Kuzul

The New York Mets pounded the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the World Series Friday night and will look to even the series at 2-2 Saturday night. In an interesting pitching matchup, 36-year-old Chris Young will face off against 24-year-old Steven Matz.

We’ll identify three keys to Saturday night’s game in the article below. Will Matz follow Noah Syndergaard‘s blueprint of pitching the Royals tough inside? How do the Mets match up with against Young and his lack of ground-ball contact? Will the Mets be able to make good use of their bench advantage? 

Make sure to stir up the conversation in the comment section below. What do you think is important for each team to be successful in Game 4? Mets and Royals fans: What’s your confidence level heading into the pivotal game? 

Let’s dive in!

Can Steven Matz Pitch Inside Effectively? 

In Game 3, Noah Syndergaard established himself on the inner half of the plate early in the contest. The ethics of his strategy have been questioned, but its effectiveness can not. 

“My first words to Travis (d’Arnaud) when we walked in the clubhouse today were, ‘How do you feel about high and tight for the first pitch and then a curveball for the second one,'” Syndergaard told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. “So I feel like it really made a statement to start the game off — that you guys can’t dig in and get too aggressive because I’ll come in there.”

Syndergaard‘s plan of being the aggressor worked in Game 3, and it’s a blueprint that Matz must follow in Game 4. It’s particularly important against left-handed hitters, as Matz was great at limiting contact on the inner half to same-sided hitters this year. 

Matz, while arguably just as nasty, isn’t as reliant on velocity as his fellow rotation-mates. He normally sits in the mid-90s and throws his nasty curve ball whether he’s ahead or behind in the count. The Royals have feasted on high velocity in this series but will have to readjust their strategy in Game 4.

What Can We Expect From Chris Young? 

The Mets are a patient team by nature, ranking 25th in chase rate this past season. That willingness to lay off bad pitches resulted in the lowest first-pitch strike percentage in baseball. 

That will come in handy against Young. The right-hander’s entire game is predicated on generating soft contact because he doesn’t have the strikeout stuff he once did. 

Young had success in 2015 being predominately just a two-pitch pitcher. He throws his fastball the majority of the time, never breaking 90 mph this season. His slider has a 13 mph range to it, so he’s going to try to keep Mets hitters guessing throughout the night. 

A surprising note on Young is his lack of ground-ball outs. The 36-year-old ranked dead last in MLB in ground-ball rate among pitchers with at least 120 innings. New York ranked fifth in fly-ball rate, so there could be plenty of opportunities for the Mets to drive the ball against Young. 

Will the Mets Take Advantage of Their Bench Advantage? 

It makes sense that the National League team would have the better of the two benches in this series. With the series shifting to Citi Field and NL rules, the Mets can take advantage of that. 

The Royals are already behind the eight ball, having to sit out Kendrys Morales and his 106 RBI due to the lack of the designated hitter. Morales gives the Royals a solid pinch-hitting option, but the light-hitting Raul Mondesi Jr. and Jarrod Dyson won’t scare Mets pitchers late in games. 

The Mets, on the other hand, are loaded with proven veterans who can help off the bench. Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe have experience entering games in the later innings, and will present tough at-bats depending on the matchup. Despite his recent struggles, Michael Cuddyer is also capable of putting together a quality at-bat. 

Kansas City doesn’t need an elite bench playing in the AL, but more decisions have to be made playing under NL rules. The Mets have a clear advantage in that aspect, and it will only improve if they can knock Young out of the game early on. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Just when you thought it was safe to count the New York Mets out, they’re very much alive in this thing.

The Mets’ bats woke up Friday night, erupting for nine runs on 12 hits as New York beat the Kansas City Royals 9-3 in Game 3 of the World Series at Citi Field, and they now trail 2-1 with Game 4 coming up Saturday night.

New York came into Game 3 with only seven hits in the last 17 innings. The Mets needed their offense to come alive with Daniel Murphy’s struggles, and they got that with two-run home runs from David Wright and Curtis Granderson.

After falling behind twice in the early innings, New York chased Yordano Ventura out of the game after 3.1 innings and after scoring five runs off the 24-year-old Royals pitcher.

Meanwhile, the Mets got more than enough from young ace Noah Syndergaard, as he went six innings and struck out six while allowing only three runs in his first start in 11 days.

We now know there will be a Game 5. The question becomes, will Kansas City bounce back and take a 3-1 lead, or are we on our way to a best-of-three series heading back to Kauffman Stadium? Here’s the info you need to know for Game 4 and what both teams were saying after Game 3.

