The Washington Nationals are world champions for the first time ever. During the series, Washington batted .241/.320/.419 compared to .265/.342/.454 during the season. The Houston Astros batted .272/.342/.452 during the series and .274/.352/.495 during the season. On the pitching side, Washington had a 4.29 ERA during the series and a 4.27 ERA during the season. Houston had a shockingly identical 4.29 ERA during the series and a 3.66 ERA during the season. Houston also had 3 unearned runs, compared to 0 for Washington. Ultimately, Washington were better than their record indicated, and removing a 19-31 start, after which I think that they were a different team as they started playing better and were more motivated, projected as a 100+ win team. They also had luck on their side, as a 4-3 series result and a win by a run in Game 1 show. Houston came into the series less motivated and expecting an easy win, Washington were more motivated and lucky. The result is not surprising.