World Series: SI.com's experts pick World Series winner, MVP and more

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have much in common. Both are among the most iconic franchises in baseball history. Both teams won 97 games this year, tops in the majors, and both led their league's in scoring. Both boast a superstar slugger with outstanding October credentials in Boston's David Ortiz and St. Louis' Carlos Beltran. And both have a dominant pitcher or two capable of overpowering opposing hitters: closer Koji Uehara for the Red Sox and starters Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha for the Cardinals.
With so many similarities, what will happen in the 109th Fall Classic? Below, SI.com's baseball writers -- Tom Verducci, Albert Chen, Ben Reiter, Joe Lemire, Jay Jaffe, Cliff Corcoran and Joe Sheehan -- make their picks for which team will win the series, who will be named MVP, who the the unlikely Series hero will be and which X-factor could swing the outcome. Game 1 is Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

2013 World Series: Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals turn to dominating closers

Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal is only four years removed from being a junior college shortstop, 

but he has been dominant during the postseason for St. Louis.