Fansided

5 reasons a Cubs-Indians World Series needs to happen

By Roje Smith

Jun 17, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, left, celebrates his grand slam in the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 17, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, left, celebrates his grand slam in the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 11: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning of Game Four of their National League Division Series at AT&T Park on October 11, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 11: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning of Game Four of their National League Division Series at AT&T Park on October 11, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

4. Miller vs. Chapman

At the beginning of the regular season, the New York Yankees boasted the best bullpen in the league. It featured Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman in a filthy 1-2-3 punch that no team wanted to face. However, due to the Yankees deciding to trade some of their best players for rebuilding efforts, only Betances remained in pinstripes. Luckily for Chapman and Miller, they ended up on championship-caliber teams.

Chapman, a true flamethrower who consistently throws over 100 MPH, ended up on the Chicago Cubs. He already had 20 saves and a 2.01 ERA before moving from the Bronx to the Windy City. As a Cub, Chapman continued his dominance as a closer by registering 16 saves with a 1.01 ERA. Many consider him as the final piece to the puzzle for Chicago and his arrival made them an even stronger World Series contender. The Yankees clearly gave the Cubs an early Christmas gift with Chapman. They also gave a great gift to the Indians.

Despite Chapman’s electric abilities, many experts consider Miller to be the best reliever in baseball. Before being traded to Cleveland, he had a 1.39 ERA with nine saves. As an Indian, the former North Carolina Tar Heel registered a 1.55 ERA with three saves. The only reason that Miller doesn’t have more saves is due to his role as an 8th inning setup man. However, this doesn’t diminish his effectiveness nor dominance. If anyone wants to question how good Miller is, then they should take note of how he’s handled the Blue Jays so far in the ALCS.

With 27 world titles on their resume, the Yankees have come nowhere close to suffering the types of postseason slumps suffered by Cleveland and Chicago. Therefore, it will be interesting to see which gift of theirs proves to be the best drought buster if those two clubs face in the Fall Classic.

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