HTML: Scouting the infielders Catcher: Jorge Posada vs. Carlos Ruiz. Carlos Ruiz Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 322 32 82 9 43 47 39 .255 He’s an excellent defensive catcher but is not a good offensive one. He doesn’t have great regular season numbers but can deliver the clutch hit when needed. He hit very well against the Dodgers batting .385 with one home run and four RBI in 13 at bats. He also walked five times. Jorge Posada Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 383 55 109 22 81 48 101 .285 Jorge Posada has good regular season numbers for a catcher but had a poor series against the Angels. He’s batted .200 with one home run and one RBI. He can hit the ball out of the park at anytime to tie or win the game and doesn’t choke in the spot light. Advantage: Yankees. Even though Jorge won’t catch every game in the World Series, the Yankees will use him off the bench after Burnett leaves the game. He’s a threat every time up. First Base: Mark Teixeira vs. Ryan Howard Now this is what you call a match up. Ryan Howard Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 616 105 172 45 141 75 186 .279 Ryan Howard will struggle against left-handed pitchers but can carry a team for long stretches if he gets hot. He strikes out, a lot. He had big clutch hits against the Dodgers and was named the NLCS MVP. He batted .333 with two home runs and eight RBI to go along with five runs scored. Mark Teixeira Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 609 103 178 39 122 81 114 .292 A MVP regular season candidate. He is a switch hitter and has more power from his left side than his right. He can be streaky at times. He did not hit well against the Angels batting only .222 with no home runs and four RBI with two runs scored in 27 at bats. He can hit a game tying or winning home run at anytime and is dangerous. Advantage: Phillies Slight edge to Ryan Howard because he was named NLCS MVP. Second Baseman: Robinson Cano vs. Chase Utley Chase Utley Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 571 112 161 31 93 88 110 .282 His defense would be his weakness but that’s improving. He’s the best hitting second baseman in the game. He hit poorly against the Dodgers batting .211 with no home runs, one RBI and three runs scored in 19 at bats. Robinson Cano Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 637 103 204 25 85 30 63 .320 Has one of the best left-handed swings in the game, with tremendously quick hands. Eats fastballs a live and mauls right-handed pitching. Has a good arm. He doesn’t run well on the base paths and has limited range at second base. He did not hit well against the Angels batting .261 with zero home runs, four RBI and three runs scored. Advantage: Phillies. Chase Utely is the best second baseman in MLB. Short-stop: Derek Jeter vs. Jimmy Rollins Jimmy Rollins Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 672 100 168 21 77 44 70 .250 Has decent power for a short stop evidenced by his 21 home runs. He has great range and a great arm. He also has instincts, hustle and speed on the base-paths. He did not hit well against the Dodgers batting only .227 with no home runs and three RBI in 22 at bats. Derek Jeter Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 634 107 212 18 66 72 90 .334 He’s a phenomenal clutch player and is smooth on the base-paths. His instincts are also first-rate. One of the best players in the series. He has limited range in the field and hits into a lot of double plays. He hit ok against the Angels. He batted .259 with two home runs and three RBI but also walked six times in 27 at bats. He scored five runs. Advantage: Yankees Derek Jeter will always come through in the clutch in the playoffs and will make that unbelievable play when you need it most. Third base: Alex Rodriguez vs. Pedro Feliz Pedro Feliz Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 580 62 154 12 82 35 68 .266 Has considerable power and run production and is a solid defender who can play anywhere. Has an ugly walk/strikeout ratio and doesn’t hit right-handed pitchers consistently. He had a terrible series against the Dodgers batting .118 while hitting one home run and two RBI in 17 at bats. Alex Rodriguez Year AB R H HR RBI BB K AVG 2009 Season 444 78 127 30 100 80 97 .286 One of the best hitters of all time. He’s a great athlete that hits for contact and power. He dominated the ALCS with a .429 batting average and had three home runs with six RBI to go along with a team high eight walks in 21 at bats. He scored six runs. Advantage: Yankees. This is the biggest mismatch on paper.