Game 4 Info

Where: Citi Field

When: Saturday, Oct. 31

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

TV: Fox

Projected Starters: Chris Young (KC) vs. Steven Matz (NYM)

Game 4 Odds

What Are the Royals Saying?

Kansas City had a chance to put a stranglehold on this series, but it became a rough three-plus innings for Ventura.

And the fireworks started early, well before any runs were on the board.

On the very first pitch of the game, Syndergaard threw a fastball toward the head of Alcides Escobar. Yes, the very first pitch of the game. Twitter user @mocc88 has the video:

Many of the Royals players were upset at Syndergaard‘s up-and-high pitch, and Escobar was very subtle in his response, per Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.

But the most vocal was first baseman Eric Hosmer, who went 0-for-4 in Game 3. Hosmer said his teammates were angry at the rookie’s actions and that the Royals won’t forget this anytime soon, per Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star.

“Any time a guy throws at one of your teammates’ heads, it’s not going to go over easy,” Hosmer said. “Of course we’re going to be angry, of course we’re going to be upset. But we’ll find a way to get back at him.”

Shots fired.

In terms of performance on the field, Royals manager Ned Yost said Ventura “just wasn’t sharp” Friday night, per Fox Sports Kansas City.

Ventura came into Game 3 having won his only two career starts in the World Series, which came last year against the San Francisco Giants in Games 2 and 6. The young pitcher gave up only a combined two runs in those games but gave up five and allowed two home runs to the top of the Mets lineup.

“[Ventura‘s] fastball velocity was down, made a couple of mistakes,” Yost said. … “It was just one of those days where he wasn’t sharp. It was cold out there, I don’t know if that affected him.”

The usually reliable Royals bullpen also fell apart in the sixth inning, mainly Franklin Morales, who only pitched a third of an inning and allowed all four runs scored by the Mets to go up 9-3. Morales has now allowed 11 runs in 3.1 innings pitched in his World Series career.

What’s the ERA for that, you ask? Tyler Kepner of the New York Times has the answer:

This was one of the rare times the Royals’ pitching has failed them, and they missed a golden opportunity to put away this series Saturday night. Now, Kansas City turns to Chris Young, who got the win in Game 1 after pitching three innings of no-hit baseball. Young is a reliable veteran the Royals will be able to turn to for this situation. If things go wrong in Game 4, it may be more of a trick than a treat for the Royals on Halloween night.

What Are the Mets Saying?

After reading all of what was said regarding the fastball Syndergaard fired at Escobar‘s head, you’re probably wondering if that was intentional.

The answer is a definitive yes, per Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan:

Thor doesn’t hold back in the movies and apparently doesn’t hold anything back on the mound.

Syndergaard hadn’t pitched since the National League Championship Series on Oct. 18, and it appeared the rookie jitters got to him early, giving up three runs in the first two innings and falling behind 3-2 despite David Wright’s go-ahead homer in the first.

Coming into Game 3, Escobar was batting 6-for-9 on the first pitch of the game. Again, Syndergaard wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, per Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated:

But the real hero was Wright, who had a career postseason-high four RBI and drove in four runs for the first time since 2013. Wright has been battling back pain all year long, and there was a point where no one thought he’d return for the Mets this year after suffering from spinal stenosis earlier this year.

Wright isn’t even thinking about said back pain, per CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.

“Nobody’s complaining,” Wright said. “It’s the World Series. … This is what you dream about as a kid. Running around the bases, it’s like floating.”

It’s unclear whether or not this offensive explosion by the Mets was an aberration or not. New York desperately needed to get its offense going, whether it be from Murphy or someone completely different. One thing is for sure, though: The Mets are going to need this Wright going forward if they want to go back to Kansas City with a chance to win this series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Every accolade bestowed upon the Kansas City Royals during the World Series’ off day banished during Game 3, when an uncharacteristically ugly game let the New York Mets diminish the deficit to 2-1.

Kansas City officially didn’t commit any errors, but pitchers Yordano Ventura and Franklin Morales each committed a crucial defensive miscue. Meanwhile, Noah Syndergaard recovered from a rough start to contain the contact-heavy offense, recording six strikeouts in a 9-3 victory.

