Pick Your Fantasy MLB Team To Find Out If You Could Win The World Series

The World Series is one of the most prestigious championships in all of sports. While baseball might not be as physical of a grind as hockey, football, or even basketball, it's easily the biggest mental grind of all professional sports. Teams play practically every day throughout the spring, into the summer, and, if they're good enough, sometimes even into early November. In fact, a World Series-winning team can play as many as 182 games in the season - that's 1,638 innings, not including the potential for extra inning games, which are more than likely to happen at least a couple times a month. Outside of starting pitchers and relief pitchers, most players take the field for at least 95 percent of those games, often battling through minor injuries and pain throughout the year.

Assembling a championship-caliber team can be quite difficult, especially given the competition throughout the league, but can you do so if given basically a one-in-four chance of picking the best player available? Consider this quiz an entry-level task for potential future employment as a Major League Baseball general manager. If you can't correctly pick a team to win the World Series here, you should probably abandon your dream of ever becoming a MLB executive.

Question 1

Who would be your No. 1 pitcher?

Although your ace pitcher will only play every fifth game, the argument could be made that he is the most important player on the team, especially when it comes playoff time. You want someone who doesn't crack, but thrives, under pressure. Durability is also important to consider as you want someone you can count on to give you 200-plus innings.

Question 2

Who would be your No. 2 pitcher?

Having a dominant ace pitcher is vital, but so is a strong No. 2. Ideally, you want someone with ace qualities who can step up and become "the guy" when and if your No. 1 pitcher goes down to injury. Keep in mind you want a decent mix of left- and right-handed pitchers when selecting your rotation to keep batters on edge in a potential playoff series.

Question 3

Who would be your No. 3 pitcher?

Your middle of the rotation starting pitcher should be among the league's best No. 3 starter if you're going to enjoy a deep playoff run with the possibility of winning a World Series. While teams shorten their rotations in the playoffs, the third starter is generally expected to play at least one game per series, and you want a capable pitcher in that spot.

Question 4

Who would be your No. 4 pitcher?

While your No. 4 starter might not see the mound in the playoffs, depending on the manager's philosophy, you want a guy who can either fill a void and start a game or two, while also being capable of shifting to the bullpen to provide quality innings in relief of one of your three starters. Keep in mind, he needs to be a reliable workhorse throughout the season as well.

Question 5

Who would be your No. 5 pitcher?

Like your fourth starter, your No. 5 guy should be comfortable transitioning to the bullpen in the playoffs, but he should also be capable of providing quality innings throughout the regular season. Generally speaking, the teams with the most depth in starting pitcher have the most successful seasons, so your fifth starter should be someone who could at least be a No. 4 or No. 3 on weaker teams.

Question 6

Who would be your starting catcher?

Your starting catcher is likely going to play at least 120 games if healthy. He'll be tasked with handling and building a strong rapport with all five starting pitchers as well as the relief pitchers. Beyond that, he's going to have to be a valuable asset at the plate. While it's OK to have a defensive catcher as your backup, your everyday catcher is going to have to chip in offensively throughout the season to keep his spot, regardless of how well he catches the pitching staff.

Question 7

Who would be your starting first baseman?

Generally speaking, the first baseman on a MLB team is a power hitter capable of hitting 30 home runs or more every season - think David Ortiz, Mark Texiera, or Albert Pujols in their prime. The players below might not be as good as those guys were (although some are), but they all have impressive resumes in the MLB. Which player is going to give you the best combination of offense and defense at first base?

Question 8

Who would be your starting second baseman?

While second baseman aren't generally strong power hitters, that notion has shifted slightly in recent years, with players like Rougned Odor, Jonathan Schoop, and Brian Dozier all reaching 30 home runs this past season. Others have done it in the past, while also providing stellar defense. A power-hitting second baseman is nice and all, but he needs to be able to limit his errors and make the easy plays in the infield.

Question 9

Who would be your starting shortstop?

Your starting shortstop generally hits at the top of your lineup and is a capable contact hitter. While it's a bonus to have a player at the position hit 20-plus home runs, you want someone who you can rely on to get on base consistently, whether via walk or base hits. Consider having a player with decent speed who can steal the odd base or two.

Question 10

Who would be your starting third baseman?

Like first base, you want a power-hitting player at the hot corner, but he should also display decent defense given the fact he will be tasked with making stellar plays and reacting within the blink of an eye to hard-hit balls. For the most part, the third baseman on a playoff team hits in the middle of the lineup and is a solid run producer.

Question 11

Who would be your starting left fielder?

Your outfielders should be players with a combination of speed and the ability to hit. For the most part, teams stack their corner outfield positions with guys who can hit the long ball, while putting a speedy contact hitter in center field, given that player can track down more balls hit into the outfield. All of the listed players below have different skills that could help a team win.

