Who's Going To Win The World Series?

By Mitch Chortkoff

Sports Editor

I’ve gone through most of the baseball season believing the Dodgers have too many question marks to win the World Series.

Too many players coming and going throughout the season, Two great starting pitchers but no other one on the elite level. What if Kershaw or Grienke lose a playoff game? I think it’s unlikely any other starter could get them through several very important games against quality opponents.

But lately I’ve seen two likely division winners falter. The Mets have issues with their young pitchers and a fiasco regarding Matt Harvey’s pitch limit. The Cardinals, the epitome of class, have had key injuries and they’re losing games. Now Yadier Molina has an injury too.

So I look at the National League and don’t see any clear favorite. The Cardinals, the Mets and the Dodgers, all division leaders, aren’t playing very well and the two wild card teams, the Pirates and Cubs, might be better.

Why not? The two wild cards last season, the Giants and Royals, made it to the World Series.

I was at Dodger Stadium Sunday and saw the Pirates defeat the Dodgers for the fifth time in six meetings this season.

I visited with Tommy Lasorda and he said “we have trouble beating the good teams.”

They also have trouble when either Kershaw or Grienke loses and neither is available for the next few games.

To the Dodgers’ credit they’ve been very good defensively. That’s not a coincidence since Andrew Friedman, the new man in charge of building the roster, believes strongly in defense.

But I think the American league has stronger teams right now. The Royals have built on their ability to make the World Series last season with another terrific year even though their game-winning relief corps isn’t as good this season.

The Blue Jays may be the best team in either league and although I never predict who’ll win a sports event I won’t be surprised if Toronto becomes this season’s champion.

What a lineup this team has and the pitching is first rate too.

Why did the Blue Jays get David Price at the trading deadline? He would have been exactly what the Dodgers needed. The 2015 Dodgers have the highest payroll in baseball history yet they became frugal when a superstar pitcher was available.

Maybe they didn’t want to to give up Cory Seager, their best prospect and I can understand that. But they haven’t won a World Series since 1988 and Price would have given them a heck of a chance.

It looks like the Yankees and Astros will be the American League wild card teams. Very good teams. Maybe one of them will be in the World Series.

Right now it looks like the Angels aren’t going to qualify for the playoffs. I think they’re a little short of offensive punch. Mike Scioscia’s team put up a gallant battle in recent weeks but it appears the competition is simply too strong.

The end of the regular season is approaching. I’ve been to a lot of games and watched a whole bunch on the Direc TV baseball channel, one of the great inventions of our lifetime.

See you in October.