(My Sportsbook) - No matter who comes out on the winning end of the 2002 World Series, that team will need to get the most from every player possible. Whether it's the Anaheim Angels and their team-oriented approach, or even Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants, no single player will decide the eventual champion.

With that in mind, let's take a look at each position.

CATCHER

Benito Santiago has been around a long time, but San Francisco's 37-year-old backstop has been reborn. He holds the most important spot in the Giants' order, batting behind Bonds. Despite the pressure, Santiago was a force in the NLCS with six hits (two home runs) and six RBI versus the Cardinals. He single-handedly won Game 4 against St. Louis with a two-run homer following an intentional walk to Bonds. His counterpart, Bengie Molina, is nowhere near as important to his team's success as Santiago. Molina bats near the bottom of the order and is asked to be a solid defensive catcher and a smart batsman. He is the weak link offensively, but he has enough talent around him to concentrate solely on his work behind the plate. ADVANTAGE: Giants.

FIRST BASE

One of Anaheim's top guns is first-sacker Scott Spiezio, who does everything well. He batted .375 over the first two rounds of the playoffs, driving in a total of 11 runs. In the final four games of the ALCS, he had six hits and five RBI. He can hit for power, and he is a reliable defensive player as well. San Francisco's J.T. Snow may be an even better player in the field, but is not the threat that Spiezio is at the plate. Snow won't dictate the Giants success the same way Spiezio will matter to Anaheim's cause. ADVANTAGE: Angels.

SECOND BASE

Jeff Kent might get the edge over any other second baseman in baseball. The former MVP is a potentially-crippling batter to opposing pitchers, although he hasn't contributed much in the postseason. That's why he'll be so dangerous in the World Series. He's one of the best-hitting 2B of all-time and his bat can't possibly stay silent for another playoff round. Adam Kennedy was a spark for the Angels with his three-HR game against Minnesota, but he doesn't start against lefthanders and isn't a consistent factor. ADVANTAGE: Giants.

THIRD BASE

Troy Glaus has used his time in the playoff spotlight to emerge as one of the best young infielders in the game. The 26-year-old California native had four home runs in the postseason and batted .314. He has serious pop, and crushes balls left out over the plate. He's a solid defensive player also. San Francisco's David Bell is steady at the plate, and he loves to swing the bat. Bell can hit homers, but any long balls he hits in the World Series will be a bonus. ADVANTAGE: Angels.

SHORTSTOP

Eckstein will annoy opposing pitchers and he never seems to have a bad at-bat. He has hit in all but one of Anaheim's nine playoff games and plays with his heart. He wasn't blessed with size or great athleticism, but he makes up for his shortcomings by playing smart. Once he gets going, look out, because the rest of the Angels love to use him as their catalyst. San Francisco's Rich Aurilia isn't a great defender either, but he provided 12 RBI in the playoffs. He has picked up his game in October, and will make pitchers work to get him out. ADVANTAGE: Even.

LEFT FIELD

This spot was tough to decide. After all, Bonds only has 613 career home runs and hit a career-high .370 in the regular season. His last two offensive seasons have been epic, and he was a monster in the postseason with four homers and 10 RBI. Bonds has a score to settle in the World Series, and he will give it everything he has. On the other hand, Garret Anderson is one of Anaheim's best pure hitters but couldn't win this matchup in his dreams. He is a valuable piece to the Angels' offense, however, and had an impressive seven RBI in the playoffs. ADVANTAGE: Giants.

CENTER FIELD

Kenny Lofton may have the better physical skills, but Anaheim's Darin Erstad is the glue on the Angels roster. Erstad is a perennial Gold Glove candidate and delivers timely hits. He does all the little things to win games, and his value won't always show up in the box score. He's a smart baserunner and a clever line-drive hitter. Lofton's speed is his greatest asset, and he can hurt you with his base-stealing prowess. He was brought in from Chicago for the postseason, so let's see if he delivers in the World Series. So far, he's been doing just what the team has asked. ADVANTAGE: Even.

RIGHT FIELD

The Giants have a World Series tough Reggie Sanders in right. Last season, Sanders played in the Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and performed pretty well. Sanders is a solid fielder and a decent bat, but he strikes out too much. The veteran has struggled mightily at the plate in the postseason, batting just .147 with no homers and one RBI. Anaheim also has a veteran in Tim Salmon handling right field. Salmon has had a great comeback year, but his numbers weren't impressive against Minnesota. The 34-year-old is a consistent fielder that committed just three errors all year. ADVANTAGE: Angels.

