The National League Championship Series is set to kick off tonight in Los Angeles as the Dodgers and Phillies meet in a rematch of last year’s playoff series.  Last year, the Phillies took care of business en route to their first World Series title in 28 years.  Will it be any different this year?

Catcher

At the outset of these playoffs, it was not a case of which of these two, Russell Martin or Carlos Ruiz, was better.  It was more a question of how much better Martin was than Ruiz.  However, in the NLDS, it was Ruiz who showed up for his team in a way that he usually doesn’t, coming up with key hits in the Phils’ 3-1 victory. 

So, the gap has certainly narrowed. Still, Martin has shown a more consistent pattern of success, and there was never enough concern about him to make the Dodgers go out and get Paul Bako.

Advantage: Dodgers

First Baseman

Much like in the American League, this is a very big mismatch.  The Dodgers have a serviceable 1B in James Loney, who disappointed by not really having the breakout season that many were predicting, but still had a very respectable year. 

The Phillies counter with the Big Man, Ryan Howard, who continues to rack up stunning power numbers, benefiting greatly from having a powerful lineup around him.  He also got his batting average up to a respectable level this year, making him even more dangerous to pitch to.

Advantage: Phillies

Second Baseman

Chase Utley is hands-down the best second baseman in the Majors today.  Not one other 2B gets it done batting and fielding quite like he does.  On top of that, he is the Phillies’ quiet team leader and a hero in the City of Brotherly Love. 

The Dodgers have yet another solid presence at 2B in Ronnie Belliard, whom I personally think is one of the more underrated second basemen in the Majors, but he’s not nearly in the same category as Utley.

Advantage: Phillies

Third Baseman

Moving to the left side of the infield makes it a lot tougher to determine who’s superior between these two teams.  The Phillies have Pedro Feliz at the hot corner, who is always solid, but far from spectacular, and isn’t the player you expect to get hurt by if you’re a Dodger fan. 

Casey Blake has had a bit of a resurgence since leaving Cleveland for LA, but still is far from a superstar.  That being said, it’s hard to imagine either of these two having a major impact in this series.

Advantage: Push

Shortstop

Another slot in the infield that it’s truly unclear as to who has the advantage, but the difference is that both Jimmy Rollins and Rafael Furcal could have a major impact on this series. 

Rollins has the ability to give the Phils a quick start, with his unusual power hitting from the leadoff spot, as well as good speed on the basepaths, and very good defensive skills.  Furcal has been one of the more clutch players for LA down the stretch, along with Andre Ethier, and isn’t a slouch out in the field, either.

Advantage: Push

Outfield

The Dodgers’ outfielders have certainly drawn the most attention this postseason, and that’s not a surprise when you have Manny Ramirez in left field.  The real surprises have been his supporting cast of Ethier and Matt Kemp, who have come up with numerous timely hits and home runs for LA down the stretch, and who both played very well in the sweep of the Cardinals. 

The Phillies have a pretty good outfield, though, too, with Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez, all of whom could have been All-Stars this year in the NL.  The play of these groups in the field, as opposed to at the plate, might be a key to this series.

Advantage: Push

Starting Pitching

This is the separating point between these two teams. I feel it would be a dis-service to take the time and explain this, so I’ll just list the starting rotations for both teams.  For the Dodgers, it’ll be Clayton Kershaw, followed by Phillie outcasts Vincente Padilla and Randy Wolf, and finally either Hiroki Kuroda or Chad Billingsley. 

These five have a combined season record of 51-39, and an ERA close to 4.00.  The Phils counter with Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, J.A. Happ, Pedro Martinez, and maybe Joe Blanton.  Lee should automatically give them two wins, Pedro has been a huge surprise and has always pitched well in the playoffs, and Hamels and Blanton have been here before and excelled.

Advantage: Phillies

Relief Pitching

Almost the complete opposite of starting pitching, with the Phillies having some major bullpen issues as they sit on the ledge whenever they need to call on Brad Lidge to close out a game. 

The Dodgers, meanwhile, might have the best overall group of relievers in the playoffs, which is a huge advantage for the Dodgers if they get into a high-scoring game or an extra innings game with the Phils.  Not to mention, Johnathan Broxton has been lights out all year for Los Angeles.

Advantage: Dodgers

Taking all of these things into account, as well as a few other factors, including the Phillies success on the road and its similar success against left-handed pitchers.  This is why I am taking the Phillies in six.

Now that the playoff picture has pretty much all but taken its final shape, I have taken the liberty of removing any and all Twins or Braves from the remaining lists, so don’t be confused that the list stops at No. 8 as opposed to No. 10. 

That being said, today we’re looking at the group of second basemen headed into the Divisional Series next week. 

