ESPN

• Rank: How do you rank the World Series MVP candidates?

On Tuesday (when Phillies fans and Yankees haters could still picture the Bronx Bombers without a 2009 World Series title), a majority of SportsNation overwhelmingly picked Chase Utley as MVP of the World Series.

Yet with the Yankees taking home the title of world champs, was it only fitting that a New York player (Hideki Matsui) win the award? Or should Utley's numbers (most notably, his five home runs this series) have made him the 2009 World Series MVP? Discuss and vote below!

“

Matsui is the MVP. He single-handily [won] today's game and finished the series with 3 homers, 8 RBIs, .615 average. Sorry Mariano not this year.

” -- Jake-Macauley

• Vote on ALCS: Which Angels hitter is most dangerous in the clutch?
• Postseason Quiz: Do you know how to run the bases better than the pros?

Remember back when CC Sabathia was a postseason question mark, and Alex Rodriguez was the postseason answer you knew you didn't want? In other words, remember last week? Now people can't get enough of the Yankees' latest primetime playoff performers.

Sabathia had allowed 22 earned runs and 22 walks in his first 25 postseason innings. But after a strong outing against the Twins in the division series, he now edges out Philadelphia's Cliff Lee as SportsNation's first choice to start a must-win game.

• 57 percent of SN, including 71 percent in NY, say pitch Sabathia on short rest in ALCS

And after driving in 17 runs in his first 39 postseason games, A-Rod drove in six in three games against the Twins. But with the game on the line in the ninth inning, would you rather have Rodriguez at the plate than Derek Jeter?

“

This is the right move. With the 3 off days it only makes CC pitch on short rest once that is game 4, and it makes the bullpen deeper. Starters only need to go 6 innings. Joba 7th, Hughes 8th, Mo 9th game over.

” -- con1030

“

Jeter in the regular season: .317/.388./459. Jeter in the post season: .311/.380/.477. So no, Jeter isn't "clutch", he's just a damn good player.

” -- yanks23242