Intangibles: The Rays survived the greatest single-game comeback in postseason history and still managed to knock off the defending World Series champions, all with a roster filled with inexperienced youth. With all eyes focused on the MLB's Cinderella story, the Phillies' lineup of seasoned veterans will be able to sit back and lend more time to the task at hand rather than getting caught up in the national spotlight. Edge: Phillies
Left Field: Carl Crawford vs. Pat Burrell: The speedster Crawford did not make as much noise as his teammates in the ALCS, but he was plenty dangerous at the plate, hitting .345 with 10 hits and three stolen bases. Burrell, on the other hand, lacks speed but possesses power and patience that Crawford can only dream of; he hit 25 more homers and walked 72 more times during the regular season. Edge: Phillies
Centerfield: B.J. Upton vs. Shane Victorino: Upton is a man possessed, single-handedly sending the Red Sox back to their cursed days by tying an ALCS record with seven home runs and 11 RBI, all while posting an OPS of 1.191. As respectable as Victorino's numbers are — a .281 average with a .625 slugging percentage during the postseason — there is no one better than Upton in baseball now. Edge: Rays
Second Base: Akinori Iwamura vs. Chase Utley: Sure, Iwamura is yet another product of the Japanese system: He's solid defensively, quick on the basepaths and adept at hitting leadoff. But Utley is the leading candidate for the MVP award this season and has displayed it throughout the playoffs. Against the Dodgers, Utley led his team in runs, average, hits, doubles, home runs and walks. Iwamura, on the other hand, swatted just six hits for a paltry .207 average. On the season, Utley posted an OPS almost 200 points higher than Iwamura's. Edge: Phillies
Right Field: Gabe Gross/Rocco Baldelli vs. Jayson Werth: Gross is in the lineup for his defense, while Baldelli could be an all-around stud for the Rays, but a mitochondrial disorder prevents Baldelli from playing more than one game in a row. Werth started the season as a part-timer but took over the starting gig and put up strong numbers, with 24 home runs and 20 steals. He doesn't cover as much range as Gross in the outfield, but he's no slouch either. Edge: Phillies.
Starting Pitching: Both teams have an incredibly deep rotation filled with strong arms built for the long haul. The Phillies will open Game 1 with Cole Hamels, who breezed through the Dodgers' bats in the NLCS, pitching 14 innings and finishing with a 1.93 ERA, 13 strikeouts and just five walks. The Rays will counter with Scott Kazmir, who had problems with longevity in the ALCS, pitching just 10 innings in two outings and finishing with a 4.35 ERA. With young studs James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine, and ALCS MVP Matt Garza rounding out the rotation, the Rays match up well with the Phillies' Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton. But no back-end starter in either rotation is consistent enough to give one squad the advantage. Edge: Push
Bullpen: The X-factor in this matchup has to be David Price, the 23-year-old lefty who came in and promptly silenced any shot the Red Sox had at a comeback in Game 7. As a team, the Rays are very good at holding leads, as Tampa Bay is 41-11 when leading after three innings. The success of the Phillies' pen hinges on closer Brad Lidge, who was 41-for-41 in save opportunities this season and did not surrender a run in five NLCS innings. Like the starting rotation, these two units are nearly equal. Edge: Push
First Base: Carlos Peña vs. Ryan Howard: Peña had a stellar ALCS, swatting three home runs and driving in six runs, while Howard is a consistent contender for the NL MVP award. Throughout the season, Howard was equally as durable as he was productive, playing in all 162 games, driving in 146 runs and blasting 48 home runs. While Peña's counting stats were less impressive, with 31 homers and 102 RBI, his OBP trumped Howard's, .377 to .339. Their OPSs on the season were .871 and .881, respectively. Edge: Push
Designated Hitter: Willy Aybar/Cliff Floyd vs. Matt Stairs: Aybar is probably the most underrated and overlooked hitter on the Rays' roster, having hit .367 in the playoffs. Floyd is the likelier option, though, having posted 27 homers and 91 RBI, in addition to a .903 OPS in his career against Philadelphia. It is unknown who the Phillies will place in the DH spot, but it should be Stairs, who, in his lone at-bat in the NLCS against the Dodgers swatted a two-run home run that gave them the series. Edge: Rays
Catcher: Dioner Navarro vs. Carlos Ruiz: According to season statistics, Navarro clearly has the edge, hitting nearly 80 points better with 23 more RBI. Although the Rays catcher batted just .192 in the ALCS against the Red Sox, Ruiz has just one RBI in the playoffs himself. Navarro, who nearly sealed Game 7 with his hose down to second base, garners the edge due to his defensive work, as he threw out base runners at twice the rate that Ruiz did during the season. Edge: Rays
Managers: Joe Maddon was there as a bench coach when the Los Angeles Angels won the World Series in 2002, so he knows exactly how to motivate his team in its most desperate time. The Phillies' Charlie Manuel has been much more consistent than Maddon, having racked up 573 wins in seven years as a manager. But Maddon's relationship with his players is unmatched. Often seen clowning around before games, he will keep his players loose under the pressure. Edge: Rays
Third Base: Evan Longoria vs. Pedro Feliz/Greg Dobbs: The rookie Longoria was about as hot this season as the actress who shares his surname, but he might actually be a bigger household name in Tampa after his heroics in the ALCS against the Red Sox. In the playoffs, Longoria has hit .262 with six home runs and 11 RBI in as many games. Feliz is batting just .192 this postseason and is really only in the lineup for his glove. While Dobbs slugged .507 against righties on the season, he has stone hands. Edge: Rays
Shortstop: Jason Bartlett vs. Jimmy Rollins: Following a stellar season defensively, Bartlett has melted under the glare of the postseason lights, committing crucial late-game errors against the Red Sox that could have cost his team the series. He's not known for his offense either, hitting just one home run the entire season. Rollins, on the other hand, gives his team the advantage because of his ability to post big numbers. He's got power hiding somewhere, having hit 30 homers a year ago, and he is one of the preeminent base stealers in the game today. Surprisingly, he also has better range and a higher fielding percentage than Bartlett. Edge: Phillies
