2008 World Series Matchups

Phillies: Carlos Ruiz (.219, 4 HR, 34 RBI) or Chris Coste (.263, 9 HR, 36 RBI)

Rays: Dioner Navarro (.295, 7 HR, 54 RBI)

Ruiz has been the starter in the playoffs, and is strong defensively. He handles pitchers well, and hit .313 in the NLCS against the Dodgers. But Navarro, just 24, is an All-Star and is equal or better in all categories. He has driven in five runs and hits better than .300 with runners in scoring position.

Phillies: Ryan Howard (.251, 48 HR, 146 RBI)

Rays: Carlos Pena (.247, 31 HR, 102 RBI)

This is the primary power spot for both teams. Howard, the NL home run champ this season, had a big September but hasn't hit a home run in the playoffs. It might be because teams are pitching around him - he has eight walks in nine playoff games. Pena missed the first two games of the White Sox series with a vision problem but is seeing clearly now. He has three homers and eight RBI in the playoffs. Pena is better in the field, but Howard is a bigger presence.

Phillies: Chase Utley (.293, 33 HR, 104 RBI)

Rays: Akinori Iwamura (.274, 6 HR, 48 RBI)

Both provide sparks to their teams, but in different ways. Utley's 33 homers are a career-high, and he's a consistent run-producer for Philadelphia. Iwamura is the Rays' leadoff hitter, and while not a prototype (nine playoff strikeouts), he gets the job done. Iwamura, a Gold Glove choice in Japan, is a slightly better fielder.

Phillies: Jimmy Rollins (.277, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 47 SB)

Rays: Jason Bartlett (.286, 1 HR, 37 RBI)

Rollins gets the Phillies started at the leadoff spot, and hit home runs to lead off the game in each of the team's playoff clinchers. The 2007 NL MVP, a switch-hitter didn't have the big stats this season, but his 47 stolen bases came in 50 chances. Bartlett solidified the Rays' defense up the middle, but isn't in the same class as his counterpart.

Phillies: Pedro Feliz (.249, 14 HR, 58 RBI)

Rays: Evan Longoria (.272, 27 HR, 85 RBI)

Feliz is in his second World Series (he was a role player in the 2002 World Series with the Giants), but hasn't been good when the postseason pressure is on. He's hitting .192 in the playoffs. Longoria, on the other hand, has already set a rookie record for postseason home runs with six. The front-runner for AL Rookie of the year is a solid fielder (one brutal stretch against Boston notwithstanding) and is vital to the Rays' chances. Longoria has scored 10 times and drove in 11 in 11 games.

Phillies: Pat Burrell (.250, 33 HR, 86 RBI)

Rays: Carl Crawford (.273, 8 HR, 57 RBI)

Burrell has three homers in the playoffs and has been the top run-producer in the first two rounds for Philadelphia. The Rays will have to be careful. Crawford, on the other hand, is a much better fielder and a four-time AL stolen-base champ, a true five-tool player who missed a big chunk of the second half with a finger injury. He's hitting .302 with six stolen bases and six RBI in the playoffs.

Phillies: Shane Victorino (.293, 14 HR, 58 RBI, 36 SB)

Rays: B.J. Upton (.273, 9 HR, 67 RBI)

Another tough call. Victorino, "The Flyin' Hawaiian", has 11 RBI already in the playoffs and plays a great center field, covering a lot of ground. So does Upton, an emerging star with seven homers, 13 runs scored and 15 RBI in the playoffs. Victorino has the intangibles, but Upton has the talent.

Phillies: Jayson Werth (.273, 24 HR, 67 RBI, 20 SB)

Rays: Gabe Gross (.242, 13 HR, 38 RBI) or Rocco Baldelli (.263, 4 HR, 13 RBI) or Fernando Perez (.250, 3 HR, 8 RBI)

Werth emerged as a starter in the second half and gets on base at a .363 clip. He's hitting .243 in the playoffs. Baldelli is the better hitter in the Rays' platoon, driving in four runs in two games against the Red Sox. Gross is 1 for 16 in the playoffs. Perez is the fastest but also the most raw.

Phillies: Geoff Jenkins (.246, 9 HR, 29 RBI), Greg Dobbs (.301, 9 HR, 40 RBI) or Matt Stairs (.252, 13 HR, 49 RBI combined with Toronto and Philadelphia)

Rays: Cliff Floyd (.268, 11 HR, 39 RBI) or Willy Aybar (.327, 10 HR, 33 RBI)

The Phillies could go in several directions for the first two games. They could play any of the above, or move Jenkins to left field and play Burrell at DH, or go with Eric Bruntlett or So Taguchi in the field. Stairs had a huge pinch-hit homer against the Dodgers and Dobbs is a great pinch hitter. For the Rays, Aybar is hitting .367 with two homers in the playoffs. He's a switch-hitter, with Floyd (.200, 1 HR in the playoffs) hitting from the left side.

Phillies: LHP Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09 ERA), RHP Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55), LHP Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71), RHP Joe Blanton (9-12, 4.69, combined between Phillies and A's)

Rays: LHP Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49), RHP James Shields (14-8, 3.56 ERA), RHP Matt Garza (11-9, 3.70), RHP Andy Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38)

Kazmir vs. Hamels is a matchup of two of the finest young lefties in baseball. While Hamels is probably the best starting pitcher in the series (3-0, 1.23 ERA in three playoff starts), the Rays have more depth, as Garza and Sonnanstine have been great in the playoffs. Moyer, 45, has been awful in the playoffs for the Phillies (0-2, 13.50 ERA), but will get the Game 3 start in Philadelphia.