For the second straight evening, New York will send a rookie starter to the mound in Citi Field. Kansas City, on the other hand, will turn to a grizzled veteran 12 years his adversary’s elder. After overflowing the series opener with drama, both sides have traded lopsided victories. These two pennant winners, however, are too evenly matched to anticipate another blowout. 

When: Saturday, October 31, at 8:07 p.m. ET

Where: Citi Field; Queens, New York

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Probable Pitchers: Chris Young (Royals) vs. Steven Matz (Mets)

Game 4 Preview

Although it hasn’t materialized on the diamond, the Mets seemingly hold one distinctive advantage over the Royals. While the American League champions were simply hoping to deliver the game intact to their prolific bullpen, the Mets needed to ride their starting pitching to victory.

Steven Matz is no pushover, but the rookie doesn’t give them a demonstrative edge. Manager Terry Collins has wisely kept him on a short leash this postseason, working him a combined 9.2 frames through two starts. The pressure becomes even greater to quickly assemble an early lead.

With Matt Harvey already 28 innings over the original 180 limit, the Mets cannot fairly employ the 26-year-old on short rest. They’ll instead rely on the 24-year-old lefty, who has issued a 2.58 ERA through eight career MLB starts.

A lifelong Mets fan who was nine when the Mets last made the World Series is now tasked with evening the best-of-seven slate. Per the team’s Twitter page, he commented on making the biggest start of his life four months after his big league debut:

Against Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Syndergaard, the Royals struck out 10 times. Before hoping for an uptick, they actually fanned fewer times against lefties, recording an MLB-low 15.1 strikeout percentage off southpaws. They have also collected 10 hits off New York’s bullpen this series, which will have Collins feeling uneasy with the game in their hands. 

Chris Young also isn’t expected to go the distance. The 36-year-old righty didn’t last five innings in either playoff start, but he did exactly what Kansas City needed. He limited the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays to three scores through 8.2 innings, giving Kansas City’s relief corps a chance to win.

The advanced metrics say Young should get shelled. Throwing a mid-80s fastball, he produced a lowly 16.6 strikeout percentage along with an 8.6 walk percentage. He registered more hard-hit balls (33.4 percent) than grounders (25.5 percent), leading to a 4.52 fielding independent pitching (FIP) and 5.15 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA). 

He also posted a 3.06 ERA. Did he benefit from luck, or does he have skills enabling him to overcome expected regression? Perhaps both. A .209 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) helped his cause, but his career .247 BABIP resides well below the average hurler. A 14.8 infield-fly percentage, the easiest out among batted balls, produces a chunk of weak offense.

This is important to note against the Mets. As Ben Lindbergh explained in Grantland’s World Series preview, a matchup of a fly-ball pitcher and fly-ball hitter favors the pitcher, leading to more pop-ups rather than home runs. He predicted this trend especially helping Young:

The Royals have a fly ball staff: Only the Angels and Rays had higher fly ball rates this season. Mets batters, meanwhile, recorded the fifth-highest fly ball rate (and the third-highest among position players), a trait that only intensified with Cespedes in the fold. In theory, these batted-ball tendencies should sap some of the Mets’ power, forcing them to swing under balls that they usually center. The effect should be especially strong against über-fly-baller Chris Young, who’s had success in both of the big parks in this series.

Oddly enough, Young has registered 15 punchouts through 11.2 scoreless frames. Used in relief duty during Game 1’s 14-inning grind, he struck out four Mets through three hitless frames. The veteran earned the win, but he acknowledged the stat’s uselessness to MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan:

Baseball Savant’s Daren Willman provided a more telling stat of Young’s enhanced velocity in Game 1:

He can’t go full throttle back in a starting role, but he realistically won’t throw more than five frames on three days’ rest. A fresh Kris Medlen, who surprisingly pitched on Friday, should still be Kansas City’s first option in a long-relief role. In 14.1 innings out of the bullpen, the 30-year-old limited opponents to a .553 OPS.

In a game that will boil down to the late innings, look for the Royals bullpen (not Franklin Morales), speed and defense to pull off a narrow victory. 

Prediction: Royals 5, Mets 4

All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Game 3 of the 2015 World Series is upon us, as the Fall Classic shifts to Citi Field with the New York Mets’ hopes resting on the arms of two rookie starters: Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. Down 0-2 in the series versus a hot-hitting Kansas City Royals lineup, how much will the duo’s youth and inexperience hurt the Mets?

Friday, Syndergaard will go up against Yordano Ventura. The Dominican 6-footer pitched brilliantly on baseball’s biggest stage during last year’s World Series.

