2009 World Series Preview: Position-by-Position Breakdown

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The 2009 World Series has arrived after a long and quite interesting season. Along with the arrival of the Fall Classic comes the World Series buzz and debates on who's got the edge. The Phillies and the Yankees make great cases for themselves, respectively.

The New York Yankees are trying to get back to their previous state of baseball dominance. Yankees like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte hope to end this decade the way they started it—with a World Series Championship.

But the team is filled with several new faces to the World Series. It will all be up to players like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and CC Sabathia not to fall under pressure in their first World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to perform a feat that has not happened since 1976. The Philadelphia Phillies will try and become the first repeat World Series Champion since the 1976 "Big Red Machine" Cincinnati Reds.

But after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series last year, Charlie Manuel will face a much more experienced team in the World Series this year. The Yankees might have many inexperienced players in the World Series, but the Fall Classic is not unfamiliar in the Bronx. The 2009 World Series will be the Yankees' 40th World Series.

Unlike the New York Mets, the Yankees have a very brief history against the team from Philadelphia. They met in the World Series in 1950, when the Yankees swept the Phillies in four games.

More recently, the Yankees and Phillies faced each other at Yankee Stadium this year. In that best-of-three series the Phillies took two games and the series from the Yankees. The Yankees did win the second game after beating Brad Lidge late in the game. They got Lidge again in the third game, but in extra innings the Phillies prevailed.

After a team analysis, let's take a look at how each team fares against the other position by position:

Catcher: Jorge Posada (NYY) vs. Carlos Ruiz (PHI)

Jorge Posada has been clutch for the New York Yankees time and time again. He also brings with him a more experienced career in the World Series than Ruiz. But Jorge Posada may not play every World Series game.

AJ Burnett likes Jose Molina to be his personal character, but Molina brings very little if any pop to the lineup. Joe Girardi might make a change in the World Series to benefit his hitting.

Ruiz is a very underrated catcher. Many fans, players, and even coaches don't expect much out of Ruiz, but he has been very clutch for the Phillies in the World Series. In fact, he could have been named the 2008 World Series MVP. He hit very well last year and that has carried on into this year's postseason. Ruiz is also a very good defensive catcher.

Edge: Yankees

First-Baseman: Mark Teixeira (NYY) vs. Ryan Howard (PHI)

One of the best first-baseman from the American League goes against one of the best first-baseman from the National League this World Series.

Mark Teixeira has struggled this postseason, but has recently started to get out of his slump. He has five hits with four RBI in his last three games.

Ryan Howard is the one batter that brings fear to Yankee fans as they watch the game. He has two home runs in nine postseason games. Along with those offensive numbers, he has hit when it means the most, because he has 14 RBI this year. Proof is also seen in the trophy that he held after winning the NLCS. He earned MVP honors for the NLCS.

Teixeira may be a bit slower with the bat than Howard this postseason, but he has come through clutch with his glove. As a past Gold Glove winner, he has bailed the Yankees out of jams in the ALDS against the Twins and in the ALCS against the Angels. Howard doesn't have that piece of hardware in his collection, which clearly gives Teixeira the edge on the defensive side.

Edge: Even

Second-Baseman: Robinson Cano (NYY) vs. Chase Utley (PHI)

Chase Utley has made himself the best second-baseman in the major leagues in the last few years. But this year he has slowed down in the playoffs. He has hit .303 and only two RBI during this year's playoffs. Defensively Utley is also pretty good. He can cover a lot of ground for Howard in the right-side of the infield.

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