As the stage closes in from 10 featured acts to 8 to 4 to 2, no doubt key acquisitions have played a significant role. Ex-A's no less: Ben Zobrist and Yoenis Cespedes have been difference-makers for their respective World Series teams, both down the stretch and in the post-season.
Overall, though, 2015 feels like a year in which high draft picks, homegrown talent, and a consistent core, has been a pattern throughout the playoffs. Store bought teams like the Yankees sniffed the post-season but wound up playing the part of the fire hydrant and not the dog.