MLB Playoffs 2011: Why Phillies and Rangers Will Meet in World Series

As the San Francisco Giants proved last season, anything can happen once the postseason begins.

But there are several reasons to believe the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers will meet in the World Series this year.

The Phillies, who were ousted by the Giants in last year's NLCS, have only improved since then. Not only has the acquisition of ace Cliff Lee been monumental, the emergence of youngster Vance Worley has helped reinforce their bullpen outside of closer Ryan Madson and set-up men Brad Lidge and Antonio Bastardo.

The Phillies had the lowest ERA in baseball during the regular season, giving up 3.02 runs per game. They were also incredibly consistent. Their ERA before the All-Star break was 3.02. Their ERA after the All-Star break was 3.01.

On top of this, the Phillies still have plenty of firepower on offense. They scored 329 runs after the All-Star break—tied for eighth in the league.

As for the Rangers, the reigning AL champs have come back for more. Despite losing Lee to the Phillies, the starting rotation has been better than expected, posting a 3.61 ERA after the All-Star break. This has been in large part due to the emergence of starters Alexi Ogando, Matt Harrison and Derek Holland.

In the postseason, the Rangers opted to transfer Ogando to a bullpen that was already one of the best in baseball, complete with midseason acquisitions Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. That only shortens the games even more for the Rangers, who won't hesitate to go to their bullpen early if their starters are struggling.

There's also the issue of the Rangers' offense. This team has always been able to score runs, but the explosiveness of this year's squad is even more dynamic than last season's. After scoring 334 runs in 2010, the Rangers scored 398 runs this season, second in baseball.

The verdict? The Phillies and Rangers are the two most complete teams in baseball—two squads who can beat you handily with either their offense or pitching.

It's going to be a great postseason, but I see the Phillies and Rangers ultimately meeting in the World Series, with the Phillies winning it all.