As for Matz, he gets to toe the rubber opposite Chris Young, who was composed under pressure, pitching three innings of no-hit ball out of the bullpen to earn the win in Game 1 on Tuesday.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at all the social media murmurings ahead of Games 3 and 4 in order to dig a little deeper as to where the series might be headed.

While Syndergaard has only been pitching in the majors since May 12, he has garnered high marks for his composure and poise on the mound all year long. Combine that with the fact that he has been completely dominant at home this season, and it’s no wonder why the young man is full of self-assurance ahead of the biggest start of his life, per Major League Baseball’s Instagram:

But Ventura has the know-how. 

During the 2014 World Series, he shut down the San Francisco Giants in Game 6 to save his team and force a Game 7. He is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two career World Series starts.

Even though Ventura had a down year in 2015, he is fully capable of rising to the occasion. That is one reason why the Mets may be in serious trouble. 

Oh, and the Kansas City Royals seem to be the hottest sports team in the world right now.

During a four-run fourth inning in Game 2, they seemed to be all over almost every pitch Mets starter Jacob deGrom threw, a point that MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince was quick to point out on Twitter:

The Royals have only struck out a total of 10 times this series.

If progress is to be made in the strikeouts department, Syndergaard will have to dial it up in terms of velocity.

In the 111 years of World Series history, only 11 teams have done what the Mets are attempting to do, per SB Nation’s MLB Twitter page:

In any case, this should be a fun game to watch if you dig the fastball, per MLB’s Instagram:

As MLB.com correspondent Richard Justice points out, there may be a bit of hope for the Mets yet:

Looking ahead to Game 4 on Saturday, Matz has a tough task in trying to beat Young, who, at age 36, has far more experience than him. Nevertheless, the Mets remain positive, as evident from injured pitcher Jerry Blevins’ Tweet:

New York’s two rookie starting pitchers must do all they can to limit Kansas City’s ability to get hits in bunches, a task that seems very difficult at the moment. Royals manager Ned Yost’s quote on MLB’s Instagram sums it up: 

As Fox lead color commentator Tom Verducci said, these Royals just don’t quit. They are relentless.

They have looked far too comfortable at the plate, seeing the ball so well. The Mets response should be to pitch them inside more and brush the hitters off the plate.

Intimidate them. Get in their heads. That might be their only shot at getting back in this series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Kansas City Royals have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series, but the New York Mets will get a chance to turn things around with three games in a row at home.

After sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series, the Mets have seen their bats go cold and their young pitchers struggle through the first two games. Based on the way the Royals have played so far, this could lead to a sweep if things don’t change in a hurry.

Still, the Mets were 49-32 at Citi Field this season and should get a momentum boost from their return and the home fans. You can be certain that after getting this far they won’t just give up now.

That could lead to an exciting Game 3 of the World Series.

World Series Game 3

When: Friday, Oct. 30

Time: 8:07 p.m. ET

Where: Citi Field, Queens, New York

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Probable Pitchers: Yordano Ventura (Royals) vs. Noah Syndergaard (Mets)

Preview

The Mets’ biggest strength during the season and in the playoffs has been the depth of their rotation. While other teams might have an ace they can count on followed by mediocre starters, this team can send out a top pitcher every night.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer, who has worked as an analyst during the playoffs, discussed the Mets starters favorably:

After Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom failed to get the job done, it’s now Noah Syndergaard‘s turn. The rookie has looked good all season with a 3.24 ERA, which has improved to 2.77 in three postseason appearances (two starts). Considering he also has a 7-2 record with a 2.46 ERA at home this season, there is reason for the Mets to be excited about another shutdown performance.

The problem is that Syndergaard‘s strength—a fastball that reaches 100 mph with regularity—doesn’t seem to faze the Royals.

Kansas City has an incredibly deep lineup that features contact hitters at every spot of the batting order. No matter what you throw at them, the Royals find a way to get the bat on the ball and wait for good things to happen.

Alec Dopp of Gammons Daily provided a look at what the Royals have done against the other Mets starters in this series:

Both managers had similar thoughts after Game 2:

It might sound simple, but putting the ball in play is enough to start rallies and win games. With the Mets infielders lacking range defensively, the balls are going to find more holes than usual.

Syndergaard doesn’t have as good of secondary stuff as Harvey and deGrom, which doesn’t bode well for his chances of success in Game 3.

