MLB World Series 2011 Predictions: Rangers' Depth Will End Cardinals' Magic Run

The Texas Rangers can beat opposing teams in a myriad of ways. They've got starting pitching. They've got a bullpen. They can play defense. And oh, they can destroy teams with their lineup.

The Rangers learned something a year ago when they lost to the surprising San Francisco Giants.

Now here we are, only a year later, with the Rangers ahead on paper against another surprise pennant winner.

St. Louis wasn't even supposed to be in the postseason, but they made it happen.

They certainly weren't supposed to beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the divisional round of the playoffs and as for the Milwaukee Brewers, well, there was a reason they won the NL Central and Cardinals didn't.

But lo and behold, it is the Cardinals, not the Phillies or Brewers, taking on the Rangers in the World Series.

We could chalk this up to another magical run that is supposed to end with Cardinals hoisting the trophy, but the Rangers won't be beaten that way twice.

The Rangers only played second fiddle in runs scored this year to the mighty Yankees and Red Sox. The reason Texas is still alive and those teams are not is because the Rangers have everything else needed to win too.

They can hit for power and they can hit for contact. They can run and they can play small.

The Cardinals can certainly hit the baseball well, but the Rangers can match that and more. St. Louis led the NL with 762 runs scored while the Rangers finished third in the AL with 855.

Defensively, this matchup favors the Rangers. In fact, the only place the Cardinals have the true edge is with Chris Carpenter on the mound and Tony La Russa in the dugout.

Could the Cardinals get three dominant games from Carpenter and steal one more game elsewhere? 

Absolutely.

But this Texas lineup and bullpen is too talented and too deep to let it happen that way.

The Rangers fell victim to this type of matchup last year, but it won't happen again.