4 Teams With The Best Chance To Win The World Series
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — As September approaches. the postseason chances for MLB teams are either dwindling away or coming to fruition.
While 10 teams will make the playoffs this year in the MLB, only four teams have a legitimate chance to win the whole thing.
The three division winners, along with the two wild card teams in each league are not yet determined, but we have a solid idea of which teams are going to advance into October.
Here are the four teams, in no particular order, that have the most realistic chances of winning a World Series this season.
Toronto Blue Jays
After acquiring Troy Tulowitzki and David Price at the trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays have been on a hot streak and sit just one game back of the Yankees in the American League East.
The Blue Jays are 14-4 in August, and have the most potent offense in the MLB. Led by MVP candidate Josh Donaldson, their lineup is scary from top to bottom.
They have without a doubt the best first four hitters of their lineup in the MLB in Tulowitzki, Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion.
Only rivaled by Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson has made a serious case for the AL MVP Award, hitting .296 with 33 home runs, 94 RBI, 90 runs, and a .939 OPS.
Bautista has added 28 home runs and 82 RBI himself, while Encarnacion has tallied 23 home runs and 67 RBI as well.
The team leads the entire major leagues with 166 home runs in just 123 games played thus far, and also lead the MLB in total runs scored, with 634 total runs. The 2nd place team, the New York Yankees, has collected just 573 runs, an incredible 61 runs less than the league-leading Blue Jays.
For a team that has not made the playoffs since 1993, the Blue Jays have a real chance to not only make the post-season, but also take home the World Series trophy as well.
New York Mets
The New York Mets made their own splash at the trade deadline, acquiring outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers, as well as Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson from the Braves.
In August, the Mets are 12-6 and have gained sole control of the NL East as the lead the Washington Nationals by 5.0 games.
With their stellar young pitching staff that features Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz, the Mets have arguably the best pitching staff in the entire MLB.
The team was also able to acquire Tyler Clippard from the Oakland A's at the trade deadline, in order to sure up their bullpen which is led by young closer Jeurys Familia.
The Mets last won the World Series in 1986, and last made the playoffs in 2006 after winning the NL East.
They have the third lowest team ERA in all of baseball at 3.26, and also rank second in the MLB by allowing just 433 runs on the entire year. Only the St. Louis Cardinals have allowed less runs.
A playoff rotation of Harvey, deGrom and Syndergaard could be lethal for opponents, as all three pitchers, who happen to all be under 27 years old, are having incredible seasons for the Mets.
Harvey showcases a 2.57 ERA with an 11-7 record, while deGrom is 12-6 with a 1.98 ERA. Meanwhile, Syndergaard is 7-6 with a 3.17 ERA.
Syndergaard seems to like pitching at Citi Field, as the young pitcher is 7-1 at home with just a 1.82 ERA. However, on the road, Syndergaard is 0-5 with a 5.05 ERA.
With the best pitching staff in the MLB and an offensive catalyst in Yoenis Cespedes, the Mets look primed to make a serious run in October.
St. Louis Cardinals
Despite losing their ace, Adam Wainwright, earlier in the season, the St. Louis Cardinals have rallied behind manager Mike Matheny on their way to the best record in the MLB.
Before play began on Saturday, the Cardinals record was sitting at an impressive 77-44, as they lead the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates by 4.5 games in the NL central.
Led by Michael Wacha, the Cardinals pitching staff has been superb this season, allowing 358 total runs on the year which is good for best in the major leagues, 75 runs less than the second-place New York Mets.
The Cardinals also rank third in the MLB in team opponent batting average, as they have held opposing hitters to just a .240 average. They also rank third in the MLB in save percentage, converting 50 saves out of a possible 62 opportunities, thanks to All-Star closer Trevor Rosenthal.
The Cardinals offense has been sparked by Rookie of the Year candidate Randall Grichuk, who has 15 home runs and 44 RBI while sporting a batting average of .284.
Matt Carpenter leads the team in home runs and RBI with 18 and 63 respectively, as the Cardinals find themselves in position to try and win their second World Series since 2011.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros acquired OF Carlos Gomez and SP Mike Fiers in a deadline trade with the Milwaukee Brewers to bolster their young and talented lineup.
Gomez joins a core group led by 2B Jose Altuve, SS Carlos Correa, and SP Dallas Keuchel, who leads the AL with 14 wins.
Altuve is sixth in the MLB with 144 hits, and also enjoys a batting average of .304.
He also has 9 home runs, 50 RBI, 32 stolen bases, and 61 runs.
Correa, who was ranked as the number one overall prospect in all of baseball, was called up to the MLB in early June to play shortstop for the Astros.
In just 64 games since being called up, Correa is hitting .278 with 15 home runs, 41 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and an .871 OPS.
The Astros also acquired Scott Kazmir from the Oakland A's at the trade deadline to bolster their pitching staff. Since being traded, Kazmir has pitched five games for the Astros, and while his record in those starts is 1-3, he has allowed just nine earned runs (six in one start) in 31 1/3 innings combined with the Astros.
The team is also awaiting the return of star OF George Springer, who last played for the club on July 1st against the Royals. Springer however, is expected back prior to the start of the postseason.
The Astros are currently 3.5 games ahead of the second place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and are jockeying for their first post season appearance since 2005, when they lost the World Series to the Chicago White Sox.
