Kuzul

Noah Syndergaard wasn’t even alive the last time that the New York Mets climbed out of a 2-0 hole in the World Series way back in 1986.

In Game 3 of the 2015 Fall Classic, the 23-year-old right-hander will be responsible for jump-starting a similar comeback as he takes the mound opposite of Yordano Ventura at Citi Field.

The matchup between Syndergaard and the Kansas City Royals righty promises to be downright electric. During the postseason, Syndergaard’s four-seam fastball has averaged 98.5 mph, which makes it the fastest pitch thrown by any big league starter, per MLB.com’s Statcast. Meanwhile, Ventura’s two-seamer clocks in at second on that list with an average speed of 96.9 mph.

As Syndergaard aims to pitch the Mets back into the series and Ventura attempts to hand the Royals a commanding 3-0 advantage, here are the biggest keys for both sides.

Begin Slideshow

Between now and the start of the 2015 World Series, there’s going to be a lot of talk about the layoff, and for good reason.

The New York Mets haven’t played since last Wednesday, and extended breaks have not been kind to Fall Classic participants. Five of the last six teams that had five or more days off before the World Series ended up losing, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

While it will be worth watching out to see if the Mets can buck that trend, it’s far from the only narrative to keep an eye on as the World Series approaches.

From the emergence of Bartolo Colon as a middle reliever to the potential disappearance of Kendrys Morales, here are a few of the under-the-radar storylines that will make a major impact in this matchup between the Mets and the Kansas City Royals.

Begin Slideshow

Not everyone who has taken part in the 2015 MLB postseason can be like the New York Mets’ Daniel Murphy.

While the unassuming second baseman has been the biggest surprise of the playoffs, there’s also been no lack of players and teams who have been downright disappointing.

Expectations were a big part of the equation in ranking the biggest underachievers of all thus far. After all, disappointment is all about unfulfilled potential. There was also room on the list for players and clubs who have failed in epic fashion. 

As it turns out, a couple of front-line starters who haven’t been remotely ace-like in October were left to jockey for the top spot in the rankings.

Begin Slideshow

With Game 3 of the American League Championship Series looming against the Kansas City Royals, the Toronto Blue Jays got a vote of confidence from an unexpected source.

While working as a MLB analyst on Fox, Alex Rodriguez warned it’s much too soon to count out the Jays.

“Anyone who writes them off, I think they’re making a mistake,” Rodriguez said. “Trust me, I played against these guys just a few weeks ago. They have power, they have great pitching and they’re going up to Toronto. They’re relentless up there and almost impossible to beat at home.”

Relentless, indeed. The Jays’ 53-28 record at Rogers Centre tied for the best mark in the AL during the regular season.

With Marcus Stroman set to face off against Johnny Cueto, these are the biggest keys as Toronto attempts to jump-start a comeback and the Royals try to move within a win of a return trip to the World Series.

Begin Slideshow

The youthful Chicago Cubs are just one win away from the National League Championship Series, but the upstart squad is going to have to get past the most experienced postseason starter in baseball first.

John Lackey, who gets the nod for the St. Louis Cardinals in this must-win clash, has started 19 games in October. As Jayson Stark of ESPN.com notes, that makes Lackey the leader in that department among all active big league starting pitchers.

While St. Louis will be calling on Lackey to pitch on just three days’ rest, the Cubs will be trotting out Jason Hammel, who last stepped on the mound Oct. 1.

Here are the biggest keys for each side as the Cards aim to send this series back to Busch Stadium for Game 5 and the Cubs attempt to wrap this set up in front of the home crowd.

Begin Slideshow

FINAL SCORE: Blue Jays win 8-4 over the Rangers

Thanks to early home runs off the bats of Josh Donaldson, Chris Colabello and Kevin Pillar, the Blue Jays topped the Rangers 8-4 and sent the series to a decisive Game 5 at Rogers Centre. First pitch is slated for 4:07 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

David Price picked up his second postseason win after the lefty ace allowed two earned runs in three innings of relief.

If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With Clayton Kershaw and Jacob deGrom on the mound, runs will be at a premium in Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets.

During the regular season, Kershaw and deGrom were two of the nastiest starters in the Senior Circuit, ranking third and fourth, respectively, in ERA.

After digging through the numbers, we’ve zeroed in on the two biggest keys for each club, as Kershaw aims to avoid turning in another October dud and deGrom looks to make a memorable October debut.

Begin Slideshow

From Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke to Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets is all about the aces.

After combing through the numbers and breaking down the matchup on a position-by-position basis, there’s one observation that is unavoidable: This is one evenly matched series. Both teams have outstanding starting pitching, but their lineups and bullpens are littered with question marks.

In addition to exploring which club has the edge in each of those positional battles, what follows are predictions for how this series will play out and whether Kershaw will finally deliver for the Dodgers in October.

Begin Slideshow

It sure has been a rapid rise for Corey Seager, the rookie phenom of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 21-year-old shortstop isn’t the only top MiLB prospect who arrived in the majors just last month and is already making his mark on the big league stage.

What follows is a look around the league at five September call-ups who have the potential to become future game-changers and are playing for teams that are currently in the postseason.

While Seager lands on this list because he’s already piled up some impressive numbers in Los Angeles, others made the cut thanks to praise that they’ve received from major league execs and managers.

Admittedly, not all five of the prospects are ready to be game-changers just yet—for some, that time won’t arrive until 2016. But for Seager, that time is now.

Begin Slideshow

October baseball is notoriously difficult to predict, but Corey Seager and Marcus Stroman both look like big leaguers who are on the doorstep of becoming breakout stars during the 2015 MLB postseason.

In the process of picking the list that follows, there was one main rule: no All-Stars allowed. The thought process was simple: If a given player has taken part in the Midsummer Classic, he’s already a star by definition.

Based on that requirement, the list is flooded with guys like Seager who have been rolling along in 2015 but have extremely limited major league resumes.

As it turns out, there’s also room for one vet who has been around forever but who suddenly has a big-time role as a result of an untimely injury to one of last October’s brightest stars.

Begin Slideshow