Question 12

Who would be your starting center fielder?

As previously mentioned, it's vital to have a speedy center fielder as that player is going to be the one to track down most of the balls hit into the outfield. He's the outfield general who can wave off the corner outfielders if he needs to. Hitting is important as well, but if he's a Gold Glove caliber player with speed, it's OK to have him bat ninth in your lineup, providing you have power hitters elsewhere.

Question 13

Who would be your starting right fielder?

Two of the game's best power hitters are right fielders - Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton - and they would make an incredible addition to any team, but choose wisely in the list below as you try to put together a balanced team. While it's nice to have power hitters one through nine, you might want a player who can get on base. Is it worth having a 50 home run hitter if he strikes out more than any player in the league? That's up to you.

Question 14

Who would be your designated hitter?

Even if your team plays in the National League, you're going to need a designated hitter in the World Series when playing in an American League ballpark. For American League teams, the DH doesn't need to be a player who can play any fielding positions, but it doesn't hurt if he has versatility. For instance, if playing against a National League team, you want to feel comfortable inserting him into the lineup at first base or an outfield position.

Question 15

Who would be your backup catcher?

The primary job of a backup catcher is to play between 30 and 40 games a season, while working regularly with the pitching staff throughout the season to help improve their confidence and repertoire. Given that he won't play much, you want someone who isn't going to mope about playing time, but also someone who could fill an everyday role if an injury occurs to your starting catcher.

Question 16

Who would be your extra infielder?

Like the backup catcher position, you want your extra infielder to be a great team player who is content with his role on the team and doesn't cause any locker room drama by demanding more playing time. He needs to be a solid defender who can come into games late as a defensive replacement; ideally, he should be one of your best defensive infielders.

Question 17

Who would be your fourth outfielder?

Again, you want a player who is comfortable in his role with limited playing time, but can also step in and play a handful of games in a row in the event of an injury to one of your outfielders. Injuries are bound to happen and the best teams are often the ones that can fill those holes with quality veteran players or up-and-coming young players.

Question 18

Who would be your long relief pitcher?

Putting together a dominant bullpen isn't an exact science, but you want a mix of right- and left-handed pitchers who you can bring into a game at varying times to get out the opposition's top hitters. A long relief pitcher isn't necessary in the playoffs, but in the regular season you want a pitcher who can come in early in a game if your starter is getting lit up.

Question 19

Who would be your middle relief pitcher?

Middle relievers are interchangeable pitchers who generally pitch between the fifth and seventh inning, sometimes for as much as two innings at a time and other times for as little as one batter. They can be right- or left-handed specialists or hard-throwing pitchers who are equally as dominant facing regardless of what side of the plate the batter hits from.

Question 20

Who would be your middle relief pitcher?

The bullpen's middle relief group often consists of four or five pitchers, so be sure to round yours out with a good variation of pitchers. As mentioned, you want at least one or two left-handed hurlers who can excel against left-handed batters, and you want your relieves to come into the game throwing strikes. Command and speed is an important aspect for middle relievers.

Question 21

Who would be your middle relief pitcher?

Again, building a deep bullpen is vital. You may have noticed we haven't included the best of the best in all of these categories because that would be a tad unrealistic, and if you had the best relievers in the game you would obviously have little trouble winning the World Series. Relievers who can come in a shut down an opposition's lineup in a tight playoff game are crucial.

Question 22

Who would be your middle relief pitcher?

We're getting near the end of the middle relievers, so make sure to pick guys that will complement your current core of pitchers. Having the same type of pitchers in your bullpen can work against you in that the opposition will know what to expect regardless of who you bring into the game. You may not think a fourth or fifth reliever could have a major impact on World Series chances, but you'd be incredibly surprised.

Question 23

Who would be your middle relief pitcher?

This is your final middle relief spot, so choose wisely. While the MLB roster size is 25 players, some teams opt for an extra bench player instead of having a relief pitcher in this spot, but for playoff purposes, you're going to want as many quality arms as you can get. We've seen it far too often where a team's starting pitcher is outed from the game in the first or second inning, leaving the bullpen to clean up the mess.

Question 24

Who would be your set-up pitcher?

The set-up relief pitcher is generally your second best bullpen arm behind only the closer. He should be a hard-throwing pitcher with the ability to throw strikes consistently as he will often pitch in high-pressure situations. The set-up pitcher comes into the game typically in the seventh or eighth inning in one- or two-run games and is tasked with keeping the his team in the lead heading to the ninth and final inning.

Question 25

Who would be your closer?

The closer is the pitcher who comes into the game in the ninth inning and generally utilizes his dominant fastball pitch to shut down the opposing batters. He usually only has two or three pitches at most, but uses them effectively and efficiently in recording the final three outs of the game. It's the most high-pressure position in baseball and you need someone with a mental toughness.

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