World Series 2016: Statistical and Positional Comparison
By Matt Veasey
FIRST BASE
Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs hit for a .292/.385/.544 slash line over 676 plate appearances across 155 games in the regular season with 32 homers, 79 extra-base hits, 109 RBI, 94 runs scored, and a 146 OPS+ mark.
Mike Napoli of the Indians hit for a .239/.335/.465 slash line over 645 plate appearances across 150 games in the regular season with 34 homers, 57 extra-base hits, 101 RBI, 92 runs scored, and a 104 OPS+ mark.
Rizzo ranked 2nd in defensive WAR by Fangraphs at the position, while Napoli was down as the 17th ranked defensive first baseman.
The Tribe will also use Carlos Santana at first base, but I think that he is going to see more DH action in this series, so will cover him in the DH/bench section.
These are two gamers and team leaders, each capable of coming up with the big blow in a pivotal moment. But Rizzo is simply an all-around better player than Napoli.