This is a group that is a good bit different from the first basemen in that some of these guys are really good, but you’ve never heard of them. 

However, there is definitely more of a separation between the second basemen than their first base compadres.

1. Chase Utley, Phillies

I really had to look closely at both him and defending AL MVP Dustin Pedroia to determine which one is actually No. 1, but in the end it’s hard not to pick Utley because of what he means to the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Utley has had another great offensive year as far as second basemen go, hitting .285 with 31 homers and 90 RBI.

He was named the starting 2B for the NL in the All-Star Game and is looking like he will win his fourth consecutive Silver Slugger Award. 

He solidifies the middle of the Phils’ lineup with Ryan Howard and is probably the most popular man in the City of Brotherly Love.

He also plays a solid defensive game, committing 12 errors in 153 games this season.

2. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox

I’m probably going to receive several complaints about Pedroia not being No. 1 on this list, but there are two reasons for that. 

First, Pedroia, unlike Utley, is a top of the batting order guy, along with teammate Jacoby Ellsbury. And to put a guy who isn’t the focal point of the team ahead of Utley would be just wrong. 

Second, his numbers aren’t as good as last year, as he’s hitting .298 with 13 homers and 68 RBI, all of which are down from a year ago. 

However, the number that stands out with Pedroia is 45 strikeouts in 615 at bats this season. There’s a reason he’s known as a pest by opposing pitchers, and that’s exactly why. 

There might not be a player in the league who will fight off more pitches in a two strike count than Pedroia, which makes him extremely valuable in a situation where Boston needs to advance a runner or get a runner in. 

He’s also one of the best defensive second basemen in the league. The 2008 Gold Glove Award winner, Pedroia has committed only six errors in 150 games for the Sox this year.

3. Robinson Cano, Yankees

After a down year in 2008, Cano has had a pretty big comeback year. He is among the AL leaders in batting average, hitting .322, and also has 202 hits on the year, including a career-high 25 home runs. 

Cano has been a frustrating player for Yankees fans, at times, however, as he has a tendency to get a little to flashy with the glove, which has caused him to make 12 errors in 158 games this year. 

Cano also has the luxury of hitting in a lineup behind guys like A-Rod and Mark Teixeira, which is a solid explanation for the jump in his numbers in ‘09.

4. Placido Polanco, Tigers

Polanco is one of the most underrated second basemen in the MLB every year.  Much like Dustin Pedroia, Polanco is extremely difficult to strike out. He has only whiffed 43 times in 599 at bats this season, making him the leader in the very widely recognized stat category of at bats per strikeout for the third consecutive year in the AL. 

Polanco is also looking like the favorite to win his second career Gold Glove, as he has been stellar defensively all year, committing only two errors in 147 games for the Tigers.

5. Orlando Hudson, Dodgers

Hudson left the Arizona Diamondbacks after the 2008 season and was a player that was on a lot of teams’ wish list. He didn’t sign until late in the free agent signing period with the L.A. Dodgers, but it hasn’t caused him to miss a beat in 2009. 

The ‘09 All-Star selection is having his best offensive season since ‘06, which was his first year in Arizona. He’s hitting .285, and is also just short of career highs in just about every major stat category. 

The O-Dog also continues to play the position about as well as anyone in the Majors, committing only eight errors in 146 games, which puts him in position to be a candidate for his fourth career Gold Glove.

6. Howie Kendrick/Maicer Izturis, Angels

These two have spent the year splitting time at second base for the Halos, and their numbers are almost exactly the same. 

Both are hitting right around .300, lack power, but get on base a lot, which fits in nicely with Mike Scioscia’s overall strategy at the plate. 

They have only committed six errors combined at 2B this year, as well, which would place them second in the AL behind Polanco if this were one player instead of two.

7. Skip Schumaker, Cardinals

Schumaker originally came up and looked like a super utility player for the Cards to hold onto.  However, Skip showed that he can hit in ‘08 and has continued that through this season, hitting .303.

This is important considering there are times when he bats in front of the pitcher, which explains his total lack of run production for the year with only 35 RBI. 

The permanency of him at second took a little while for him to adjust to defensively, as well, which explains his nine errors in just 130 games at the position this year.

8. Clint Barmes, Rockies

Barmes looked like he was going to be the Next Big Thing after a great campaign in 2005.  However, after a disappointing ‘06 and then a freak accident in the beginning of 2007, Barmes fell way off of everybody’s radar. 

Now he’s working his way back at second base, rather than shortstop, and has improved his power numbers—the norm for anyone on the Rockies—with career highs in home runs (23) and RBI (76). 

However, he is still only hitting .246 on the year for a team that could use a few more contact hitters in its lineup. 

He’s also committed 12 errors in 136 games at the position, making him one of the weaker second basemen going into the playoffs.