Who has the edge in the World Series? The Nationals-Astros positional breakdowns
First base
Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman. The longtime face of the franchise, Zimmerman was Washington’s first draft pick in 2005 after the team moved to the nation’s capital from Montreal. A converted third baseman, he’s been hampered by injuries much of the past six years including shoulder problems that affect his throwing. But at age 35, he’s become an everyday player again during a solid postseason. Astros: Yuli Gurriel. From a family of baseball royalty in Cuba, the highly touted Gurriel got a $47.5m contract and has established himself as a productive RBI man during three full years in the majors. He was slumping in the AL Championship Series against the Yankees until his three-run homer got the Astros going in the Game 6 clincher. Edge: Astros. Second base
Nationals: Howie Kendrick. The consummate pro, Kendrick is more than just a veteran presence at 36. A smart hitter and versatile defender, he won the deciding Game 5 of the Division Series at Dodger Stadium with a 10th-inning grand slam, and took home NLCS MVP honors after hitting .333 with four doubles and four RBIs in the four-game sweep of St Louis. He has plenty of playoff experience, but this is Kendrick’s first chance to play in the World Series. Astros: Jose Altuve. The heart and soul of the Astros. Generously listed at 5ft 6in, the 2017 AL MVP is simply one of baseball’s best players. Altuve put Houston back in the World Series with a walk-off homer against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in Game 6 of the ALCS and was selected series MVP. He has 13 career postseason homers, most by a second baseman. Edge: Astros. Shortstop
Nationals: Trea Turner. A terrific leadoff hitter with pop and one of the fastest players in the majors, Turner is often the engine that makes the Nationals go. He was 35 for 40 on stolen bases attempts this year and is 159 for 189 in his career. Astros: Carlos Correa. After rib and back injuries limited him to 75 games this season, Correa made an impact with two big home runs and five RBIs in the ALCS. His walkoff homer in Game 2 at home tied the series and swung the momentum in Houston’s favor. Dropped in the batting order for now, Correa hit just .171 during the playoffs. Edge: Astros.
Third base Nationals: Anthony Rendon. Rendon lives in the Houston suburbs during the offseason, and now gets to face his hometown team in the World Series. He made his first All-Star team and is a contender for NL MVP honors. He led the majors with 126 RBIs and ranked third in the NL with a 1.010 OPS. The 29-year-old is poised to become a prized free agent this winter, and word is he turned down $210 million from the Nationals. Astros: Alex Bregman. Coming off a huge season (41 homers, 112 RBIs, 1.015 OPS) that could warrant the AL MVP award, Bregman has been walked 10 times in 11 playoff games. He’s got a great eye at the plate, so it’s no surprise. But the cocky 25year-old, already a two-time All-Star in three full major league seasons, can certainly wreck a game with his swing in the cleanup spot. Edge: Even. Catcher
Nationals: Kurt Suzuki or Yan Gomes. Washington signed Suzuki and traded for Gomes last offseason to give the team two front-line catchers who could share the load. Suzuki was more productive at the plate, but Gomes has been better in the postseason. Astros: Robinson Chirinos or Martin Maldonado. Chirinos was signed as a free agent last December and hit 17 homers. Maldonado, who won a Gold Glove in 2017, began the year with Kansas City, played four games for the Cubs and was acquired by Houston in a July 31 trade. Edge: Nationals. Left field
Nationals: Juan Soto. In his second big league season, Soto had 34 homers, 110 RBIs and a .949 OPS. The 20-yearold cleanup man seems to rankle certain opponents with his antics in the batter’s box during intense at-bats, but he’s one of the game’s most impressive and polished young hitters. He’s delivered several clutch swings this October, including a tying homer off threetime Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium. Astros: Michael Brantley. Another unassuming star who doesn’t garner that much attention, Brantley has been a great free-agent signing for Houston at $32m over two years. Now in his 11th season, the four-time All-Star gets to play in his first World Series after sitting out three years ago with the Indians because of injury.Edge: Nationals.
Center field
Nationals: Victor Robles. A talented 22-year-old, the speedy Robles plays a strong center field and has power in his bat. He hit 17 homers during the regular season and stole 28 bases. After missing five games, Robles returned from a hamstring injury in Game 3 of the NLCS and homered. He also singled and scored twice. Robles went 5 for 16 (.313) during the playoffs and scored four runs, but he’s not always smart on the bases.
