World Series Preview - Simi Valley vs. Fleetwood

The 2019 BRASSball World Series featured the AL Champion Simi Valley Vikings against the NL Champion Fleetwood Walkers.

Simi Valley earned its way to the championship series by first beating the AL Central divisional champion Plaza Lions (88-74 record) in 5 games and then upsetting the AL West divisional champion Santa Barbara Outlaws (103-59 record) in 5 games.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, earned its berth by first defeating the NL Wild Card winning Brew City Warriors (97-65 record) in 4 games before then topping the NL East divisional champion -- and defending BRASSball champion -- Springfield Isotopes (108-54 record) in 5 games.

During the 2019 regular season, Fleetwood won 6 of the 7 head-to-head games against Simi Valley. Those were each team's opening games of the 2019 season (April 1 through April 7). The series was closer than those results would indicate, however, including three one-run affairs (April 1, 4, 6) and another extra-inning match-up (April 7; 13 innings).

WORLD SERIES TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEW

Simi Valley Vikings
Regular Season Record: 88 wins, 74 losses (.543 winning pct)
Runs Scored: 787 (4.86 per game); 7th out of 24 teams
Runs Allowed: 648 (4.00 per game); 5th out of 24 teams
Run Differential: +139; 6th out of 24 teams

Top players:

• 3B Matt Chapman (6.3 Wins Above Replacement); .285 avg, 26 HR, 109 RBI, 1e23 defense
• 1B Freddie Freeman (4.2 WAR): .267 avg, 25 HR, 100 RBI, 1e7 defense
• RF Enrique Hernandez (4.2 WAR); .288 ave, 32 HR, 90 RBI, 3e3 (-1) defense
• RHP Walker Buehler (5.8 WAR); 12-5 record, 2.39 ERA, 143 IP, 149 K
• LHP Clayton Kershaw (4.1 WAR); 9-9 record, 3.41 ERA, 169 IP, 160 K

Other key facts:

• 84.0% team stolen base average was highest in BRASSball
• 20 shutouts thrown was most in BRASSball
• 78.4% of x-chart (fielding) chances converted to outs was highest in BRASSball

Post-Season History:

• Simi Valley earned its 10th playoff appearance in 2019. Its first two were Wild Card appearances in 2009 and 2010; it has since won its division in 8 out of 9 years, missing the playoffs only in 2018.
• The Vikings reached the World Series only once before in 2016, when the team won the BRASSball Championship with a victory over the NL champion Metropolis Avengers.
• Prior to relocating to Simi Valley beginning in the 2008 season, the franchise had reached the postseason five other times. The first three appearances were as the Minnesota Mudcats (divisional champions in 2000 and 2001 and wild card berth in 2003), with the team reaching the World Series in 2001 before falling to the Ocala Ocelots. The next two appearances were as the Windy City Slickers (wild card berth in 2005, divisional champion in 2006).

Fleetwood Walkers

Regular Season Record: 117 wins, 45 losses (.722 winning pct)
Runs Scored: 936 (5.78 per game); 1st out of 24 teams
Runs Allowed: 538 (3.32 per game); 1st out of 24 teams
Run Differential: +398; 1st out of 24 teams

Top Players:

• CF Mike Trout (10.5 WAR); .310 avg, 36 HR, 79 RBI, 1e0 (-2) defense
• RF Mookie Betts (7.7 WAR); .302 avg, 29 HR, 113 RBI, 1e1 (-4) defense
• DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani (4.4 WAR): .293 avg, 20 HR, 2.92 ERA, 52 IP, 57 K
• RHP Zack Greinke (5.5 WAR); 17-9 record, 3.27 ERA, 217 IP, 176 K
• RHP Blake Treinen (3.1 WAR); 10-1 record, 30 saves, 1.42 ERA, 83 IP, 94 K

Other key facts:

• Led all teams in doubles (357) and was second only to Parkland in homers (232)
• Bullpen allowed only 21.6% of inherited runners to score, best in BRASSball
• 78.3% of x-chart (fielding) chances converted to outs was second best in BRASSball, behind only Simi Valley.

Post-Season History:

• Fleetwood earned its 15th playoff appearance in 2019. Four of those berths were as a wild card entrant (2001, 2007, 2008, 2012) and 11 were as NC Central divisional champions (2006, 2009-2011, 2013-2019). The 2019 season represents Fleetwood's 14th consecutive as a playoff participant.
• The Walkers reached the World Series only once before in 2017, when the team won the BRASSball Championship with a victory over the NL champion Santa Barbara Outlaws.
• Fleetwood reached the NLCS for the 10th time in 2019. It lost in its first eight NLCS appearances before finally ending that drought in its championship 2017 season. Fleetwood then fell short again in 2018 when it was swept in the NLCS by the eventual BRASSball champion Springfield Isotopes.
• Prior to relocating to Fleetwood beginning in the year 2000 season, the franchise had reached the postseason two other times. These two appearances were as the Easy Indy Tiggers (divisional champion in 1996 and wild card berth in 1995).