With the 2018 MLB season set to start Thursday, season predictions are running rampant with who will win what award and what team will walk away with the World Series ring. According to Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report , the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs will meet in the World Series, with the Yankees victorious in six games. Wow!
To be fair, the Yankees have placed themselves in a position to be the representatives from the American League, and the Cubs are always the favorite to take the crown in the National League, so this prediction is not off-base.
The Yankees vs. Cubs series will be one for the ages. Can the Cubs pitching handle the powerful bats of the Yankees? Will the Yankees be able to overcome the World Series experience of the Cubs?
No team in the National League could possibly get the Cubs ready for the power the Yankees will have on display. While Jon Lester and Yu Darvish are capable pitchers, how will they attack a lineup that features Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez? While Aaron Boone has tossed around the possibility of Stanton battling leadoff, imagine how the Cubs’ rotation would feel if they saw a lineup card with Stanton, Judge, and Sanchez hitting 3-4-5?
Not to be outdone will be the Cubs’ power players in Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Kyle Schwarber. Just the thought of a series with this much power should have every baseball fan ready for October.
Imagine Aroldis Chapman beating his former Cubs team for another ring. What about the Japanese matchup between Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka? So many different stories to tug at any baseball fans’ heart. Both are historic franchises. One has 27 titles, the other is going for its second in three seasons.
2018 could be considered the season of payback for both the Yankees and Cubs. The Yankees were a game away last season and the Cubs managed to let their season slip away at the end. This could have easily been the matchup in 2017. However, it just wasn’t meant to be.
While the Yankees will have to deal with the pitching of the Houston Astros in the AL, the Cubs must deal with the experience of the Dodgers in the NL. Even with the Astros and Dodgers both coming off a thrilling World Series appearance, they will be no match for the Yankees and Cubs.
