World Series 2016: Six players who could be MVP
Jon Lester
It’s harder to predict a Cubs pitcher winning World Series MVP because so many of their rotation arms figure to be in the conversation if the team wins the World Series. Entering Game 1, you get the sense that the Indians will win this series only if their best pitcher keeps them in two or three games.
The Cubs offense is firing on all cylinders after winning three in a row to close out the Dodgers, and without a tight margin of victory, the performances of the starting pitchers will be marginalized, no matter how well they perform.
Still, it would be foolish to completely discount the Indians’ chances to make this an interesting six- or seven-game series. If the series goes long, the Cubs’ most battle tested postseason hurler is Jon Lester, who has been even better this October than Kluber.
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The left-hander, who figures to be in the conversation for NL Cy Young, is 2-0 in the playoffs, and has allowed only two runs in 21.0 innings. For his career, Lester has appeared in 19 postseason games, and is 8-6 with a 2.50 ERA.
In the NLCS, Lester exorcised some postseason demons by facing down the Dodgers’ attempts to get in his head by bunting and dancing around on the bases. By now, the pitcher’s troubles with throwing over to first base are known by everyone in baseball. The Indians are an aggressive team on the bases, with plenty of speed. Lester must keep some semblance of control over the running game.