5 storylines to watch for during the World Series

Aside from the oddity of two legitimate powerhouses squaring off in the World Series - a feat that almost never happens - the Fall Classic between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers has some captivating narratives.

Take, for instance, the fact that the two front offices have become havens for the sabermetrically-inclined in recent seasons. The Dodgers, under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, lured Farhan Zaidi from the Oakland Athletics front office and have subsequently surrounded him with the best brain trust in baseball.

Meanwhile, the Astros have been pioneers of tanking, claiming the top overall pick in three consecutive drafts under general manager Jeff Luhnow, with notable Baseball Prospectus alumni Kevin Goldstein and Mike Fast helping deploy the most cutting-edge sabermetric tenets.

Of course, those narratives helped the two clubs meet in the World Series, and Zaidi vs. Luhnow will take a backseat to the action that will unfold on the field. Here's a look at five story lines to watch for:

Kershaw vs. Altuve

Baseball fans won't have to wait long to see the first chapter of this matchup as Clayton Kershaw is set to take the ball in Game 1 and Jose Altuve will bat against him in the first frame.

While the two haven't met often, Altuve has kind of owned the 29-year-old left-hander. In 15 at-bats, Altuve has six hits, four of which are doubles. Unfortunately for the Astros though, Kershaw has been characteristically stingy against everyone else, allowing just three extra base hits - all doubles - in 66 combined at-bats against the rest of Houston's lineup.

Verlander in the World Series again

The Astros run to the World Series is owed largely to the dynamic performance from late-season acquisition Justin Verlander, and the 34-year-old right-hander brings an abundance of experience to the Fall Classic.

One problem: Despite making it to the World Series twice before, Verlander owns a 10.80 ERA over three starts. He's 0-3 in the finals and has a 1.60 WHIP. Can he exorcise those demons?

Darvish vs. Astros

Yu Darvish will take the ball in Game 3 and after pitching 122 games for the Astros' cross-state rivals - the Texas Rangers - he became pretty familiar with Minute Maid Park.

The 29-year-old right-hander has held Houston hitters to a paltry .139/.200/.215 slash line over six starts in their home ballpark, while owning a 2.16 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 41 2/3 innings in Houston.

Granderson vs. Beltran

Curtis Granderson and Carlos Beltran will be the longest tenured players to take the field during the Fall Classic and, adding intrigue, neither owns a World Series ring.

Granderson has made it 14 years without winning a championship despite making it to his third World Series this year. Not to be outdone, the 40-year-old Beltran is in his 20th year and has played in only one previously. Whether the Astros or Dodgers win, a championship drought among lovable outfielders will be resolved.

Championship droughts

Speaking of droughts, the Dodgers and Astros have combined for 83 seasons without a World Series title.

While the Dodgers have been waiting since 1988, the Astros have been waiting for the entire history of their franchise - an era that dates back to 1961.

(Pictures courtesy: Action Images)