The New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies will kick off game one of the 2009 World Series tomorrow night in the Bronx. Except for Jimmy Rollins, many are predicting a long series, mainly because both teams are pretty evenly matched. In the end, I'll give the edge to the Yankees because of their superior bullpen and slightly better offense - but the 2003 Yankees were supposed to trounce the Marlins, and look what happened. Anyone can win this series, and its sure to be a good one.
Offense:
The Yankee and Philly offenses are pretty evenly matched, but the Yanks are a bit more threatening with the bats. The team hit for a better average and notched 20 more home runs than the Phils, but some of the Bronx bats have been cold lately; while the Phillies have hit extremely well in the postseason. Playoff performances aside, I'd still give the edge to the Yankees thanks to Alex Rodriguez and the fact that the New York will likely have a better DH than Philadelphia. If the Yankee bats don't heat up, the Phils will win the series.
Edge: Yankees
Difference Makers: Hideki Matsui, Ben Francisco.
Defense:
Mark Teixeira has saved many runs with his superb glove work at first base, but the entire Philly infield is much better defensively than what the Yankees have to offer. Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz are all better defenders than their Yankee counterparts, but the Yanks have a better defensive outfield than the Phils. Melky Cabrera surprisingly posted a better UZR than Shane Victorino, but Johnny Damon is a much weaker defender than Raul Ibanez.
Edge: Phillies
Difference Makers: Chase Utley, Robinson Cano
Bench:
The Phillies have elected to carry pitcher Brett Myers over infielder Miguel Cairo, so their bench will likely consist of catcher Paul Bako, infielders Eric Bruntlett and Greg Dobbs and outfielders Ben Francisco and Matt Stairs. Francisco will likely serve as the designated hitter while playing at Yankee stadium, so that gives the Phils a four-man bench for now. The Yankees announced that they will carry Eric Hinske, and Jerry Hairston, Brett Gardner and Jose Molina will likely join him on the bench. That's a much better bench than what the Phillies have to offer.
Edge: Yankees
Difference Makers: Eric Hinske, Matt Stairs
Starting Pitching:
These two teams are very evenly matched in terms of starting pitchers. Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia are almost even in terms of numbers, and the Yankees and Phillies both have a starter with questionable consistency in A.J. Burnett and Cole Hamels. Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte are evenly matched. Some analysts have said that the Yankees offer a deeper rotation, but as of now both teams are even, even with Sabathia being slightly better than Cliff Lee.
Edge: Even
Difference Makers: A.J. Burnett, Cole Hamels
Relief Pitching:
The Yankees have a clear advantage over the Phils in this department. Mariano Rivera, albeit overused in the playoffs, is a much better closer than Brad Lidge. If Phil Hughes can perform better in tight situations and Joe Girardi learns to manage a bullpen, the Yankees will have a serious edge over the Phils in the later innings.
Edge: Yankees
Difference Makers: Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre, Phil Hughes
Prediction: Yankees in six
Series MVP: Alex Rodriguez
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