2010 World Series Predictions

2010 World Series Preview – Giants vs Rangers

vs.

TEXAS RANGERS  -140
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS +110

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It should be an interesting series as the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants face off in the 2010 World Series. Both were underdogs coming into the season, as Texas lacked the pitching, and San Francisco was missing the bats necessary for serious contention.

The Rangers will be going to their first World Series in team history. The team had previously won three Western Division titles in 1996, 1998, and 1999, but has never made it to the Fall Classic. The Giants have not seen the postseason since 2003 when they won the division, and 2002 when they entered as a wildcard and won the NL pennant. They have won five World Series in team history, the last one in 1954.

Texas entered the 2010 season in financial peril and made a few cost cutting moves, which hinted at a long season. They sent innings eater Kevin Millwood to Baltimore, and Colby Lewis was brought over from Japan. Along with free agent pick up Rich Harden, the rotation was a serious question mark. After a blistering June record of 21-6, and to everyone’ surprise the team was atop the AL West.

With Commissioner Bud Selig’s approval, the club added salary to make a postseason run, as Cliff Lee was acquired on June 9 for a package centered on top prospect 1^st baseman Justin Smoak.

Lee looked shaky in Texas, going 4-6 with a 3.98 era in 15 starts, but proved his caliber in the postseason, winning all three of his starts, pitching 24 innings including a complete game, while surrendering only 13 hits and two runs for a 0.74 era. Never known as a strikeout pitcher, Lee had 34 in those three games, including 13 Yankees in his LCS start.

Lewis won 12 games in the regular season, and looked strong in the postseason, winning two of his three starts pitching 18.2 innings while allowing 11 hits for a 1.45 era. Two of those starts were against New York bats and he earned both his wins against the explosive lineup.

CJ Wilson is the third starter and should get at least one call to the mound. He won 15 games on the year with a 3.35 era and continued his success in the DS.  Wilson pitched 6.1 innings for the win, and then hit a roadblock against the Yankees, imploding in two starts and losing one, walking six and allowing nine runs in 12 innings for a 6.00 era.

Closer Neftali Feliz is only 21 years old, but already one of the best in the game. He saved 40 games on the season, but none so far in the postseason though he has pitched in five games thus far. The rotation is a question beyond the front two, but in a short series Lee and Lewis may be enough.

The Rangers have always been known as a team of power threats, and 2010 was no different.

Slugger Josh Hamilton was making a strong case for the MVP before being shutdown in September with a rib cage injury. The effects were obvious against Tampa Bay, as Hamilton struggled to a 2-8 performance with six strikeouts. He found his swing against the Yanks, going 7 for 20, bolstering his average of .350, with 20 total bases, four homeruns, 7RBIs, and eight walks.

Veteran catcher Benji Molina was a midseason pickup brought in for depth, and responded with some postseason heroics, stealing his first base in four years in Game 5 of the division series, and hitting a homerun in Game 1. In Game 4 of the ALCS, he hit a three-run homer off Yankees starter AJ Burnett to win the game.

Vlad Guererro hit 29 homeruns in the regular season, but yet to take one deep in the postseason. He is always a threat to break out, and did get 12 hits in the playoffs so far, including three deuces.

As a team, the Texas offense looked questionable against Tampa, and found its stroke against New York. It’s running on all cylinders now with multiple power threats like Hamilton, Cruz, Guerrero, and Young, and table setters like Elvis Andrus. Molina provides a dangerous weapon off the bench.

Meanwhile, the Giants entered 2010 with a pitching staff that made rival GM’s jealous, with the likes of two-time CY Young winner Tim Lincecum who headed the staff winning 16 games in the regular season. “The Freak” has pitched made three postseason appearances, including two tarts for a total of 14.1 innings while striking out 16. He has only allowed 12 hits and five earned runs for a 3.14 era.

Matt Cain is establishing himself as an ace in the making; he won 13 games in the season pitching 223 inning with a 3.14 era. In the postseason, he has made two starts and has yet to allow an earned run in 13.2 innings of work. He has been effectively wild issuing five free passes and nine hits.

Contract bust Barry Zito won just nine games for the year and was left off the postseason roster, leaving, leaving Jonathan Sanchez as the third starter. He looked good in the division series, pitching 7.1 innings of two-hit, one-run ball. Then against Philadelphia, he looked like Zito surrendering five runs and five walks in a total of eight innings in two starts. ROY candidate lefty Madison Bamgarner will probably be the swingman in the series; he won seven games in 18 starts in the regular season providing an added arm for the pushing Giants. In the postseason, he has been steady considering his age (21), allowing 15 hits in 12.2 innings with a 3.55 era, while striking out 12.

First baseman Aubrey Huff was picked up off the scrap heap after not being resigned by Detroit, he proved to be the main offensive threat in the lineup. He hit 26 homeruns and drove n 86 providing a sorely needed power bat in a punch less offense. He has been silent thus far in the postseason, hitting .256 in 39 at bats with no extra base hits.

Pablo Sandoval looked like a star in the making in 2009, but slumped to .268 with 13 homeruns after a terrible first half. He has remained anemic in part time postseason duty, hitting .214 in 14 at bats with 2 RBIs.

Finally, Pat Burrell homered in the division series and has four postseason RBIs but a .207 average.

San Francisco offense is weedy, which puts all the burden of winning on its great starters and outstanding closer, Brian Wilson. They score a few runs a game and expect the staff to hold it with little margin for error.

Neither of these teams is a typical dominating World Series player. The Rangers boast a stronger offense, which made the right moves to shore up its pitching. San Francisco is a pitching factory that features a feeble offense.

Matt’s Prediction: While the slight edge on the mound goes to the Giants, as Lincecum and Cain combined probably equal the effectiveness of veteran Cliff Lee. Combine that with an offense that can score ten runs, but still scores five on a bad day, and you have a recipe for the 1^st Texas World Series win in six games.

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