World Series Preview: Power vs. Power

The last step. Yankees vs. Phillies. World Series #40 for the Yankees searching for World Series championship #27. The Phillies are the defending World Champions and may be coming in better than they were last year. So who is going to take it all? Who is going to be the 2009 World Series Champion?

Let's take a look:

New York Yankees

They're going to win #27

• It's all set up. They have a new stadium, a new group of players, and a new attitude. It seems like this is their year. A-Rod is hitting in the playoffs, CC is pitching in the playoffs, Tex is playing great defense, and the rest of the "Dynasty Boys" (or "Core Four", if you will) are doing their part and hungry for another title. They're pitching, they're hitting and they're ready to dominate.

• Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia have been unstoppable. He reached base 12 times in his last 15 times to the plate in the ALCS. He's gotten over his postseason issues in a big way and no one wants to pitch to him...in any situation. CC has taken the ball three times and dominated all three times. Both are going to have to be big for the Yankees to win. Sabathia could potentially start 3 times in the World Series and needs to pitch like he's pitched the past 3 months.

• The Yankees have the better bullpen. Brad Lidge has found his touch but he is no Mariano Rivera. The Yankees set-up men struggled in the first two rounds but they have been much more reliable all season. 

• The Yankees have homefield advantage once again. The Yankees are 5-0 in the first two rounds in the new ballpark in the Bronx.

• The Yankees are kings of the comeback. They ended the ALDS and the ALCS that way. They have led in every game of the playoffs so far. You can never count them out which is big in the postseason.

Mystique and Aura didn't move across the street

• The Yankees don't have a fourth starter and we discussed the issues faced if they have to use one. If A.J. Burnett or Andy Pettitte are ineffective, they may have no choice. This would be extremely bad for the Yankees. 

• They really didn't hit in the playoffs outside of A-Rod and a few good games for others. Teixiera, Swisher, Melky, Damon and Cano all came out at the end of the Angels series but none of them are having great playoffs. Matsui looks like he's losing his strength before our eyes and Jorge Posada is a GIDP machine at times. If the Yankees can't hit around A-Rod, they're going to walk him every time.

• The bullpen has not been great and I don't think Joe Girardi really trusts anyone to get to Mo. That could be a problem

• Speaking of Girardi, his overmanaging has been documented all over the place. If he gets anxious on the bench he could make things a lot more difficult than they need to be. FanGraphs doesn't have as much of an issue with the bunt in general but a lot of other people have taken issue with Girardi
  

Philadelphia Phillies

The first repeat since the Big Red Machine

• This team matches up really, really well with the Yankees. They can hit, they can pitch, they have the comeback swagger. The one difference? The Phillies have already won one with this core group. That experience may help them out against a team that has not faced real adversity yet this postseason

• Cliff Lee has actually been better than Sabathia this playoffs and the Phillies have a much deeper staff with JA Happ and Joe Blanton ready to go if they need more starters. Hamels has not been good, but he was their best pitcher last season. 

• They have four 30 HR hitters who are capable of going deep at any point which is scary in these two parks. And they're impossible to matchup with as they have lefties and righties all throughout the lineup.

• They've already beat CC Sabathia in the playoffs (last season in the ALDS). Shane Victorino hit a grand slam, showing anyone can be the hero for them. Jimmy Rollins has been as well. Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz has been great this postseason. They can beat you a lot of ways.

• They have a superior defensive team which is important in these tight games. They can put Ibanez as the DH against lefties and have even better defense. They also are "fundamentally sound", whatever that means.
  

They are no "Little Red Machine"

• The Phillies bullpen problems have been masked. Ryan Madson was great in the regular season but has been hit in the playoffs. Brad Lidge had two blown saves in the regular season against the Yankees and 11 in total. He has been better this playoffs, but the competition has put runners on against him and he looks like he's about to break. That may spell trouble for the Phils.
  

• Pedro in Game 2 may be an all-time mistake. He could get lit up at Yankee Stadium. Cole Hamels has not been great either, but at least he's a lefty. If Pedro loses Game 2, it puts a lot of pressure on Hamels who has wilted under the pressure at times this year. FanGraphs gives a good scouting report on Pedro.
  

• Chase Utley is a great player, but he's had a case of the yips this postseason. If that continues in the World Series, the Phillies are in real trouble. The Yankees have pounced on other team's mistakes so far this playoffs. It's possible he is hurt, but he is really hurting the Phillies at times in the field
  

• Because Ryan Howard is not A-Rod and Cliff Lee is not CC Sabathia. Lee struggled in the American League this season and has not faced a full lineup. He faces a very full lineup tonight. Ryan Howard can be pitched to if you hit your spots. A-Rod cannot be pitched to right now.

Prediction: This is a really, really good matchup. I think this is going to go exactly like the ALCS, the Yankees win Game 1, win two more out of the next 4, and then come home and win Game 6 to clinch it in the Bronx. I'm going to go with my original prediction and say Yankees in 6.

A few other articles:

• My dad waited with others in the rain today for tickets and I have to say I'm pretty upset by what happened there. The Yankees need to issue an explanation. 
• RealClearSports writes about all the stories of redemption that could occur this World Series
  
• Ken Rosenthal writes how the Yankees have found a good balance of youth and veterans. It really is true, as you can see from looking at John Sickles list of where the Yankees came from. Sickles lists 12 Yankees as having come up through the farm system but it is really with Pettitte (who left and came back) and even Matsui had never played in the Major Leagues before he came to the Yankees. Joel Sherman reviews how some of those guys came through the system. The Yankees have truly defied their advanced age as the New York Times writes.
• Frankie Piliere gives four keys to the series to AOL FanHouse. Joel Sherman provides a scouting report as well. Jesse Spector has some key numbers for the World Series. FanGraphs says that the Yankees are good and FanGraphs again on the Phillies aim to repeat.
  
• Forbes writes that this World Series could be a ratings smash. Jesse Spector has some things to look for at the beginning of the game.
  
• The Philadelphia Inquirer is worried about the payroll disparity in this World Series. I wonder if they were so worried last season when the Phils payroll was higher than the Rays or just this year? Either way Hank and Hal have followed in the footsteps of their father, The Boss, as Mike Lupica writes. The Daily Beast lists the top earners in MLB.