ERA, 1st in OPP avg, BABIP) and defense (1st in NL in defensive efficiency) in the era of offense, and put the ball in play on offense (4th best in NL not striking out, 7th in hits) in winning the Sandy Koufax division.
How did they get here:
Chicago:The White Sox beat Detroit (2-0) in the Wildcard round. In what was deemed a rather surprising upset, the White Sox swept the Yankees (3-0) in the Divisional Series. In the LCS, Chicago out-last the tough Los Angeles Angels in 7 games, 4-3.
St. Louis:
The Cardinals won their division and beat the Colorado Rockies (3-1) in the Divisional Series. The Cardinals won a close series with the Chicago Cubs (4-3), preventing the SBL from an all-Chicago World Series.
Last 3 Seasons:
Chicago:The White Sox have won 83, 86 and 86 wins the past 3 seasons. The White Sox last made the playoffs in 2022. Prior to that, Chicago made the playoffs in 2008.
St. Louis:
The Cardinals have ascended to the World Series this season. The past 3 seasons they have won 89, 90, 94. The Cardinals are back in the playoffs the past 3 seasons after missing in 2025.
Key Players to Watch:
Chicago:Jose Carlos Guzman - In 7 seasons in the SBL, Guzman has put up a phenomenal 41.7 WAR.This past season, Guzman led the league in slugging (.639) and OPS (1.076) and an eye-opening 172 OPS+. Cardinal pitching will not only need to worry about his home run power (48), he walks (.437 obp) and doesn't strike out in this strike-out heavy era (116 times). Chicago had 3 starters and a swing-man put up 3+ WAR from the pitching staff.
St. Louis:
SP's Gabriel Moya and Shane Watson paced the Cardinals in 2028. Moya put up a 5.4 WAR (4th in the SBL among starters), 3.41 FIP and 18 of his 33 starts were quality starts (54.5%). Watson was very efficient, with a 3.76 K/BB rate to go along with his 3.5 WAR. C Pancho Molina led the position players with a 3.4 WAR.
Chicago Will Win If…..Guzman repeats his MVP-performance from the ALCS. Chicago pitchers keep the Cardinals off-base, allowing their 4th ranked defense to scoop up the many balls expected to be produced by their ground-ball staff. C Pancho Molina, fresh off his NLCS MVP performance, is fed a steady diet of left-handed pitching (.264/.289/.402).
St. Louis Will Win If….their starting pitching shuts down Guzman. While not a science-breakthrough theory, it is clear Guzman is the straw that stirs the White Sox offense. Advance-scouting indicated Guzman hits .180/.180/.440 when he is 0-2 in the count, so Cardinals pitchers would be wise to pump strikes in early! The other CLEAR way to win this series it to LIMIT the long-ball. White Sox hitters led the AL with 244 long-balls and were 5th in walks. Cardinal pitching should be aware, throw strikes, let the defense get to balls (1st in the NL) and throw out the runner.