This is it.

Six months of playing baseball, followed by three weeks and 29 games of the postseason, the 2016 campaign will come to a head in the next week, as the 112th World Series commences tonight. At this time next week, one of the three longest championship droughts in the four major North American sports will be over.

Either the Cleveland Indians, who haven’t won a World Series since 1948 will be hoisting the trophy, or the ‘Windy City’ will be going wild over its beloved Chicago Cubs winning their first championship in 108 years. As with the previous three rounds of the playoffs, Baseball Factory alumni will play a significant role in defining history. Let us take a look at some of the key factors in the series.

Cleveland’s Bullpen vs. Chicago’s Lineup

The Cubs lineup got deeper with a surprise addition to the roster, as did Cleveland’s bullpen, but that topic will be broached later. For now, one needs to look no further than the Cleveland bullpen which has been amazing for the entire playoffs. With two studs in Cody Allen and Andrew Miller (who is the best reliever in baseball right now), and key pieces such as Baseball Factory Alumni Dan Otero, the Indians have a postseason bullpen ERA of 1.64, an amazing statistic for a bullpen so heavily taxed. Will they be able to keep a Cubs lineup at bay who are legitimately eight deep (nine when you include the DH in Games 1 & 2 and 6 & 7)? Baseball Factory Alumni Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo have finally busted out of their slumps in a massive way and seem poised to continue their hot hitting ways. Russell hit .273 with two homers, four RBI and five runs scored, while Rizzo hit .320 with two doubles, two homers and five RBI in the League Championship Series.

Young Guns

The Cubs infield features no regular over the age of 26, with superstar (and Baseball Factory Pre-Season All-American alum) Kris Bryant making his case for the MVP award. Couple that with the emergence of Javy Baez as the darling of the postseason and you have an exciting core. The young guns will be matching up against perhaps the most underrated player in baseball, Baseball Factory & Team One alum Francisco Lindor, who led the team in hitting (.368) with a double, a homer and three RBI in the ALCS, and could make the case for being the best all-around player on the field. How all of the young guns perform in high pressure situations will go a long way to determining who is the champion when it is all said and done.

Key Players Returning From Injury

The Indians get their top starter back in Danny Salazar, who reportedly touched 97 in a simulated game on Sunday, despite not having thrown since September 9^th due to a forearm strain. His addition makes Cleveland’s impossibly good bullpen that much deeper. If he can become a factor in the series, the Cubs may be in trouble.

The Cubs, however, are receiving a bigger boost, getting back the teams all-time post season home run leader (five total) in Kyle Schwarber, who tore his ACL and MCL in just the third game of the season. Coming back from this devastating knee injury is unheard of, but after working hard to come back, Schwarber looked good in two Arizona Fall League games. His storybook return would be the exclamation point on an unforgettable season for the Cubs.

Get your popcorn ready folks, because we are in for one heck of a ride.