World Series Preview

An article by WhoDey    3 Comments

It’s not been often during the Wild Card Era in Baseball that we’ve seen the two best teams in baseball compete for the World Series.  Frequently, it’s the hottest team at the end of the year that’s able to push its way to a pennant.  This year, however, we have a classic match up between arguably the two best teams.

Offensively, it’s hard to pick a clear winner.  Both teams have stellar, star-studded lineups.  ARod is having not only his best postseason ever, but one of the best postseasons for any player in recent memory (Carlos Beltran’s short stint with the Astros comes to mind).  Derek Jeter continues to be Derek Jeter.  The real question for the Bronx Bombers will be whether Mark Texiera can get untracked.  On the Philadelphia side, Ryan Howard is every bit as dangerous as any other hitter in this series.  His biggest difficultly comes against left handers – and Game 1 starter CC Sabathia is left handed.  Look for Jayson Werth to be a big contributor and possibly a difference maker for the Phils.

The real questions for both teams lie in the bullpens.  Whichever team’s starters can go deeper into the game will likely be the winner.  The series may well hinge on the first two games – can the Yankees do what few others have been able to do – score on Cliff Lee?  And can Pedro give another outing as solid as the one he had in LA?  Philadelphia will need to take one of the first two at Yankee stadium to have a chance in the series.

Unfortunately for the Phils, I don’t see that happening.  Sure, Lee has been lights out this postseason, and the Dodgers and Rockies both had pretty good lineups, but nothing 1-9 like the Yankees will throw at him.  I think New York can give CC enough support for a game 1 victory tonight, with Joba giving a strong inning out of the ‘pen and leading the way to Mariano.  In game two, look for Philadelphia to have to go to the bullpen early, as Pedro won’t be able to fool the Yankees for long; the second and third times through the lineup will be rough for Martinez.

With the momentum of a two game lead heading to Philadelphia, I think the Yankees will be able to close out the series in 6 games.  Give your predictions in the comments below.