Why the Yankees Will Win the World Series

So the October Classic has been set. Its Phillies vs. the Yankees to determine the best baseball team in the world for 2009. You know who's going to win? The Yankees. Why? Pitching Pitching Pitching Pitching.

Now, don't get me wrong, I really don't like the Yankees. I really don't like Alex Rodriguez. But there is no denying that they are one of the most powerful dynasties in sports (even if they did just buy all their players). This year will be no different and it all comes down to pitching. It's what makes playoff baseball so special and so different from the regular season. You may be able to catch the Yankees (or even the Phillies in this case) on an off day when they are starting their 5th starter or on a rare bad day for Sabathia or Cliff Lee. But not in the playoffs. You will face each other's top 3 pitchers for 7 straight games. The best pitchers in the game will almost undoubtedly be at their peak performance, even on short rest.

So, as I said, the Yankees will win. Let's break it down.

Game 1: CC Sabathia (NYY) vs. Cliff Lee (PHI) - This game may be on the only game that doesn't give either team a clear advantage. Both pitchers are masters of their left-handed pitching craft. But again, this should give the advantage to the Yankees since they have more right-handed or switch hitters compared to the largely lefthanded Phillies

Game 2: AJ Burnette (NYY) vs. Cole Hamels (PHI) - Here we another set of all-star calibur pitchers who have shown that they can be both brilliant or mediocre depending on the day. Most concerning here is Hamels who has not been able to quite lock in as he will need to here to pull off a victory. If Burnette leaves balls up in the zone, he is hittable, but if he keeps it down, fuuughhet ahbadit.

Game 3: Andy Pettite (NYY) vs. Joe Blanton (PHI) - If history is any indication, Pettite has the advantage here. With the most post-season wins of any pitcher in history and coming off an outstanding series clinching performance vs the Angels (his 5th clinching). Of course Joe Blanton has the capability to be tough to hit, still experience prevails here.

Game 4: CC Sabathia (NYY) vs. Cliff Lee (or Pedro Martinez) (PHI) - No one in baseball is better at coming back on short rest and dominating. He did it for Cleveland. He did it for Milwaukee. He will do it for New York. Cliff Lee could also have success here, but just can't over come. If for some reason the Phils are winning the series, they could decide to go with Pedro here.

So you get the idea....both teams are excellent. Both teams have unbelievable fire-power on offense. I just feel the advantage points in the Yankees direction too often for the Phils to over come. Still, it is playoff baseball and absolutely anything can happen. As they say....."that's why they play the game."


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the LessisMorePitching community.