| is how I see the playoffs shaking out in the | | | | could just be the team that got hot at the right |
| American League. | | | | time. I still think the Yanks will have just too much |
| New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins: This is | | | | firepower for the Twins to deal with. Prediction: |
| the battle of opposite payrolls. The Yankees | | | | New York in four. |
| shelled out a king's ransom last offseason and the | | | | Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels: The |
| Twins don't have a very high payroll at all. The | | | | Angels' pitching seems to be rounding into form at |
| Yankees are looking like the best team in baseball | | | | the right time, but so does Boston's. The Angels |
| and have to be the favorite to win the World | | | | have a good front end of the rotation with John |
| Series. With CC Sabathia starting Game 1, the | | | | Lackey and Scott Kazmir heading things up. |
| Yanks will have a true ace on the mound, while | | | | Lackey came on at the end of the regular |
| the Twins don't have several of their top pitchers | | | | season, for the most part, and Kazmir seemed to |
| healthy. The Yankees have one of the most | | | | figure some things out once he came over from |
| potent lineups in the history of the game, one | | | | Tampa Bay in a trade. The Red Sox pitching is |
| dotted with All-Stars, and the Twins have Joe | | | | deeper, though, as they've got Jon Lester, Josh |
| Mauer. | | | | Beckett, Dice-K and Clay Buckholtz. The Red Sox |
| Well, they've got more than just him, but he's | | | | have a more potent lineup, as well, but not by |
| unquestionably the best hitter in their lineup with | | | | much. The Angels should use their speed to give |
| Justin Morneau out. It seems like the Yankees | | | | the Sox fits on the base paths, but the Red Sox |
| should be a huge favorite based on talent alone, | | | | have had the Halos' number as of late and I think |
| but the Twins have been hot down the stretch. | | | | there's a good chance that that trend continues. |
| They overcame an almost insurmountable lead to | | | | Prediction: Boston in five. |
| win the American League Central division and | | | | |