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FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel could make the Hall of Fame one day, but that’s a long way off. But if they do, it’d be the first time two Hall-worthy closers met in the World Series since Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman faced off in 1998.
Baseball Prospectus | Rob Mains: It’s interesting converting batter lines into opposing pitcher lines, answering the question of, “If the lineup was entirely this one batter, then what the average pitcher pitch like?” If every batter was Mike Trout, they would have a 9.06 FIP. If every batter was Chris Davis, then the average pitcher would be Blake Snell.
The Athletic | Mark Simon ($): Umpires are going to play a crucial role in this World Series: Tim Timmons ranks in the middle of strike-callers, while Chad Fairchild will have a hitter-friendly zone in Game Four, for example.
The Ringer | Claire McNear: I agree on this one: for East Coast fans, there have been some late nights in Octobers. Games have routinely ended after midnight, and while I always endorse more baseball, I do not like passing out from what should be a three-hour affair turning into a six-hour one.