Chicago vs. Cleveland: Who has the advantage?

With the World Series beginning Tuesday night, here's a position-by-position look at the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians going into Game 1 at Progressive Field:

First base

Cubs: Anthony Rizzo

A cancer survivor and top contender for NL MVP this season, Rizzo was the first member of Chicago's current young core to arrive, in a January 2012 trade with San Diego. Now, he's a power-hitting staple with a patient eye in the middle of a loaded lineup. Rizzo busted out of a 2-for-26 slump by going 7 of 14 with two homers and five RBIs over the last three games of the NL Championship Series.

Indians: Mike Napoli

Pasted on T-shirts all over town, "Party at Napoli's" has been the popular cry in Cleveland this year. And it's no wonder. With 34 homers and 101 RBIs, the veteran slugger has been perhaps baseball's biggest free-agent bargain after signing a US $7 million, one-year contract. Napoli is a proven winner, appearing in the playoffs eight of the past 10 years.

Edge: Cubs

Second base

Cubs: Javier Baez 

Slick and flashy in the field, the 23-year-old Baez has become a breakout star this postseason and was co-MVP of the NLCS. Blessed with rare bat speed, he's cut down on his big swing and strikeout rate, helping him deliver several clutch hits. Supremely confident, excellent instincts — he even stole home in the NLCS opener. Power to all fields and perhaps a future Gold Glove winner, too.

Indians: Jason Kipnis 

A two-time All-Star, Kipnis grew up a huge Cubs fan outside Chicago. He's a leader in the clubhouse who provides left-handed pop and some speed. He hit two homers in the playoffs but went 1 for 19 (.053) during the ALCS. Kipnis sprained his left ankle while celebrating after the final out of the pennant clincher in Toronto, an injury that was still bothering him on the eve of the World Series.

Edge: Push (Indians on track record, Cubs on pure talent)

Shortstop:

Cubs: Addison Russell 

Another impressive youngster, the 22-year-old Russell batted .238 with 21 homers and 95 RBIs this season, his second in the majors, and was elected to start the All-Star Game along with several Cubs teammates. Russell also snapped out of a postseason skid (1 for 24) in the final three NLCS games, going 6 for 13 with two homers and four RBIs. He was obtained from Oakland when Chicago traded pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in July 2014.

Indians: Francisco Lindor

The 22-year-old Lindor, runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year last season, can do it all — including light up a ballpark with his energy and smile. He batted .323 with two homers, two doubles and four RBIs in eight playoff games, also showing off his vast array of skills to the national audience. Cleveland drafted Lindor eighth overall in 2011 — one pick before the Cubs took Baez.

Edge: Indians

Third base

Cubs: Kris Bryant 

Probably the favourite for NL MVP, the 24-year-old Bryant has delivered immediately on his promise of big power after he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2013. Last season's NL Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star already, he had a .939 OPS with 39 homers and 102 RBIs this season. Also a versatile defender, Bryant runs pretty well and is a better all-around player than his profile might suggest.

Indians: Jose Ramirez 

The unheralded Ramirez has been a pleasant surprise for Cleveland, filling a hole at third base with an excellent season. The switch-hitter batted .312 with 11 home runs, 46 doubles, 76 RBIs and an .825 OPS. Not to mention 22 stolen bases and his knack for clutch hits. Wow, right? Did anyone outside Ohio even notice? Ramirez was a mixed bag in the AL playoffs, going 5 for 10 with four runs against Boston but 1 for 17 vs. Toronto.

Edge: Cubs

Catcher

Cubs: David Ross, Willson Contreras or Miguel Montero

Longtime batterymates going back to their days in Boston, Ross is the regular catcher for Game 1 starter Jon Lester. Set to retire after this season, the graying 39-year-old is a fan favourite in Chicago, where Ross is affectionately known as Grandpa Rossy. He hit 10 homers in only 166 at-bats during a quality year at the plate and then went deep against the Giants in the NL playoffs. Contreras is an advanced right-handed hitter at age 24, and the rookie can also play left field and first base. Montero is a two-time All-Star with left-handed pop. He batted just .216 this year but caught both of Jake Arrieta's playoff starts and delivered the third pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history, a tiebreaking shot against the Dodgers in the eighth inning of the NLCS opener.

Indians: Roberto Perez 

Subbing for injured starter Yan Gomes, Perez provides strong defense behind the plate. He threw out 46 percent of attempted base stealers this season, and the Indians went 33-20 when he started. Limited to 61 games by a broken thumb, Perez batted .183 with three homers this year.

