The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won 100 games this season, dominating a weak A.L. West and winning the division in convincing fashion. For all intents and purposes, the Angels are similar to a National League club. With help from an American League scout, here's the skinny on the Angels.

Possible starting lineup

3B Chone Figgins: A very versatile guy and a solid defender with a fringe arm. ... Offensively he can spray the ball all over the field with no power. More important, he has improved his walk ratio greatly in 2008. ... Statistics aside, he's a pesky little bugger who can steal a base and wreak havoc.

LF Garrett Anderson: Once an all-fields hitter, he's become more of a dead-pull guy and his home run totals have dropped. He's a contact hitter and doesn't walk a lot. ... He's good in the No. 2 spot because he can move runners over. ... His arm is slightly below average. ... Suffered a bout of conjunctivitis and blurred vision in the ALDS against the Sox last October.

1B Mark Teixeira: A superstar player who can hit from both sides of the plate equally well. His power comes from the left side. No doubt he is one of the top five hitters in the league. He's a pure No. 3 hitter and opposing pitchers can't work him the same way. He can hit the fastball and the curveball very well and has little, if any, holes in his swing. He has an outstanding, Ted Williams-like .449 on-base percentage. ... He's an average defender, but moves better than you would think given his size. ... Was acquired at the trade deadline from Atlanta in exchange for Casey Kotchman. ... Teixeira has only gotten better since his arrival in Anaheim.

DH/RF Vladimir Guerrero: His offensive numbers have increased during the second half of the season and he's considered the best bad-ball hitter in the league. He can hit for power and average all over the field. ... Is very dangerous with men on base. ... Defensively no one can compare in terms of arm strength in the outfield, but his throwing can be erratic at times.

CF Torii Hunter: A top defender, probably the second-best in the league. ... His offensive numbers have come down to earth. ... Opposing pitchers need to work him on the outer half of the plate, where he has a slight hole in his swing. ... Likes to jump on a slider early in the count. ... He's a threat on the basepaths and is the second-fastest guy in the starting lineup, behind Figgins.

2B Howie Kendrick: Very aggressive at the plate and makes contact consistently, spraying the ball all over the field. Has little power, but good plate discipline and doesn't walk much. ... Could hit at the top of the order if he did walk more. ... Can also steal a base when needed. ... Is solid defensively.

OF Gary Matthews Jr.: Has become more of a platoon guy and not as much of an offensive threat due to injuries. ... Pitchers can beat him up and in, and low and away. ... Still a solid defender.

C Mike Napoli: Had a very good year offensively for a catcher. ... He's a good on-base guy and takes advantage of mistake pitches. ... Likes pitches up in the zone and can hurt you up there. ... He's slow behind the plate and is a below-average defender. ... Likely will be replaced late in games. ... Opponents can run on him.

C Jeff Mathis: Moves well and is incredibly quick behind the plate, with cat-like reflexes. ... Has a plus-arm and plus-awareness. ... Is very tough with runners on base. ... Defensively is the complete opposite of Napoli. ... Offensively Mathis shows no plate discipline and will chase bad pitches.

SS Erick Aybar: Has battled an array of injuries all season, including a dislocated pinky, hamstring and shoulder. ... Is a stronger hitter on the road. ... Is strong with runners in scoring position.

BENCH

3B/SS Brandon Wood: Young infielder with a lot of upside (Similar to the Sox' Jed Lowrie). ... Will be a very good player, but needs more time. ... Is very good on the left side of the infield. ... Is still learning the strike zone and will chase breaking balls early in the count. ... Has all the tools to be a solid player both offensively and defensively. He just needs more playing time.

OF Reggie Willits: Fastest guy on the team and a base stealing threat off the bench. ... Can play any outfield position.

OF Juan Rivera: A big and strong right-handed hitter. ... Can play all outfield positions, but mainly stays to the corners.

INF Sean Rodriguez: Rookie has made 45 starts at second base and two at shortstop, and committed only two errors. ... Offensively has 55 strikeouts in 167 at-bats (1 for every 3 at-bats).

STARTING ROTATION

RHP John Lackey: Works ultra fast, and if you're going to get to him it has to be early. If he can keep the opposition at bay through the first few innings, they're in trouble. ... He has a knockout slider with a plus-curveball. He commands his two- and four-seam fastball. ... Does have a tendency to throw a lot of pitches because he won't give in. ... Won't pitch to contact and looks to strike out every hitter. ... Will elevate his fastball and follows it up with his slider. ... Moves the ball well up and down in the zone. ... He's a true No. 1 pitcher. In the past has struggled at Fenway Park until this season. On July 29 was two outs away from tossing a no-hitter at Boston.

RHP Ervin Santana: Has a plus-curveball and his command has improved. ... His fastball is 92-95 mph, but his comfort zone is 92-93. ... Will try to put a hitter away with his curveball and likes to attack the zone. ... Can be compared with the Blue Jays' A.J. Burnett.

LHP Joe Saunders: He appears to be a control and command pitcher, but his stuff is better than that. ... Throws 88-91 with an impressive and deceptive delivery. ... Hides the ball well. ... Solid average stuff across the board . ... Not afraid to throw his change-up to right-handers and his breaking stuff to lefties. ... Will pitch to contact and doesn't walk a lot of batters.

RHP Jon Garland: This guy plays right into the Sox' hands. ... Is the ultimate contact pitcher but won't walk many. ... Relies on his sinker and slider. ... Is known for his low pitch counts but is not overpowering. ... Knows how to pitch.

BULLPEN

RHP Jered Weaver: A starter who will likely work out of the bullpen for this series. ... Will be the guy to come in if a starter struggles early . ... Tough delivery coming across his body. ... Uses his slider as his out-pitch. ... Tough on lefties. ... A lot of talent with a 92-93 mph fastball. ... A good guy to have out of the bullpen.

RHP Francisco Rodriguez: Premium closer. ... Has a plus-fastball along with one of the best sliders in the game that he throws for strikes. ... When opponents see him on the mound, they're in trouble. ... Will throw strikes with his two well above average pitches.

RHP Scot Shields: The setup guy for Rodriguez. ... Is a low- to mid-90s fastball guy with a power curveball as his out-pitch. He'll throw his curve to both right-handers and lefties with effectiveness. ... Deceptive delivery makes it tough for a batter to pick up the ball. ... Top-notch setup guy.

RHP Jose Arredondo: Throws 93-95, but his out-pitch is a splitter he has the ability to make batters chase. The split-finger is tough to get up in the air and the Angels have had success when using him late in games.

LHP Darren Oliver: Very experienced southpaw who has reinvented himself and has had success in Anaheim. ... 16-year major-leaguer who also played for Boston.