IrishCentral’s World Series Yankees/ Phillies preview

The Yankees find themselves in not an unfamiliar situation this fall. The Bronx Bombers seek their 27^h championship after claiming their 40^th pennant in the defeat of the Angels and the Twins this October. Yet it all seems fresh as the Yankees are doing it with new faces, namely free-agent acquisitions C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Texiera in a new stadium.

Representing the National League down south from New York on 95 are the Philadelphia Phillies. They too are a force to be reckoned with as the reigning Major League Champions. The “Beast of the NL East” cruised to the 2009 World Series behind the “Trusty Triumphant Triumvirate” of Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, with a 'little’ help from their friends, namely new Phillies, pitching studs Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez.

Here is a breakdown on the teams' strengths and weaknesses.

Yankees Playoff Strengths

-Power Hitting

Homeruns for the Bronx Bombers have generated 40% of the team’s runs. The Yankees have 14 homeruns, led by the power hitting of  3B Alex Rodriguez (.438, 5 HR, 14 RBI) and SS Derek Jeter (.297, 5 HR, 14 RBI).

-Starting Pitching and Relief

The Yankees 72 strikeouts and 2.46 staff ERA lead all playoff teams. CC Sabathia (3-0, 1.19 ERA, 20 SO, 3G) and Andy Petite (2-0, 2.37 ERA, 15 SO) dominated the Twins and Angels. Closer Mariano Rivera (3 SV, 0.94 ERA, 11 SO) has also looked great.

-Fielding

First Basemen Mark Texiera’s perfect glove work leads a squad that has only committed 3 errors in nine games, earning a .997 Fielding percentage.

Yankees’ Playoff Weakness

-Speed

The Bronx Bombers have only 3 stolen bases at a 50% success rate. Speedy OF Brett Gardner has only swiped one base this October, tied for the team lead with C Jorge Posada.

-Runners in Scoring Position (RISP)

A-Rod, DH Hideki Matsui (.375 RISP), and 2B Robinson Cano (.300 RISP) have hit in the clutch. Four Yankee starters have hit less than .200 with runners on, leaving the team with a paltry .222 in this category.

​
Nster.com