The Rays, who beat the Houston Astros in seven games to advance, totaled a “meager” $28.29 million in payroll for the 2020 season, according to Sportrac. The Dodgers, by comparison, have the second-largest payroll in MLB behind the New York Yankees with more than $107.91 million. [https://www.foxbusiness.com/sports/world-series-displays-big-gap-between-rays-dodgers-2020-payroll]
Today begins the World Series, a match-up of power vs. pitching, if you listen to the sports pundits, but a match-up of fat vs. skinny payrolls, if you listen to the Wall Street pundits. The subtext of recent World Series has been who got the most for their bucks.
Both teams are known to have respectable farm systems that develop young talent, but the Dodgers have used their young players (e.g. Alex Verdugo) to acquire big name talent (e.g. Mookie Betts), whereas the Rays have players without much name recognition or salary. The Rays have built their team around young pitching and defense, which is less expensive than hitting.
The Rays already have some national sentiment after polishing off the Yankees, with the biggest payroll in baseball, and the Astros with the darkest reputation in baseball. Those kind of victories can put you on the white horse to send you into combat. Instead of using cameras and espionage to win, the Rays used baseball analytics to perfectly position their infield.
The Dodgers have a gold-plated pitching staff (upwards of $100 million/ year), and superb media exposure, which means money. They have an outstanding manager in Dave Roberts, and it will be interesting to see the chess games between him and Rays’ manager Kevin Cash. Strategy will matter, as well as talent.
If you like underdogs, the Tampa Bay Rays are your team with their payroll 25% of the Dodgers, with their small media market and lukewarm fans. They are the invisible champions with a stealth attack and a steel-curtain defense. They will not be favored, and that’s the way they like it.
It could be wishful thinking, but I am picking Tampa Bay, with their “stable of 98-mph relievers,” in seven games.