What should you watch for as key points in the Royals-Giants 2014 World Series? originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter , Facebook , and Google+ .
Starting pitching : The Giants and Royals each have a veritable ace leading their staff. Madison Bungarner (Giants) has been better than James Shields (Royals) of late, but both are capable of shutting down an opponent's offense any time they take the mound. Beyond them, the Giants have a stable of battle-tested veterans (Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson) while the Royals have a young staff led by flamethrower Yordano Ventura.
Relief pitching : The Royals' bullpen is one of the most dominant in recent memory. Power pitchers Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Greg Holland give them a great shot at winning any game where they have a lead past the sixth inning. However, the Giants' back end is solid as well, with Sergio Romo's devastating slider and Santiago Casilla in the closer role.
Different offenses : The Giants' offense is built around star catcher Buster Posey and right fielder Hunter Pence. Both of them are great hitters and excel in clutch situations. They are surrounded by good contact hitters and they like to put pressure on the defense by putting the ball in play. The Royals were last in the league in strikeouts and manufacture their runs with an army of singles hitters. They have a heavy reliance on the sacrifice bunt and situational hitting. They also don't hesitate to steal bases, led by speedsters Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain.
Defense : This may be the make-or-break factor in the series. Both home ballparks, Kauffman Stadium and AT&T Park, have expansive outfield gaps. This plays to the strength of Kansas City, whose outfield of Alex Gordon, Cain, and Nori Aoki (with veritable track star Jarrod Dyson replacing Aoki when they have the lead) is clearly the best and fastest defensive unit in baseball. The Giants are sound defensively as well, but their strength is in the infield with ace defender Brandon Crawford patrolling short.
Prediction : The Giants pull through in 7 games after a hard-fought series where multiple games go to extra innings.