On the other side, Yordano Ventura has pitched just well enough to help his team win in each of his last three starts. He hasn’t completed six innings yet in the postseason, but he also hasn’t given up more than three runs in any appearance. With a well-rested bullpen that can be dominant at times, this should be enough.

The Mets offense hasn’t really shown up as expected after the long layoff from the NLCS. The red-hot Daniel Murphy is just 2-for-9 with no extra-base hits in two games, while the team as a whole is batting just .165, thanks mostly to the great work of Johnny Cueto.

If this lineup can’t get to Ventura early, the trio of Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Wade Davis will do the rest and prevent any chance of comeback.

The New York fans will be excited for their first World Series home game since 2000, but the excitement will wear off quickly as the Royals take Game 3.

Prediction: Royals 4, Mets 2

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for more year-round sports analysis. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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

The World Series shifts back to New York Friday for Game 3, and the Mets have their backs against the wall after dropping each of the first two contests to the red-hot Kansas City Royals.

New York seemingly had the starting pitching advantage in Games 1 and 2, but that didn’t lead to victories. The Mets once again look to have the upper hand on the mound leading up to Game 3 with Noah Syndergaard going up against Yordano Ventura, and they simply can’t afford to let the opportunity slip away.

Ahead of Friday’s pivotal Game 3, here is a look at the latest odds, stat projections for both teams and a prediction for which side will ultimately come out on top.

Where: Citi Field in Queens, New York

When: Friday, Oct. 30 at 8:07 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Game 3 Odds Breakdown

Royals Stat Projections

Mets Stat Projections

Game 3 Prediction

The Mets were favored to even the World Series up in Game 2 with Jacob deGrom on the mound, but they were instead blown out 7-1. Despite the result, New York is once again favored to win its first game of the series Friday.

If the Mets are going to get back on track, though, they must find a way to to take away what have been the Royals’ biggest strengths in the World Series thus far.

Chief among them may be the Kansas City lineup’s propensity for making contact and putting the ball in play. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Royals swung and missed on just three pitches in Game 2 despite going up against a strikeout pitcher with nasty stuff in the form of deGrom.

The Royals simply don’t help the opposition out at the plate, which is why they are capable of manufacturing so many runs and putting together big innings.

Syndergaard will look to put a stop to that in Game 3, and third baseman David Wright believes he is more than capable of getting the Mets back in the series, per Kevin Kernan of the New York Post:

“He’s throwing the ball as well as anybody in the playoffs,” Wright said. “I think when you have that type of stuff and the command he has shown especially in the playoffs, you should have a lot of confidence. Just look at him, he’s ready to roll.”

In addition to slowing down the Royals’ hitters, New York must start generating some offense of its own. Aside from first baseman Lucas Duda, nobody is doing damage at the plate for the Mets right now.

That includes second baseman Daniel Murphy, who entered the World Series having homered in six consecutive games.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Mets hitting coach Kevin Long believes the Royals have done an excellent job of essentially pitching around Murphy:

“He really hasn’t gotten too many pitches to hit, that is the bottom line,” Long said. “Pitches are off the plate, low, high. Murph walked twice today, he is doing what he needs to do. He is taking what they are giving him. They haven’t given him a whole lot.”

Murphy’s hot hitting opened things up for the entire lineup in the National League Division Series and National League Championship Series, so the Mets need him to find a way to get going again regardless of how well the Royals have done in terms of staying out of his wheelhouse.

If they can do that, then a comeback is certainly possible—as the Mets have pulled it off before, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Being down 2-0 in the World Series isn’t an ideal place to be, but trailing 3-0 is as dire as it gets. Because of that, the Mets can’t afford to feel sorry for themselves, and they must empty the tank to get back in the series.

Much of that rides on the right arm of Syndergaard, and he’ll be up to the task in a 4-2 Mets victory at home.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Mets had the pitching advantage in the 2015 World Series, but that didn’t matter to the Kansas City Royals, who took both games at home and jumped out to a 2-0 series lead. The series now shifts to Citi Field, where the Mets will look to get back into it and challenge for the title.

The two teams have a travel day Thursday, and then the series will resume Friday night. Here’s a look at the schedule for the rest of the series, as well as where you can catch the game on TV or stream it on your mobile device:

*if necessary

After dropping Game 1 in a 14-inning classic, the Mets looked to bounce back in Game 2 with their ace, Jacob deGrom, on the bump. DeGrom had been on his game the entire postseason, and his regression to the mean came at the worst possible time. He managed only five innings in Game 2 and gave up four runs on six hits while striking out just two batters.