Edge: Cubs

Left field:

Cubs: Ben Zobrist 

One of baseball's most versatile players, Zobrist helped Kansas City win the World Series last season and then signed a $56 million, four-year contract with the Cubs. The productive switch-hitter is a three-time All-Star with a discerning eye who bats in the middle of the lineup to keep it balanced. He mostly played second base during the season but has been shifted to left field to make everyday room for Baez.

Indians: Rajai Davis or Coco Crisp 

The speedy Davis was another free-agent pickup at a friendly price who played a significant role for the Indians. He hit 12 homers, scored 74 runs and led the AL with 43 steals but went hitless in 12 playoff at-bats. Crisp returned to his Cleveland roots when he was acquired from Oakland on Aug. 31, just in time to be eligible for the postseason. The 36-year-old switch-hitter finished the season with 13 homers and hit two more in the playoffs.

Edge: Cubs

Centre field:

Cubs: Dexter Fowler

An underrated leadoff hitter, Fowler re-signed with Chicago late last offseason for $13 million in a surprise move that paid off handsomely for the Cubs. The switch-hitter compiled a career-best .393 on-base percentage and scored 84 runs in 125 games. When he gets on, the Cubs really go.

Indians: Tyler Naquin

With 14 home runs and an .886 OPS in 116 games, the 25-year-old Naquin ranked among rookie leaders in several offensive categories. A first-round draft pick in 2012 out of Texas A&M, he is 3 for 16 (.188) in the postseason with a pair of doubles.

Edge: Cubs

Right field

Cubs: Jason Heyward 

A major disappointment at the plate after signing with Chicago for $184 million over eight years, the three-time Gold Glove winner at least provides outstanding defense. He had a paltry .631 OPS this season and went 2 for 28 in the playoffs, dropping his career postseason batting average to .160 and occasionally leaving him on the bench.

Indians: Lonnie Chisenhall

The converted third baseman has found a home in right field, where Cleveland is happy with his defense. He batted .286 with eight homers and 57 RBIs this season, then connected for a big home run in the Division Series against Boston. Chisenhall is 10 for 30 (.333) in his postseason career.

Edge: Push

Designated hitter

Cubs: Kyle Schwarber

In an October shocker, the expectation is Schwarber will return from an early-season knee injury in Game 1 of the World Series. A prodigious young power hitter, Schwarber played two games in April before tearing a pair of ligaments in his left knee. He was ruled out for the year but made a rapid recovery from surgery and was cleared to play two games in the Arizona Fall League. Apparently, that was enough for the Cubs. One year removed from college, Schwarber hit 16 homers with an .842 OPS in 69 games last season. Then he hit five more home runs in the 2015 playoffs.

Indians: Carlos Santana 

The unusual thing about Santana is that he's a power hitter who bats leadoff, because of his patient approach at the plate. The switch-hitter walked 99 times this season to go with a career-high 34 homers and 87 RBIs. Santana was 5 for 29 (.172) in the playoffs but homered twice in the ALCS.

Edge: Indians

Pitchers

The Cubs have the advantage with their starters, but Cleveland's bullpen prowess has been the story of the playoffs so far. 

Chicago has a pair of proven World Series arms in its deep rotation. Lester, co-MVP of the NLCS, won championship rings with Boston in 2007 and 2013. The 32-year-old lefty is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA in three World Series starts and will be on regular rest Tuesday night. Right behind him is Kyle Hendricks (16-8), who led the majors with a 2.13 ERA and beat Clayton Kershaw 5-0 with 7 1/3 innings of two-hit ball in the NLCS clincher. Arrieta (18-8), last year's NL Cy Young Award winner, has been inconsistent in the post-season. John Lackey (11-8), who just turned 38, won Game 7 of the 2002 World Series as an Angels rookie and helped the Red Sox to their 2013 title.

The most powerful chess piece in this entire post-season has been Andrew Miller, the ALCS MVP acquired by Cleveland in July from the New York Yankees.. The 6-foot-7 lefty with the wipeout slider has struck out 21 over 11 2/3 scoreless innings after going 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA while striking out 14.9 batters per nine innings this year. The way Cleveland utilizes him, Miller starts looming by the middle innings and becomes an option in almost any high-leverage situation. He entered as early as the fifth during the AL playoffs. Not to be forgotten are closer Cody Allen (32 saves) and steady right-hander Bryan Shaw. If the Indians win the World Series, this group will likely rank among the greatest October bullpens in baseball history.

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