Debate Of The Young Sports Minds: World Series Winner?

Alright, Luke and I switching things up a little bit and adding 3 questions to every debate, to prevent us from making the same argument over and over again. It should be a welcome change and add some spice into this weekly segment.

So since postseason baseball is the talk right now, we're going be debating that. The first question in the series is:

WHO IS GONNA WIN THE WORLD SERIES?

LUKE: The big disclaimer on this question is that once these teams make it to the postseason, it becomes a crapshoot with regards to picking a winner. Some teams get hot at the right time and others cool off when it matters the most. That being said - all things being considered equal - the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have the best shot to win the World Series. They are simply the team with the most positives.

It starts with their manager Mike Scioscia, who is one of the game's best. He remains level-headed throughout, and knows how to flat-out win. Having already won a World Series shows that he knows what it takes to capture the championship, which is a tremendous asset to a ball club.

Their offense is one of the most well-balanced in all of baseball. They have power with in the middle of the order with Mark Teixeira (33 home runs), Vladimir Guerrero (27 home runs) and Torii Hunter (21 home runs). They have guys who can hit for average and get on base like Chone Figgins and Howie Kendrick. They also have the ageless wonder Garret Anderson who hit .293 this season with 15 home runs and 84 RBI's to provide leadership experience and come up big with a clutch base-hit.

Their pitching staff resembles their offense in the case of being balanced from top to bottom. They had four pitchers start more than 30 games which shows durability and reliability. All five of their main starters won more than ten games, which shows depth. Just look at their numbers. Joe Saunders 17-7, Ervin Santana 16-7, Jon Garland 14-8, John Lackey 12-5, and Jered Weaver 11-10.

And oh yeah, don't forget their closer.

Francisco Rodriguez was amazing this year, closing a Major-League record 62 games. He provides the anchor to a tremendously under-rated Angels pitching staff. You know playoff games come down to the ninth inning, and who else would you want running out of the bullpen to close the game THIS SEASON than K-Rod?

However, the biggest asset for this Angels squad is that they are finally healthy come October. Last season they were banged up, and it showed as they were dispatched by the Red Sox. This time around it is Boston who is nicked up and Anaheim with the health advantage.

Cases could be made for just about any team this year, but the Angels have the strongest.

MATT: As you stated in your argument, picking a team to win the World Series is a crapshoot. Because in no way does the best team always win. Teams like the Rockies 0f 2007 are the perfect example of a team that got hot when it mattered and got to the World Series though in no way, were they the NL's best. With that in mind, I'm taking a huge gamble here and picking the Tampa Bay Rays to win it all.

And unlike Luke, I don't have that much to back it up. The Angels, Red Sox and Cubs are all better teams than the Rays but just like in 1997 with the Marlins and D'Backs in 2001, no one really gave them a chance to win it all. But despite what others thought, they stayed true to themselves and their game and won it all. That's what I think the Rays are going to do.

The playoff experience on this team is slim to none. But you know the saying: ignorance is bliss. Sometimes, not knowing the pressures of the playoffs allows the team to stay loose during the stressful time. Players like Evan Longoria, Dioner Navarro and Scott Kazmir can just play like they always do, though playing in a full Tropicana Field will be something new to see for sure.

And this is a team that knows how to win the big game. They've done it all year en route to winning their division. They won the season series with the Angels 6-3. Won the season series with the Red Sox 10-8. Won the season series with the White Sox 4-2 and tied the season series with Twins 3-3. They held off the Yanks and Red Sox all year despite nearly everyone saying it couldn't be done.

And if you mention managers, you have to remember that Joe Maddon has done an amazing job with this team. They believe in him and he believes in them. His demeanor and attitude is exactly what this team needs. And more importantly, he was the bench coach for Mike Scioscia when the Angels won the World Series in 2002 so he also knows what it takes to capture a championship.

So again, cases can be made for any team and for sure, better cases can be made for the Cubs, Red Sox and Angels. But sometimes, you have to throw out the numbers and go with your instincts. Mine are saying this Rays team has the pieces in place to make a good run at the title. They have the manager, they have the players but more importantly, they have been battle-tested all season to make up for their lack of playoff experience.

Now, it's just time to see if they can put it all together and win a World Series.