With the incredible off-season hauls of both franchises, the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies have set themselves up for dominant seasons- and a potential collision course for the 2011 World Series.Each team has achieved major coups on opposite sides of the ball. After coming under fire from their own fan base for not being as devoted to winning a World Series championship as they should- or as they may desire to be- the Red Sox overhauled their lineup with the additions of two superstar players, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford.The Phillies, meanwhile, swooped in out of nowhere to land coveted free agent starting pitcher Cliff Lee, who turned down more money and years from the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers to return to Philadelphia.The Boston offense has markedly improved. From a pure numbers standpoint, on paper Gonzalez and Crawford don't seem to have much potential to produce more than the Red Sox's two biggest losses of the off-season, Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre.But the fact is, Gonzalez and Crawford are simply better than those two. And considering how much each of their situations has improved, both guys' offensive numbers stand to be on the up-swing.With Gonzalez, it could be a huge swing. The guy hit .298 with 38 home runs and 101 RBI with a bum shoulder in a weak San Diego padres lineup playing half his games in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Now he's healthy and batting in the heart of a loaded lineup playing half his games in Fenway Park, which is tailored perfectly to his swing.Simply put, his 2011 numbers could match Martinez and Beltre combined.As for Crawford, it looks like he could be in line to bat third in the Boston lineup, which means his run production should also see a boost. He had a career-high 19 home runs and 90 RBI last season with the Tampe Bay Rays, so being in the Red Sox lineup batting in Fenway with the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia getting on base before him, a .300-20-100 season could be within reach.In Philly, the Cliff Lee signing incredibly makes him the No.2 starter, because the Phillies already have reigning NL Cy Young winner and arguably the best pitcher on the planet in Roy Halladay. They have easily the best 1-2 rotation punch in baseball, and it's a haymaker.And we haven't even gotten to Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels serving as the No.3 and No.4 starters- making the Phillies rotation not just the deepest and strongest in baseball, but one with the potential to rank with the all-time greats, if everyone repeats their performance from 2010.Red Sox vs. Phillies will most certainly be the most popular World Series prediction for the 2011 season. It's an easy choice, considering how loaded each team is now. But it's also a compelling series considering just how well these two teams really match up.Each team's strengths and weaknesses lie in the same areas. Both teams have deep rotations and powerful lineups to go along with great team defense. And both teams have question marks in the bullpen, particularly in middle relief.Do the Phillies have the edge due to their beastly rotation? Do the Red Sox have it now that they've added two superstar hitters to their seasoned group of playoff veterans? It's going to be an intriguing match-up to follow all season, and it will only grow in anticipation since the two teams won't play each other in 2011...Unless it's in the World Series.Get your popcorn ready.
![[icon]](/data/avatars/m/5/5167.jpg?1660313464){kind=avatar}