DESIGNATED HITTER

Anaheim's pair of designated hitters, Brad Fullmer and Shawn Wooten, form a solid combo. Fullmer bats left and plays against righthanders, while Wooten bats right and faces southpaws. Wooten has been extremely dangerous in the postseason, registering eight hits in 17 at-bats for a .471 average. Fullmer is a doubles expert and is hitting .316 in the playoffs. The Giants have a variety of decent options, including Shawon Dunston, Tsuyoshi Shinjo or Marvin Benard. Dunston is the likely choice, but he has had just three at-bats in the postseason. Shinjo, Dunston and Benard have combined for just four plate appearances. ADVANTAGE: Angels.

BENCH

The Angels have a lot of depth on their bench, including players such as Benji Gil, Chone Figgins, Alex Ochoa and Jose Molina. Gil has been outstanding in clutch spots, going 4-for-7 at the plate in the postseason. The utility player is capable of playing any of the infield positions. Figgins is a speedster that will be primarily a pinch runner. Ochoa is an excellent outfielder with a lot of range and Molina is a very talented catcher. San Francisco hasn't used its bench a whole lot in the postseason. Dunston and Tom Goodwin are the only two that have seen substantial time. Baker clearly doesn't trust his bench in key moments. ADVANTAGE: Angels.

STARTING PITCHING

Anaheim lefthander Jarrod Washburn has been leading the way, but things drop off substantially from there. Washburn has been a horse for Angels in the playoffs, twirling 19 innings. Number 2 starter Kevin Appier has been shaky at best, while excitable Ramon Ortiz has been up-and-down. Besides Washburn, rookie John Lackey has been the Angels' most consistent starter in the playoffs. Lackey has appeared in just two games with one start, surrendering only six hits in 10 frames of action. The Giants are a bit deeper with four capable hurlers, including Livan Hernandez, Jason Schmidt, Kirk Rueter and Russ Ortiz. None of them has an ERA under three in the playoffs though, including Rueter with a 7.07. Schmidt, who is expected start Game 1, and Hernandez are a formidable starting duo that could make things tough for the Angels. Hernandez is a proven winner in the postseason dating back to his days with the Florida Marlins. ADVANTAGE: Giants.

RELIEF PITCHING

The Giants feature a bullpen of relative unknowns and one aging veteran. Felix Rodriguez and Tim Worrell have seen the most mound time for the Giants, combining for 15 frames of action. The duo has surrendered 13 hits and six earned runs during its work. Other righthanded options are rarely used Manny Aybar and Jay Witasick. San Francisco's best lefthanded reliever is Scott Eyre, who has yet allow a run in three innings of spot duty in the playoffs. Eyre will be a key to the Giants' bullpen in this series with the multitude of talented lefties in the Anaheim lineup. Anaheim counters with an impressive bullpen led by rookie Francisco Rodriguez. "K-Rod" as he has been nicknamed, has fanned a relief playoff record 15 and posted four wins. Frankie has solidified the Angels' bullpen with his stellar late inning work. Young righthander Brendan Donnelly is a solid option as well, but veteran lefthander Scott Schoenweis will be the key. Schoenweis is the best southpaw the Angels have in the bullpen and he will likely be called upon to face Barry Bonds on more than one occasion. ADVANTAGE: Angels.

CLOSERS

Both the Angels and the Giants possess veteran stoppers in Troy Percival and Robb Nen. Percival is the more consistent of the two, as he doesn't put himself in as many tough spots. The 33-year-old has surrendered just six hits and two runs over 6 2/3 innings of work in the postseason. Percival has fanned seven and hasn't permitted a walk in the playoffs. Nen's numbers are better with five saves, while surrendering just seven hits and one run over six innings of work. The 32-year-old Nen has struck out five and walked two in the postseason. Overall, Percival has the better stuff. ADVANTAGE: Angels.

MANAGER

The World Series re-unites a pair of former Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in the Giants' Dusty Baker and the Angels' Mike Scioscia. When they played together the circumstances were similar, as Baker was the veteran and Scioscia was a rookie. Baker is the veteran manager with postseason experience and has proven to have been the cream of the crop in the National League. The Giants' skipper surprisingly out-managed Tony La Russa in the NLCS. Scioscia has had amazing success in his third year at the helm, but doesn't have the seasoning that Baker possesses. ADVANTAGE: Giants.