With Wednesday’s game four win, The Kansas City Royals are heading to the World Series, and no one is complaining. This team hasn’t made such a run since George Brett. Almost no team has ever made this kind of run.

Nine straight postseason wins, with two sweeps and the royal blue are waiting for their opponent. Seeing a team struggle like the Royals have for the past three decades has made this moment that much sweeter for fans and players alike.

Lead by a young, talented core, the Royals have not lost a game this postseason and are slated to play either the San Francisco Giants or the St. Louis Cardinals. Notable players making this run possible are Alcides Escobar, the shortstop who has yet to miss a game all season, and the heat-slinging starting pitcher Yordano Ventura.

One component of this team no one can over look is their incredible bullpen. Their three go-to-guys, Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and closer Greg Holland respectively, all have under a 1.50 earned run average. This lights out bullpen could very well change how front offices put together teams in the near future.

In a day where most large market teams spend copious amounts of money on starting pitching, the small market Royals have made it further than their competitors due to the simple fact that if they have a lead past the fifth inning, they will win the game.

Look at their first round matchup with the Detroit Tigers. Despite the fact that they have three Cy-Young Award winning pitchers in their rotation, the Royals made mincemeat out of them due to an inconsistent bullpen on Detroit’s end. With the golden age of the hitter diminishing and the age of defense, speed and pitching here to stay, the Royals have the make-up for long-term success.

Regardless of which team the Royals play in the World Series, the matchup will be no walk in the park for Kansas City. With a majority of National League teams playing a similar small ball style as the Royals, look for runs to be scarce and pitching and defense to dominate in either matchup we see. With a young core and hungry fans, look for the Kansas City Royals to try to take advantage of their home-field advantage and parlay their win streak into a World Series title.