MLB Playoffs

Start with a power ranking:

1. Phillies
2. Rays
3. Yankees
4. Twins
5. Giants
6. Reds
7. Braves
8. Rangers

For virtually all of this year I thought the Rays and Yankees (in ever-oscillating order) were the two best teams in the league. But in the last few weeks, the Phillies hit their stride while the Yanks and Rays started drooping. The Yankees lineup is phenomenonal but the pitching between Sabathia and Rivera is a mystery; the Rays cruised all year but they've lost some intensity in September. By the end of the year, the Twins were in that mix as well.

After those first 4, the next 4 best teams are at least a step behind. The Giants and Reds did it with fiercesome pitching, disciplined defense and good-enough hitting; the Braves rode a hot summer and then held on while the Padres lagged; and the Rangers were just better than the other crappy teams in their division (w/out Josh Hamilton hard to imagine them beating anyone).

Predictions:
AL
Twins over Yankees in 5
Rays over Rangers in 4
Rays over Twins in 5

NL
Phillies over Reds in 4
Giants over Braves in 4
Phillies over Braves in 4

A rematch of the 2008 World Series--a good one--while others are predicting a rematch of the 2009 World Series (the Phillies are better now, the Yankees are not). This seems like the last hurrah for the Rays, as they'll start peeling off payroll in the off-season (they'll hold on to that pitching as long as they can, but Crawford and Pena will be in pinstripes next year, I reckon). So, just to confound the baseball gods, I'll go ahead and take the Rays over the Phillies in 7. (Yeah, I took the road team in game 7, but remember: the Rays home park is the lamest in all of sports, no wonder they're road wizards!)