Astros: George Springer. The 2017 World Series MVP is dangerous at the top of the lineup. After missing time due to injury this season, he finished with 39 homers, 96 RBIs and a .974 OPS in 122 games. The three-time AllStar socked 12 leadoff homers, one shy of the major league record. His 41 combined homers between the regular season and postseason are the most ever for a leadoff hitter, surpassing his previous mark of 40 in 2017. Springer slumped to .152 (7 for 46) in the AL playoffs, but he hit two big home runs against the Yankees. His 13 postseason homers are tied with Altuve for the team record. Edge: Astros. Right field
Nationals: Adam Eaton. Eaton helps to get rallies started from the No2 spot in the lineup. He runs well and tracks balls down in the outfield, too. Healthy all season for the first time in three years with the Nationals, Eaton posted a .365 on-base percentage. He went 7 for 36 (.194) with three extra-base hits and four RBIs in 10 playoff games. Astros: Josh Reddick. Never shy about speaking his mind, Reddick is 3 for 22 (.136) with a home run in his fourth straight postseason and seventh overall. He’s a fine fielder who won a Gold Glove in 2012 with Oakland and had a very productive season at the plate for Houston’s championship team in 2017. Reddick has some power but often sits against left-handers, with Jake Marisnick starting in center field and Springer shifting to right. Edge: Nationals. Designated hitter
Nationals: Veteran switch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera and left-handed bopper Matt Adams provide a pair of credible options at DH against Houston’s right-handed starters. Astros: Yordan Alvarez. Big and powerful, Alvarez was acquired from the Dodgers in a 2016 trade that appears to be a steal. The 22year-old left-handed hitter from Cuba was called up in June and put up huge numbers: .313 with 27 homers and 78 RBIs in just 87 games. He set the team rookie home run record and has a chance to be AL Rookie of the Year, but a slumping Alvarez went 7 for 41 (.171) with 19 strikeouts and one RBI in the playoffs. Edge: Astros. Starting pitchers
Nationals: The most imposing rotation in the National League features three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, the Game 1 starter, followed by three-time All-Star Stephen Strasburg and lefty Patrick Corbin. Even crafty veteran Anibal Sanchez carried a no-hitter for 7 2/3 innings in the NLCS opener at St Louis and has a 0.71 ERA in two playoff starts this year. Washington starters boast a major league-best 2.04 ERA this postseason after permitting only four earned runs in four games against the Cardinals.
Astros: What a trio at the top in Cole, Verlander and Greinke, who was obtained from Arizona just before the July trade deadline. Cole is 19-0 in his last 25 starts and hasn’t lost since May 22. That includes 3-0 in the AL playoffs, when he yielded one earned run in 22 2/3 innings with 32 strikeouts. A victory in the opener would give him the longest winning streak for a pitcher in one year. Cole was 20-5 with an AL-low 2.50 ERA and major league-leading 326 strikeouts during the season. He can become a free agent after the Series and is expected to command more than $200m. Verlander went 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and a career-high 300 Ks. He led the majors with 223 innings pitched and threw his third career no-hitter. Edge: Even. Bullpen
Nationals: A weak spot all season, the relief corps looks different in October. Washington’s bullpen ERA of 5.68 was the worst in the NL and ranked 29th in majors. To help cover for that, the Nationals used Strasburg, Scherzer and Corbin in relief during the playoffs. The unit has been more reliable in the postseason, with lefty Sean Doolittle regaining his All-Star form and Daniel Hudson supplanting Doolittle as an effective closer. Tanner Rainey has a live arm and 42-year-old Fernando Rodney, the oldest active player in the majors, offers tons of experience. But there are still plenty of question marks for this group, especially the further down the depth chart it goes.
Astros: Hard-throwing closer Roberto Osuna was 38 for 44 in save chances this season with a 2.63 ERA. He was having a solid postseason, too, before giving up a tying, two-run homer to DJ LeMahieu in Game 6 of the ALCS. Osuna recovered for the rest of the ninth inning, though, and he’ll need to bounce back in the World Series. Houston’s bullpen has several answers and is better than many realize the unit’s 3.75 ERA ranked second in the majors behind Tampa Bay. Will Harris is a stingy setup man who is pitching well. Josh James has a big arm, submariner Joe Smith is tough on right-handers and versatile Brad Peacock is experienced in postseason games. Ryan Pressly, an All-Star this season, got some very important outs against the Yankees but aggravated his surgically repaired right knee in the ALCS finale. He said he’ll be ready for the World Series.
Edge: Astros.