Meanwhile, Royals starter Johnny Cueto tossed an absolute gem, going the distance while giving up only one run on a measly two hits.

As ESPN Stats & Info noted, Cueto‘s performance put him in elite company:

After spotting the Royals two games, the Mets will turn to rookie sensation Noah Syndergaard in Game 3. The Royals will counter with Yordano Ventura, who is 0-1 in the postseason with a 5.09 ERA.

Coming off 11 days of rest, Syndergaard will surely be fresh. The Mets will hope that isn’t too much time off, however, and that the one they call “Thor” can continue his success in the postseason and build off his 2.77 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Syndergaard will need to turn in another superhuman performance to keep his team’s chances alive.

Luckily for the Mets, they have three games at home, so they have plenty of opportunity to notch a couple of wins. If they can use their return home to help get their bats going the way they were in the National League Championship Series, they can make this a competitive series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We’ve already spent a good deal of time looking at the upcoming free-agent market, breaking down the top players at each position and exploring potential fits on a team-by-team basis.

However, this year’s trade market could prove to be just as interesting.

If last year’s winter meetings proved anything, it’s to expect the unexpected when it comes to the offseason trade market, as today’s crop of general managers are a different level of aggressive entirely.

The most likely star-caliber players to be dealt this winter appear to be a pair of closers in Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel, but there is no shortage of intrigue behind them.

Yasiel Puig could be made available by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs have a middle infield abundance to potentially trade from and the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians both have more than one starting pitcher expected to be dangled.

With all of that in mind, what follows is a look at the most likely player to be traded from each MLB team this offseason.

The selections were made based on a combination of rumors, team needs, projected arbitration figures and team outlook for the 2016 season and beyond.

Begin Slideshow

The New York Mets’ realistic hopes of getting back in the World Series rest on the strong right arm of Noah Syndergaard.

Young Thor could not have liked what he saw in Game 2, when the Royals put up seven runs against New York’s vaunted pitching staff. What makes it even tougher for the Mets to swallow is that they did the damage in a game started by ace Jacob deGrom.

All deGrom had done in the postseason to that point was get the best of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and shut down the power-hitting Chicago Cubs.

Syndergaard has been a flamethrower throughout the postseason, but these Royals are relentless fastball hitters. After sweeping both games in Kansas City, they are now just two wins away from securing the team’s second World Series title.

Noah Syndergaard throws a bullpen session Wednesday in advance of his World Series Game 3 start. #Mets pic.twitter.com/N1f1YLwEYF

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) October 28, 2015

Yordano Ventura will be on the mound for the Royals in Game 3, and he has the kind of arm to shut down a good-hitting team like the Mets. However, Ventura has been inconsistent in the postseason, and if his command is not razor-sharp, he may have a hard time shutting down hitters like Curtis Granderson, David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes, Daniel Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud.

The Royals are a solid team on the road, having won critical games in Texas and Toronto in the first two rounds of the postseason. But it may be even harder to play on the road at Citi Field, where fans have been longing to see their team play in the World Series for the first time since 2000.

Syndergaard, 23, has struck out 20 batters in two postseason starts against the Dodgers and the Cubs. He has a 2.77 earned run average and has given up eight hits and six walks in 13.0 innings. So while he throws hard and has electric stuff, it doesn’t seem likely that Syndergaard will completely shut down the slashing Royals.

Ventura pitched two games in the American League Championship Series and gave up four runs, 12 hits and four walks in 10.2 innings. That worked out to a respectable 3.38 ERA, but it showed he is hittable.

Expect the Mets to come after Ventura aggressively. They have a much better chance of winning if they take the lead early and continuing to tack on runs against the Royals, because Kansas City is going to come back throughout the game.

New York knows that teams have come back from 0-2 deficits to win the World Series before. The 1986 Mets did it, losing their first two games at home before beating the Boston Red Sox in seven games.

The Mets know that they have to win this game or they won’t have a realistic chance of winning the World Series. No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit in the Fall Classic, and the Royals have a relentless approach that has been steeled by getting to the seventh game of the World Series a year ago.

They don’t want to fall short this year, and they would like to make short work of the Mets. 

They might do that, but it won’t be a four-game sweep. Look for the Mets to build an early lead and then hold off Kansas City as they pull off a 7-5 victory and get back in the World Series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com