Matching Up the Yankees and Phillies

Comparing the Offenses of the 2009 World Series Opponents

Oct 27, 2009

Both teams can hit the cover off the ball, but which team has the better offense?

The 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies is going to look like an All-Star Game. This is especially true when it comes to the teams' respective offenses, which feature a combined 13 position players who have appeared in at least one Midsummer Classic.

But which team is better? Okay, the World Series will answer that question. But, as of right now, position by position, which team has the better players? Which positions present mismatches and which are close calls? Who has the better reserves? All of these issues clearly need to analyzed, so here is a quick look.

Comparing the Yankees and Phillies Infielders

Howard is baseball’s best pure slugger. He is also on one of the best postseason streaks runs of all time, with 14 RBI in nine postseason games. But Mark Teixeira is no slouch. He led the American League in home runs and RBI, and played Gold Glove Award defense. Neither player is a speedster, but Howard did steal 8 bases to Mark’s 2. Edge: Even

Cano has the edge in batting average, hits and doubles, but Utley has better power and speed. On defense, it has gotten much closer as Robinson improved over the season, but Utley still gets a slight edge. Slightest Edge Imaginable: Utley.

Rollins is the best defensive shortstop in the league. This year he started off slowly, but Jimmy came on strong during the second half, and put up fairly impressive statistics. But he’s going against Jeter, who had his best season since 2006. Derek hit .334 to Jimmy’s .249. He also crushed Rollins in the key sabermetric measures of On Base Percentage (.405 to .296), Slugging (.465 to .423), and OPS (.870 to 719). That, and Jeter’s hot postseason, gives the Yankees the edge at shortstop. Edge: Jeter

Feliz is a great defender and a very good producer for a seventh place hitter, but Alex Rodriguez is among the best players in baseball history. Big Edge: Rodriguez

The Phillies Have a Better Outfield than the Yankees

Both of these grizzled veterans had strong seasons in 2009. Damon took full advantage of the short, wind-assisted porch in right field of the new Yankee Stadium. 17 of his 24 homers came in the Bombers’ new digs. Raul Ibanez won over Phillies fans with slick defense, 34 home runs and 93 RBI. He has struggled in October while Damon has hit .300. Johnny is the better runner and Ibanez the better fielder with the better arm. Edge: Even

Victorino has the edge in almost all offensive categories and is the better defender. Cabrera has a penchant for game-winning hits. They may be of equal value by next season, but right now, the verdict is: Slight Edge to Victorino

Jayson Werth has become a star this season, and if he keeps hitting home runs in postseason games, he will become a household name. Swisher has been a pleasant surprise for the Yankees this year, but he has been horrendous at the plate during the playoffs. Werth is also the better fielder and the superior baserunner. Edge to Werth.

Comparing the Yankees and Phillies Reserves

Hideki Matsui, the Yankees designated hitter who smacked 28 homers and collected 90 RBI, could be the X factor in this Series. The Phillies don’t have anyone on their bench who can produce like Matsui and that will hurt them at games in Yankee Stadium.

Brett Gardner (26 SB in 284 plate appearances) gives the Yankees tremendous speed and isn't a bad hitter (.270 BA). Jose Molina is a wonderful defensive catcher (he is a Molina brother, after all), but he can’t hit a lick. Jerry Hairston is a versatile defender who can play almost any position on the field, but is also a weak hitter.

The Phillies top bench player is Ben Francisco, who hit .257 with 15 home runs and 14 steals and is a solid defensive replacement for Raul Ibanez in left field. After that, things don't look so good. Free swinging slugger

Matt Stairs is showing his 41 years (.194 BA, one total hit in July and August). Former pinch hitter extraordinaire Greg Dobbs struggled all season, hitting only .247. Backup catcher Paul Bako isn't much of a hitter, nor is utility man Greg Bruntlett. Edge to Yankees

Overall, the Yankees have a slight edge, but it is very, very slight. The good news is that at least a few of these games will be slugfests.

The copyright of the article Matching Up the Yankees and Phillies in Baseball is owned by James Lincoln Ray. Permission to republish Matching Up the Yankees and Phillies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.